The very best agents in the business understand what their clients need when it comes to all forms of insurance, not just health. However, it’s no secret that health insurance is one of the hot button topics of the moment, given its prevalence in the national political arena.
Also, out of all the kinds of insurance out there for sale, the one that your clients are most likely to be interested in is health insurance.
But all of that aside, one of the most important things you can do as a insurance agent is to be informed about health insurance. Being informed about health insurance also means being informed about the current nationwide health trends, as these are things that affect all Americans and will likely come up frequently when you’re working with clients who are seeking health insurance.
For example, it should come as no surprise at this point that obesity and being overweight are enormous problems in this country, and one that contributes toward people becoming sick at a young age or even shortening life expectancy. Being overweight or obese also contributes to diabetes, which is a giant problem in the medical community and causing the cost of health insurance to rise overall. Obesity is particularly a problem in the Deep South, but even in states like California – known for its healthier lifestyles – most of the adult population is overweight. California is also home to nearly two million diabetics, so even the “healthier” states are plagued with problems of this type and will need health insurance to be able to cover the costs of health care and manage the well-being of those individuals.
What this means for insurance agents is that it benefits you to be as well informed about the provisions in particular plans that involve weight loss treatment, diabetes management, and controlling blood pressure. The prevalence of overweight and obese Americans means that you’re likely going to be dealing with a relatively high amount of clientele that wrestle with these health problems. If you want to become an agent who has a reputation of being reliable and helpful, being able to advise your clients on these provisions is an excellent step in this direction.
Ideally, you would be familiar with every nuance in every insurance package that you sell. But for those who are less familiar with health insurance, it helps to be able to speak intelligently on the kinds of health problems that a majority of your clientele is likely to have questions about. Other topics to keep abreast on are those involving health complications from smoking and various kinds of cancers, particularly lung, breast, and pancreas. Being able to speak intelligently about the health concerns of your clients and the corresponding kinds of insurance that affect coverage of those concerns will go a long way toward building that relationship of trust and mutual respect that all insurance agents want with their clients.
