Finding a good health insurance agent is just as important as finding the right health insurance plan. Without an agent working for you, how do you know you’re getting the best price for the most coverage? Health insurance agents can make the shopping process a lot easier. But they can also be a good resource after the sale. When choosing a health insurance agent, make sure you pay attention to the number of markets they can access, their product knowledge, and their level of customer service.
Access To Markets
One of the most important things to look for in a health insurance agent is their access to a wide variety of health insurance companies. The more carriers they have, the better chance the agent will be able to provide you with a healthy selection of quotes to compare. It’s also a good idea to find out how their relationships are with those companies. When it comes down to it, if an insurance company has some wiggle room in their pricing, the agent can leverage their existing relationship with them to call in a special favor.
Product Knowledge
Of course, the agent you choose needs to know what they are talking about. They need to know what coverages are important and which ones are just fluff. They should be able to give you lots of policy options with varying levels of deductibles, copayments and provider plans. Be sure to ask potential agents plenty of questions to uncover their product knowledge.
Customer Service
Selling is one thing, but going above and beyond for clients after the deal is done is what keeps customers for the long haul. Being available by phone and email is crucial for agents to deliver good customer service these days. People have come to expect near instant results. If you’re on a family vacation out of town and one of your family members is injured, you want to be able to get your health insurance agent on the phone right away to ask how your coverage will be handled out of state. You don’t want to wait hours for a call back if you have to leave a voice mail. It’s a good idea to ask if they have a written customer service timeline that explains what type of service you can expect from them throughout your policy term. Also, ask for some referrals to verify their level of service with some of their existing clients.
Conclusion
Finding the right health insurance agent isn’t hard. Just be sure to research and verify their access to multiple insurance markets, product knowledge, and level of customer service.