First, make sure you are working with a state licensed agent by checking with your state insurance department.
Second, you should consider working with someone who works for you, and not for a single insurance company. The terms “insurance agent” and “insurance broker” are often used synonymously, but there is a difference.
Although I use the term insurance “agent” broadly, a broker is an agent, but an agent is not necessarily a broker. Brokers represent and sell plans from multiple insurance carriers.
A broker, as opposed to “just” an agent, is unbiased and works for you with your best interests in mind. Their goal is to find a plan from several companies; as opposed to a captive agent who just sells and focuses specifically on the plans that one company offers.
In other words, a broker researches multiple Medicare plan options from multiple carriers, and then recommends the best plan based on your preferences, needs, and the plan’s price and benefits. Working with a trained broker can help you save time and money by walking you through evaluating plan options along with enrolling you into a plan. Brokers are not paid differently based on the specific company or plan they recommend.
People should trust their agent enough to largely base their healthcare plan decisions on recommendations from their agent. On your behalf, that person takes into consideration a plan’s features, costs, and extra benefits and does an in-depth evaluation of them with your situation, health, wants and needs.
Agents should do a comparison of all of these items with all available products from available companies in your area.
