Help finding health insurance plans- for free

Help Finding the Best Health Insurance Plan

There are people who offer free help finding health insurance plans that best fit your needs. They work like travel agents, but for insurance plans. You tell them the medications that you use and which doctors you need access to, and they will search through multiple companies until they find a plan that meets your needs and saves you the most money. Furthermore, these super heroes often offer this service for free.

Each year a person’s plan can change. Insurance companies can adjust premiums or formularies annually. The premium is the cost to keep your plan active, usually paid monthly. Formularies dictate what tier a drug falls into; a lower tier drug will receive more coverage than a higher one. Alternatively, you may change. Your medication list might grow or shrink. You might move to a new state or graduate to the senior club. Whatever changes occur, it is prudent to shop plans annually.

But shopping for health insurance is a huge pain. And sifting through complex and ever-changing plans, even understanding your own current plan, is frustrating enough to stop you from fighting to find your best options. But there are people who can help. They are called independent insurance agents (sometimes referred to as independent insurance representatives). 

How agents help you find health insurance plans

The chain goes: insurance company – general agent – independent agent – you. Insurance companies partner with general agents to rep different aspects of their operation. One might rep large group employer coverage, small group employer coverage, or medicare coverage for example. General agents receive a commission from the insurance company when a sale is made and therefore want to reach as many people as possible. So they partner with independent agents. Independent agents also receive a small commission, but rep many companies. This is how they can offer help finding health insurance plans in a way that gets you the best deal out of the bunch.

General agents provide independent agents with continuing education about their products as well as an amazing search tool. The independent agent can then put a potential client (you) into the insurance company’s system and find the most applicable plan. They can compare that plan to the best plans for you from all the other insurance companies that they rep. After comparing the available plans with your needs in consideration, they are able to select the most cost effective one for you.

How Do I Find an Independent Agent?

The best way to find this type of help is to do an internet search for “independent insurance agents in my area.” When you reach out to an agent, ask if they rep one company or many. If you find someone who represents a nice variety of insurance providers, you are in business. And there is a huge benefit to shopping multiple providers.

The cost of similar plans vary greatly between insurance companies. However, the cost of one company’s plan will not change from person to person. Insurance providers in the state of California, at least, must submit their rates to the state for approval. Because of this, the premium for a plan will be consistent. That means that the price you get for a plan will be the same whether you get it from agent A, agent B, or directly from the provider.

Or you can call Brenda for help finding health insurance plans

Brenda Coyle, an agent here in California, helped save me hundreds of dollars (at least) and a ton of brain pain. She found me a supplemental plan that cost half of what the lowest obvious plan would have cost. I receive no commission for telling you about Brenda. I am simply amazed by what she has done for me and want to share.

Brenda has seen first hand in her own parents and her daughter, who was born with Down syndrome, how it can be.  You get put in a system when you have known health complications and it is difficult to find a plan that is willing to work for you. Brenda plows through the standard answers and shocking premiums, and she finds a way to get people what they need. As a financial strategist she offers many services, but helping people find good coverage is her heart project. She genuinely cares. I have included her information and a few of the services that she offers in addition to health insurance assistance below. She is licensed to help clients who live in California or Arizona. Otherwise, follow my instructions above to find an independent agent in your area. Good luck finding your Brenda.