Whether you’re a business owner shopping for a group health insurance plan, or an individual searching for the right individual, family, or Medicare plan, this decision carries a lot of weight. You’re looking for a plan that meets your needs and fits your budget. You also hope to enroll in a plan that is easy to understand, that provides customer support, and that helps prevent any billing surprises. A few bells and whistles wouldn’t hurt, either.
Those are all reasonable objectives, but it can become difficult to balance them all during the comparison shopping process. Working with a health insurance broker can simplify that process in a number of ways, and help you locate the right plan for your needs.
What a health insurance broker does. Brokers are licensed health insurance agents who do not work for one particular insurance provider. Instead, they work independently to match their customers – either businesses or individuals – with the health insurance plan that best suits their needs and budgets.
What a health insurance broker does not do. Because brokers work independently, they have no interest in steering you toward a particular plan or “selling” you on “their” company. Instead, they work with a variety of insurance providers and are biased toward none of them. These companies pay a commission to brokers that is already worked into their premium structures, so that you aren’t charged any more for using a broker to locate your plan. In fact, you might as well utilize this service because it is free!
What you can gain by working with a health insurance broker. Aside from helping you compare and choose the right health insurance policy, brokers provide other benefits to their customers. This professional will remain available to answer your coverage questions, provide customer support, help you solve billing issues, and remind you of important deadlines or changes to your plan. If you’re a business owner, your broker will also assist you in explaining plan benefits to your employees.
Working with a health insurance broker will also save you time, because these professionals are already familiar with all the health insurance options on the market. Simply describe your priorities and needs, and your broker will know where to begin the search for the right health insurance plan.
Working with a health insurance broker doesn’t cost you anything! Brokers get paid by the insurance companies, and they can offer you the same rates that you would get if you went directly to the insurance company. So you get the assistance and support of a broker with no added cost!
If you’re interested in individual, family, Medicare, or group health plans, give us a call and we will put our experience to work for you.