Health insurance costs can be high, and health care plans can seem confusing. When it’s time to shop for health insurance for you and your family, it can seem overwhelming and discouraging. That’s why health insurance brokers are a good idea. Here’s how they can help:
They Are Motivated by Your Needs
Because health insurance brokers are working for you, they have reason to care about the same things that you care about. What do you care about? A health insurance plan that fits your budget. A health insurance plan that you’ll be as happy with next year as you are when you buy it. A health insurance plan that works with the medical needs you and your family have. A licensed insurance broker cares about these things too and wants you to have them.
They Are Better Than Exchange Navigators
Government exchange navigators can’t help you understand plans that aren’t on the exchange. They can’t act as an advocate for you if you’re having some kind of problem with your insurance company. They don’t have to be licensed in every state, so they may not be able to help you if you move around.
Perhaps more important than all this, though, a government exchange navigator can only help you understand the ins and outs of the different plans. While this is important, they cannot also give you recommendations based on your personal needs.
What’s the Difference Between a Broker and Agent?
An agent can offer many of the same benefits that a broker can, but with one great exception. Health insurance agents are under contract with specific health insurance companies. This means they’re actually working for the company, not for you. Brokers work for you and are motivated to help you find what’s best for you.
What Other Benefits Are There For Working With a Broker
There are several other important benefits to working with a broker.
- They can personalize your recommendations. Brokers know all the details about the different packages available to you. But it’s not just detailed they offer: it’s a fully personalized experience as you choose the right health plan. A broker can truly listen to your needs and limitations and then look specifically for what is best for you.
- You’ll get support quickly. If you have any kind of issue with your health insurance, you can get help immediately by contacting your broker. There’s someone specifically dedicated to helping you solve problems with payments, claims, coverage, or getting the access to the care you need when you need it. Instead of having to navigate a confusing website, you can make a call and have someone working for you right away.
- You’ll have access to specialized knowledge. While it’s possible to learn about plans on the Internet, your health insurance broker will know what all those terms really mean. They can help you make sense of terms that sound similar but may mean something quite different when the moment of truth arrives.
What Happens When I Talk With a Broker?
You can expect your broker to first work to fully understand your situation. This will including finding out about your current coverage, how often you typically visit the doctor, what kind of prescriptions you need, and your budget. They may also ask about what pharmacies are convenient to you and whether you’re planning on adding dependents to your household soon.
Next, your broker will go to work to find a plan that fits your needs. Expect your broker to help you understand the different plans available and the pros and cons of each. Your broker will go over specific terms with you to help you understand what they mean when they’re used in each plan.
You can also expect to get an explanation of the provider networks available for you to choose from and how those might affect your health care needs. Your broker can tell you about plans both on and off the exchanges, including some that you might not be able to find otherwise.
Through this process, you can narrow the field to those plans that are the best options for you. Having a healthcare broker on your side might just be the best thing you can ever do for your health.