How do I Become a Health Insurance Agent?

To become a health insurance agent, you must meet your state or region's licensing requirements, which can include the completion of an educational program, completing a license application, and passing both a background check and a licensing exam. While it is possible to get a job selling health policies without a college degree, most insurance companies prefer to hire those with a bachelor's degree.

If you are in college, or about to start, consider majoring in finance, economics or business. Additional coursework that can be helpful include communications and marketing. Remember, you will be in sales, so your career prospects and compensation will depend largely on your ability to communicate the benefits of the policies you sell. Many people become a health insurance agent only to find out that they can make more money by diversifying into other types of insurance and even securities. The more knowledge that you have of finance, the better prepared you will be for broadening your practice. It is advantageous to get an internship or a part-time job in an insurance office as this can give you an edge over other job candidates when you graduate from school.

When you are first hired by an insurance agency, you will probably start as a customer service representative. This gives you a good opportunity to learn the business from the inside and develop your medical insurance vocabulary. You will likely be taking several calls each day from clients who will need clarification on medicare supplements, deductibles, coinsurance, and covered medical procedures. As you get more comfortable in the industry, you will have a better idea as to whether you want become a health insurance agent full-time.

When you decide to pursue health insurance sales, you should contact the agency in your area that licenses insurance agents. There are typically separate licenses for selling different types of insurance, so be sure to explain that you want to become a health insurance agent. You will need to complete an educational course, which will also include training in national, regional and local laws that govern insurance sales. Ask the board for a list of approved courses in your area: Both trade schools and community colleges usually offer these programs several times a year. Once you have completed your training, you will need to submit your licensing application and, in most cases, pass a criminal background check. After you receive your license, you will be able to sell health insurance to consumers.