Most of us have probably read or heard about insurance forums. Many are focused on different aspects of the insurance business. That includes general insurance discussions, product-specific forums, such as Employee Benefits, Life Insurance, E&O, Health Insurance and Ancillary Benefits, and other topics.
Some insurance broker forums spotlight questions from agents and brokers regarding others’ experiences dealing with a variety of issues, including, among other things:
- services/products available
- help with carrier appointments
- health plans’ underwriting flexibility
- claims responsiveness
- ease of doing business
- communications
- commissions, and
- general partnership sentiment.
Forum feedback suggests some agents and brokers are dissatisfied with their carrier relationships. They are unhappy about how long it takes to get answers. Or they say there are too many hoops to jump through. About a fifth (20%+) say they feel undervalued by carriers. A good workaround that some are embracing is exploring a relationship with a general agent (GA) like Word & Brown.
General Agency vs. Direct Carrier: Why Independent Agents Are Making the Switch
For independent agents weighing the pros and cons of working directly with carriers versus partnering with a general agency, the difference often comes down to access, support, and time. Solo agents face carrier red tape, tech fatigue across multiple portals, compliance overload, and delayed commissions — challenges a GA like Word & Brown is specifically built to solve.
How Word & Brown Bridges the Gap Between Agents and Carriers
Working with a GA offers significant advantages for you. When you partner with Word & Brown, you can count on us to:
- streamline your business operations and deliver specialized support tailored to your – and your clients’ – specific needs
- expand your product and service portfolio – and assist with carrier and health plan appointments
- reduce your tech fatigue and provide you with access to a command center for multi-carrier quoting with side-by-side plan comparisons, integrated provider search, and always-up-to-date rate information
- take on many of your back-office activities like quoting, enrollment, case installation, and policy renewals – freeing you up to focus on sales and client growth
- provide compliance and training support, including updates on evolving state and federal regs, as well as opportunities to earn valuable Continuing Education Credits required to maintain a license.
Best of all, we do it all without reducing your commission. Plus, we’ll help you identify potential opportunities for added bonuses.
Dedicated Support That Helps You Streamline Carrier Relations
We have dedicated reps with expertise to help you find the right products and services to match your clients’ diverse needs. Your W&B rep will work with you and all of our teams to enhance your customer service and improve your client retention. That includes ensuring clean case submissions to Underwriting and prompt ID card issue for your clients. Our Client Experience team will assist with general group, plan, and coverage change inquiries as well as delivering answers on technology, provider searches, billing, claims, and delayed commissions. Broker Resources facilitates onboarding and new product initiatives while also maintaining our extensive online carrier forms and resources library as well as our new Carrier Portfolio web page on the W&B website. We do it all for you.
Why Health Insurance Agents Choose Word & Brown
Contact your W&B rep today to find out more about how we can reduce red tape for you and put you on the path to increased earnings when you deliver more client-focused solutions.
We provide personalized support you are unlikely to find elsewhere. Our outstanding reputation is built on “Service of Unequalled Excellence” – a hallmark of Word & Brown for more than 40 years.
If you’re not already working with us, get started today by calling 800-869-6989, registering online, or connecting with our Broker Development team.
