According to a study by the National Association of Health Underwriters, small businesses rely on health insurance agents and brokers to help with purchasing health insurance coverage that best fits their budget and health care requirements. Agents also play an important role in servicing the policy after the sales process, the survey finds.

The survey, which questioned more than 3,300 of NAHU's members, finds over 50 percent spend half of their time providing client service beyond the sales process. Nearly 95 percent of all respondents facilitate claims and billing issues, and almost 90 percent assist clients with compliance information every day.

"In the midst of this massive health care overhaul, the agent's role as advisor and educator is even more critical," states NAHU CEO Janet Trautwein. "As members of a profession that requires a license and has stringent educational requirements, agents and brokers serve more as advocates for clients than simply salespeople. Without the assistance of health insurance agents or brokers, health care consumers would be left alone to deal with the ever-changing landscape of our health care system.

"Nearly all agents attest to assisting clients with claims and billing issues, and more than half of those same agents spend more time working with their clients after a sale is complete than they do to initialize the sale. Health insurance customers who use agents report being satisfied not just with their insurance but also with the work performed by their agents, especially when it comes to the agent's role in finding the right policy, in enabling consumers to be smart shoppers of health services and in reducing health care costs."

Instant Insights /

Health insurance agents play important role, survey finds

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