Hello from PA

[ajt]

I stumbled on to your forum and I thought it would be interesting to get an inside perspective.

I am not knowledgeable in insurance sales, however I am knowledgeable in health insurance.

My wife has sales experience, and we have been discussing starting an independent insurance brokerage as an at home business.

Admittedly, I dont know very much about the business of insurance, but we are both professionals and have very good business sense.

I have run small companies for the last 10 years or so we do understand what it takes to make things work.

What advice would you give a newcomer, is this still a good business in light of the potential changes proposed in healthcare?

 

[arnguy]

Very bad timing to get into health insurance in any of the 57 states. Welcome aboard. just what we need ----another PA agent!

 

[ajt]

Very bad timing to get into health insurance in any of the 57 states. Welcome aboard. just what we need ----another PA agent!

well, i am not an agent yet, just wanted to ask the agents out there what they thought.

would you recommend your child follow in your footsteps?

 

[arnguy]

well, i am not an agent yet, just wanted to ask the agents out there what they thought.

would you recommend your child follow in your footsteps?

Absolutely not!!!

 

[ajt]

fair enough, i appreciate your candor

a few questions if you dont mind.

are you an independent agent?
what products do you sell?
do you have employees?
are you a full time agent?

 

[arnguy]

In descending order:
1. Yes
2. Primarily small group heath insurance (2 to 9) for now----but probably not much longer with the impending changes to healthcare reform..
3. No
4. Yes

 

[mmike160]

Absolutely not!!!

Yeah, what he said...

 

[Ann H]

I stumbled on to your forum and I thought it would be interesting to get an inside perspective.

I am not knowledgeable in insurance sales, however I am knowledgeable in health insurance.

My wife has sales experience, and we have been discussing starting an independent insurance brokerage as an at home business.

Admittedly, I dont know very much about the business of insurance, but we are both professionals and have very good business sense.

I have run small companies for the last 10 years or so we do understand what it takes to make things work.

What advice would you give a newcomer, is this still a good business in light of the potential changes proposed in healthcare?

Sir, health care reform put a damper on the health insurance sales industry. Under the new law (PPACA), an insurance company can only spend 20% of income on expenses that are NOT medical expenses (that includes agent commissions, rent, salaries, marketing, advertising, print, postage, claims processing, customer service, IT tech, billing...) Insurance companies had no choice but to cut agents' commissions. Many agents are leaving the business now. That's why these agents told you that your idea to enter the market now is bad timing.

 

[linkbuildr]

I agree with the above posters, perhaps if you're interested in the medical field you should study nursing, or another medicine-related skill, rather than medical insurance.