by Guest » Thu May 28, 2009 03:51 am
Hi. I was told that a broker can provide a consumer with a cheap health insurance rate, where as direct you may pay more. So are we better off with health insurance brokers like or is it more efficient to just call?
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Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 12:46 pm Post Subject:
Price is always the same no matter who you purchase it from. Now plans can be slightly different which would alter the price somewhat. A broker can help you navigate all the different plans and place you in one that will work best for your individual situation. Since they don't work for a specific company they can give you more options.
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Posted: Wed Aug 05, 2009 06:36 pm Post Subject:
You are always better working with a broker, but the price is the same either way.
Posted: Thu Aug 06, 2009 05:13 am Post Subject:
A good broker will give you objective advice and help you find the right policy. You don't pay any more than if you went direct.
If the agent is honest and competent, there is no downside.
Posted: Thu Aug 06, 2009 10:16 am Post Subject:
They have more markets and sometimes more resources available to them than a captive agent or a direct company would.
Don't you think it becomes real tough for you to choose between an independent agent and a captive agency that's operating successfully in your locality!
Posted: Thu Aug 06, 2009 03:06 pm Post Subject:
Don't you think it becomes real tough for you to choose between an independent agent and a captive agency that's operating successfully in your locality!
If someone has their mind set on one particular carrier, it would make a lot of sense to go with a successful local captive agency. BUT, when it comes time to evaluate their options at their next renewal, they may wish they had gone with an independent agent who could update them on the options available with the other carriers.
For example, what if a competing carrier came out with a better product at a lower price? Is the captive agent going to tell them?
Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 06:29 am Post Subject:
I think the better place to go to find health insurance is online. Brokers are not always able to offer every kind of health insurance however and often have their own agendas in selling insurance to people. They often make commission and will want to sell you more insurance than you may be looking for.
Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 10:59 pm Post Subject:
When you go online, you are most likely dealing with a broker or a company that sells information/leads to brokers.
Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 12:42 pm Post Subject:
I think the broker is convient way to deal with your insurance. Maybe they can offer more cheaper rate. Off course it is basic on different condition, you can choose different rate. Once i wanna a kind of insurance i add some items and delete a little and we chance the premium at last. The broke has a lot of ways but you should have some knowledge about law. Then you will not be cheated.
Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2009 10:34 am Post Subject:
I'm not a broker, but I know someone who is. They find a high percentage (well over 90%) of their clients don't understand insurance. Go ask people how an HSA/HRA works. They won't know. Shopping online doesn't solve that issue.
Also, brokers can advise you on insurance buying tactics you wouldn't know about. Like in group, sometimes it is cheaper to buy an HRA and then fund the employee's account than buying an equal regular plan.
Yes, there are good brokers and bad brokers out there. One sign of a bad broker is one who is not showing you the options and pushing one carrier extremely hard. Usually that means that one carrier is paying them more. A good broker will put the customer first.
Additionally, brokers will know the plans of maybe 10 different carriers and upon hearing what you are looking for and focus on the carriers that have the best plans for you. If you are searching online on your own, it'll take you months of effort to get to the same result.
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