Working in the insurance agency can be a great fit for people who enjoy customer service, sales and helping other people. Health insurance agents work with clients to help them choose health insurance plans and settle claims. If you’re interested in becoming a health insurance agent, it can be helpful to know details of the profession as well as how to get a job as a health insurance agent. In this article, we explain what health insurance agents are, how to become a health insurance agent and other information related to the job.
What is a health insurance agent?
A health insurance agent is an insurance professional who is responsible for selling health insurance to clients and helping them settle claims with the insurance company. Health insurance can help insured people cover part or all of their medical expenses, including the cost of surgical procedures, prescription drugs and more. Health insurance agents can work as independent brokers or work as part of insurance companies. Often, health insurance agents can earn commissions for selling health insurance plans from insurance companies that they represent.
Health insurance agents usually form strong relationships with their clients so they can help them make the best possible decisions, choose the right policy and settle claims with the insurance company. Good health insurance agents are honest, and they care for the needs of their clients.
Related: Insurance Jobs: Types, Salaries and Duties
What do health insurance agents do?
Health insurance agents are responsible for finding clients and selling them health insurance plans. Additional duties of health insurance agents can include:
Forming relationships with clients and meeting with them to develop strategies.
Helping clients settle claims by communicating with the insurance company.
Using marketing strategies to attract new clients and promote insurance policies.
Calculate premiums, present quotes to clients and maintain client records.
Customer service and communication are two key skills for health insurance agents, as they frequently meet with clients and work with them to solve problems and find the right insurance plans. Additionally, health insurance agents possess skills in sales as well as computer skills. Health insurance agents should also have a strong grasp of tax and healthcare laws to understand the details of their jobs fully.
Salary and job outlook for health insurance agents
Salary data for health insurance agents specifically is limited, but according to Indeed Salaries, the average national salary for insurance agents in the United States is $56,770 per year. This salary can vary based on years of experience as an insurance agent as well as company and location.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, insurance agent employment is expected to increase faster than average in the next few years. This indicates that the job outlook for health insurance agents is promising.
How to become a health insurance agent
Here are the five steps to becoming a health insurance agent:
1. Complete your education
The first step to becoming a health insurance agent is completing your education. To become a health insurance agent, you need to earn at least a high school diploma or GED. To get a health insurance agent job with a high school diploma or GED, it can be helpful to have prior sales experience or skills.
Although further education is often not required to become an insurance agent, you can also consider pursuing a bachelor’s degree in business, finance or a related field. While you’re in college, you can try to take classes relevant to working as a health insurance agent, including communication and finance classes. Earning a bachelor’s degree can help widen your job opportunities and help you appeal to more potential employers.
2. Get a background check
Depending on your state, you may need to complete a background check to become a health insurance agent. Some insurance agencies may require criminal background checks, drug screenings, a credit report, verification of your employment and education and other reports. You can research the requirements of your specific state to determine what background checks you should prepare for.
3. Obtain a license
The next step to becoming a health insurance agent is getting a license. It’s important to research the health insurance agent licensing requirements of your state, as licensing and pre-licensing requirements can vary from state to state. In certain states, you may need to take additional courses before you can take a licensing exam.
You might also consider pursuing a professional certification, such as becoming a Certified Insurance Counselor. Although professional certifications may not be required by your employer, they can help you improve your resume and your professional credentials, which can lead to more job and career growth opportunities.
4. Create a resume and apply for jobs
Once you have all the qualifications to become a health insurance agent, create a well-written resume and start applying for health insurance agent jobs. On your resume, be sure to include your contact information, your insurance-related work experience, your educational credentials and your skills and certifications relevant to being a health insurance agent. You can search for job openings on job boards, on social media and in newspapers, and you can also ask your professional network for health insurance agent job leads.
5. Complete further training
After you complete a job interview and get hired as a health insurance agent, you may need to complete additional on-the-job training through your company. During on-the-job training, you may shadow an experienced health insurance agent, which can help you learn the protocols of your specific company and develop more skills that are essential to succeeding as a health insurance agent.
Throughout your career, you should also continue learning as much as you can about your industry, as insurance policies and laws may change over time. Therefore, to be the best health insurance agent that you can and effectively help your clients, it’s important to stay up-to-date on changes in your industry.
