Tips for Hiring a Health Insurance Broker

Health insurance brokers can be an invaluable resource when it comes to finding the best health insurance for your needs, particularly if you’re unsure about what type of plan or coverage will work best for you and your family. But just as with other types of professionals, there are some excellent brokers out there and some not-so-excellent ones. Here are tips to help you hire the best possible broker to provide guidance on finding the right health insurance plan to meet your needs, no matter what they may be.

1. Ask about the broker’s qualifications.

A good broker should be licensed and have years of experience helping people with their health insurance needs. This can include providing information on different types of plans, and may even involve acting as an intermediary between you and the insurance company to help facilitate a smooth transaction. If your health insurance provider is one of the broker’s customers, they should be able to point you in the right direction so that they can act as a link between you and your health plan carrier.

2. Ask about the broker’s credentials.

Health insurance brokers are required by law to be licensed. In all states, the license must be obtained through an educational program of at least 40 hours and then a series of exams. But these aren’t the only qualifications that matter; other aspects to look for include whether your broker is affiliated with any respected organizations and if they are members of any professional organizations. You can verify this information—at least in some cases—by calling your state insurance regulator or visiting your state’s department of insurance website.

3. Ask about the broker’s interests in your health insurance needs.

A good broker will take a proactive role in helping you obtain health insurance that meets your specific goals and needs, whether it be providing family medical insurance through a company or checking with different providers to see if they have any special offers available. A good broker will also help you avoid problems when looking for the right type of plan. But some brokers are more interested in making a sale than actually doing what’s best for their clients; if your prospective broker isn’t asking questions about your specific needs, it may be worth looking into someone else.

4. Ask how they work as an intermediary and what their working relationship with carriers is like.

Just as with any type of professional relationship, you want to make sure that you’re talking with someone who has a good working knowledge of the health insurance industry. This isn’t to say that someone who has never worked in the industry can’t be a good broker, but you want to make sure that the person is knowledgeable enough about the types of plans available and their pros and cons so they can help you choose the right one for you.

There are many reasons to consider hiring a health insurance broker. Whether you’re looking for individuals to help you compare different plans, or want someone who can act as an intermediary to help bring your plan into effect, a good health insurance broker can provide you with valuable information and services. But before hiring a broker, make sure that they have exactly what you’re looking for; and if they’re not able to be of any help, it may be best to look elsewhere.