There are thousands of Insurance Agencies out there that can help you get a group or individual health insurance plan.
The question becomes do I go directly to a carrier (i.
e.
Blue Cross) or do I work with an Independent Insurance Agency.
This article will discuss the pros and cons of working with an Independent Insurance Agency.
CONS: There are very little cons in working with an Independent Insurance Agency; however, there can be a few.
An agency works with several providers, which means they must stay up-to-date on more plans.
An agency may not be the first to know about any new plans or provisions going on within the specific provider.
A good agency, however, will stay current with the carriers they represent and understand all changes and new plans as they are rolled out.
PROS: The pros of working with an Independent Insurance Agency far exceed the cons.
The keyword is Independent! Independent means (for the most part) unbiased.
If you go directly to Blue Cross, they will sell you a Blue Cross health insurance plan.
If you go to Kaiser, they will sell you a Kaiser health insurance plan.
If you work with an Independent Insurance Agency, they can work with you to help you first strategize what the best carrier is (i.
e.
Blue Cross, Aetna, Kaiser, Blue Shield, etc.
) for your situation and then help you find the best plan within.
Most Agencies should not charge you a commission.
The agency is paid by the carrier who you decided to go with.
It does not cost anything additional for a consumer to go through an agency versus the carrier direct.
The carrier is paying the agency to take care of you which means the agent should be bending over backwards to make sure you stay happy so you will renew moving forward.
©California Insurance Co.
2007
The question becomes do I go directly to a carrier (i.
e.
Blue Cross) or do I work with an Independent Insurance Agency.
This article will discuss the pros and cons of working with an Independent Insurance Agency.
CONS: There are very little cons in working with an Independent Insurance Agency; however, there can be a few.
An agency works with several providers, which means they must stay up-to-date on more plans.
An agency may not be the first to know about any new plans or provisions going on within the specific provider.
A good agency, however, will stay current with the carriers they represent and understand all changes and new plans as they are rolled out.
PROS: The pros of working with an Independent Insurance Agency far exceed the cons.
The keyword is Independent! Independent means (for the most part) unbiased.
If you go directly to Blue Cross, they will sell you a Blue Cross health insurance plan.
If you go to Kaiser, they will sell you a Kaiser health insurance plan.
If you work with an Independent Insurance Agency, they can work with you to help you first strategize what the best carrier is (i.
e.
Blue Cross, Aetna, Kaiser, Blue Shield, etc.
) for your situation and then help you find the best plan within.
Most Agencies should not charge you a commission.
The agency is paid by the carrier who you decided to go with.
It does not cost anything additional for a consumer to go through an agency versus the carrier direct.
The carrier is paying the agency to take care of you which means the agent should be bending over backwards to make sure you stay happy so you will renew moving forward.
©California Insurance Co.
2007