What is your Zip Code
Are you currently insured?
Yes No
How many people are being insured?

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Health Insurance agents are not created equally

By Jeff Cline

Getting the right health insurance plan is very important for you. Just as important is finding the right agent to represent you in your search. There are tons of agents that would love to help you, but finding a good one is tricky.

If you have started your search and have requested any quotes online you have probably starting getting calls from eager agents. Not all agents are created equally. Some agents are working for you, while others are only interested in making a quota.

Some people opt to do the search and purchase online without ever speaking to an agent. If you know all the health insurance lingo and you do not have any complicated circumstances this is perfectly fine. But if you have questions or you are not sure what kind of plan is best consult with an agent.

Some people prefer to only work with a local agent. They like the face to face encounter. An agent that is over the phone is just as qualified to help you. If conversing on the phone and signing documents via internet, fax or mail doesnt bother you, you can find insurance from your recliner.

If you have friends or family that have recently purchased health insurance, perhaps they can recommend an agent. Word of mouth advertising is usually a good source! Otherwise you should visit your states Department of Insurance to help you find a licensed agent.

If you choose a Captive agent, that agent is contracted with one carrier. Therefore they can only recommend and find you products from that one carrier. An independent health insurance agent can shop around for you. Typical there is no charge either way.

You can usually tell within a few minutes on the phone if a agent cares about what you need or is just trying to push a product they get a commission on. There are sales people posing as agents out there that push discounts card. Beware of these scams.

These discount companies are ripping off consumers every day. They require expensive sign up fees which you can never get back. A discount card is only worth the paper it is written on. If you are uninsured you will likely get the same discount from any doctor or hospital.

About the Author:

No comments:

Post a Comment