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About half of Americans have health insurance from their employer. But there are lots of small businesses, independent contractors, and freelancers who don't get insurance from an employer. Maybe you are an influencer who now makes money as a YouTuber - how can you navigate the complicated world of health insurance coverage? From small business owners to hoping-to-trend influencers, everyone wants to feel the security of help with costs if they have a medical situation.
The good news is that you have coverage options that might come with a tax credit that can be used to reduce your monthly premiums if you need to find health insurance on your own. These plans are funded through the government, and if you've ever tried to navigate a government website or program, it can be time-consuming and confusing. And that's a best-case scenario.
Monday, June 16th
Healthinsurance.org, headquartered out of Minnesota, is a corporate affiliate of a group of insurance agencies and marketers. This site is compensated by partners who offer health quoting services on the Healthinsurance.org website. They are partnered with a very, very long list of agencies, so you will get more matches on this website than through rival services.
Above-average transparency
Healthinsurance.org, unlike some other health insurance websites, is transparent about their operations and the individuals they collaborate with online. This is very refreshing to see and engenders more trust with something as personal as finding health insurance.
Get quotes without giving out your contact info
To get quotes for open enrollment, we had to input our zip code, whether or not we use tobacco, and our date of birth, and we got lots of results. Healthinsurance.org didn't require us to divulge our email addresses or phone numbers.
Quotes come from a good source
When we got our plan matches, we got connected to INSXCloud, a very reputable source. It's good proof that Healthinsurance.org is connecting you with reliable and trustworthy methods of getting coverage. This platform is easier to use: the plan layouts are easier to understand at a glance, you can access more details with a single click, and you can quickly select several plans for comparison. We also like being shown exactly what the premium is before and after any applicable subsidies.
Lots of educational resources
Healthinsurance.org has been around for a long time and has built up a great repository of articles and educational resources that are extremely valuable for helping the average person understand health care coverage in America. A visit to the website is valuable and worth it for this alone, even if you choose to search for plans elsewhere.
No mysteries about what's needed
Once you've selected a plan from Healthinsurance.org, you can enroll directly through the site. The process is clearly and helpfully broken down into easy-to-follow steps. This is where you can complete the entire enrollment all without leaving the comfort of home. You will be told exactly what documents and information you will need.
Our top pick for getting health insurance
Healthinsurance.org can give you a valuable education in healthcare options and in understanding the world of health insurance. If you choose to get quotes from this website, you will be provided with reliable information from good sources. You can always call an agent if you need to, and the process is easy to complete. The company is very transparent and is our favorite for learning about and finding health insurance.
Stride is an incredibly innovative approach to a niche market of independent contractors who need health insurance coverage and more. Springing off the idea that people who work independently enjoy flexibility - but also have to take on managing the complexities of life, which can be time-consuming - Stride aims to reduce the amount of time and hassle spent on things that contractors have to worry about that others don't, from insurance to taxes, mileage tracking, and so much more. This is a great option for people like rideshare drivers, freelancers, influencers, and others who are independent contractors.
Very easy to get personalized quotes
To offer personalized recommendations, Stride requires users to enter details such as income level, family size, zip code, and health care preferences. With this information, Stride helps users to find the most cost-effective health insurance plans available on the health insurance marketplaces, to qualify for federal subsidies, and to clearly understand different health plans and their pros and cons. Stride also helps with annual renewal and reassessment of plans-they really are looking to help you get the best deal, and they don't sell your information.
Stride really saves independent workers money
Stride users save an average of $447/month on health insurance and are 25% more confident than others that they've found the best deal on health insurance coverage than those who don't use Stride.
Stride offers excellent support
Not only does Stride give excellent support in helping you save money with health insurance coverage, but Stride's customer service team is also there for you year-round to answer questions or re-evaluate your current plan. Not only that, they have a great app that can help you 24/7.
An app that truly makes life easier
The Stride app makes it easy to find the most affordable health insurance coverage, as well as other insurance options, track mileage for tax breaks, help you save on everyday expenses, and simplify and file taxes without stress. Stride users actually save about $500 per month with their health insurance and an average of $710 per year on taxes. There are over 2 million people who save using the app. With over 73,000 ratings on the Apple store, averaging 4.8 out of 5 stars, that's impressive.
No scam calls
Stride doesn't work off of agents getting commission. Instead, Stride gets commissions based on people signing up for plans. Stride is not interested in a fire-and-forget, one-and-done kind of transaction - the philosophy of the company is to get customers and keep them by caring for them and keeping them happy with the service Stride offers. This means they aren't interested in generating leads for other websites or companies - they are interested in keeping your business.
An innovative and impressive take on health insurance
We love Stride's innovation and transparency. Stride is changing the way people shop for health insurance coverage. Despite being a niche market, it is paving the way for higher quality in the health insurance coverage industry and setting a standard of long-term customer retention that the rest of the industry should take note of. We are happy to make this one of our top picks. Visit the website and check out the novel approach Stride has to offer.
Healthcare Marketplace is privately owned and not associated with any state exchange or the federal marketplace. This is important to understand since the name is very similar to the federally-managed website. So, to be clear, Healthcare Marketplace is not associated with, sanctioned by, or managed by the federal government, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid, healthcare.gov or the Department of Health and Human Services.
18M+ people have used this site
We can see why Healthcare Marketplace has seen over 18 million people shop for healthcare coverage. The website is clean, easy to use, and not too busy or confusing. When you click on "Get a personalized quote,” you don't get sent to a form - you get sent to the quotes. You can also call to speak with a licensed agent and get help that way.
See quotes with no personal data needed
When you click the quote button, you are immediately taken to the quotes page. On the side is a form that has been auto-populated using browser information (your zip code, for example). You can change the settings if needed: zip code, household income and size, who needs coverage, and so forth. If your parameters line up with what's needed to qualify for a tax credit (sometimes referred to as a subsidy), you'll see that at the bottom of the page. It's easy, and so far you haven't had to give out your name or email address.
Terrific interface
The interface on this website is truly stunning. Featured at the top, you'll find Healthcare Marketplace's recommendations for the lowest price plan, the plan with the highest coverage, and the one representing extra savings. Below that, you'll see all of the possible options for the details entered as a profile. You can also choose to sort them by network, insurer, premium cost, and so on.
Vast array of health insurance options
You can browse through all the plans yourself, or you can contact an agent to get expert recommendations. We really wish there was a way to put all the plans you want to compare in one place; we had to scroll through all the quotes and try to keep track of our favorites. But, since Healthcare Marketplace already chooses the top three, you don't have to necessarily go through all the matches. Still, if you want more personalized guidance, you can call to speak with an agent who will help you find a perfect fit.
You'll always have to finish via phone
You're going to wind up speaking with an agent either way, because unlike other websites where you can finish everything online, the final step of enrolling via Healthcare Marketplace is that "an enrollment specialist will [call] you shortly to assist you with finishing your application and answer any questions that you may have”. That seems outdated and unnecessary, and we were surprised that this was a requirement, but it wasn't a deal breaker.
Perfect grade from the BBB
We're pleased to note that Healthcare Marketplace's parent company, Health Network Group, has an "A+” rating from the Better Business Bureau. There are no complaints to be found regarding this company.
Great way to shop for health insurance
Healthcare Marketplace stands out because out of the sheer number of people who have shopped for policies, there are no complaints to be found. The quote finder is a beautiful tool, showing you three different "best matches” and then a list of other options below. All this, without having to divulge personal contact information. We wish they had a way to save favorite plans for later comparison, and we wish we could complete enrollment online without making it necessary to wait for a call. However, we still easily rate Healthcare Marketplace as above average.
In 2019, UnitedHealthcare acquired Health Markets Insurance Agency, allowing UnitedHealthcare to focus on greater access to health care options for individuals and families. Health Markets' position as a leading distributor of health insurance, Medicare Advantage and Part D, and other life insurance products now helps UnitedHealthcare provide for the insurance needs of more people.
Find the best insurance for you without being on hold
At Health Markets, you can browse plans, compare premiums, and see what's available in your area without having to listen to hold music, all while in your pajamas. Curl up with your laptop and a hot cup of coffee, and go at your own pace without having to rush. When you find the right fit, most of the time you can complete the entire enrollment online.
Agents are readily available
You also have the option of calling an agent - and you can even find a local agent near you. With over 3,00 in-person agents, there is most likely someone near you who can answer your questions. On the flip side, with over 3,000 agents all getting commissions and having to find good leads, you may run into more than one agent calling you - maybe a lot more.
Easy-to-use website
The Health Markets website is nicely organized and makes it easy to enroll. You can shop plans immediately, and Health Markets gives you a series of questions that help to match you to the best insurance fit for you.
Compare your current plan
Health Markets also has a way for you to go online and compare your current healthcare plan to other available plans to see if yours still really is the best fit for you. If you find something that you like better, they can help you make the switch.
Confusing information regarding personal information
Health Markets states on the website that it uses the information you provide to compare plans and show accurate quotes for insurance products - they state that they never disclose personal information to third parties. However, in their online privacy policy, it states that the company "may also share information…among affiliates or with our parent company or subsidiaries. We may also share information with other third-party companies with which we have a business relationship…” At the bottom of their website, there is a link to a form you can fill out to request that your data not be shared or sold. It doesn't make a lot of sense, but just be aware that your data may be shared within the UnitedHealthcare group of companies and subsidiaries and anyone with whom they do business.
Recent issues with customer reviews
Since the time that UnitedHealthcare acquired Health Markets, there seems to have been a shift in the customer experience. Where before there were thousands of amazing online reviews, now some of the higher-starred reviews have been mismarked, and some don't even make coherent sense. One thing that has risen to the forefront is more and more reviews complaining of being called mercilessly within minutes of giving personal information and phone numbers to Health Markets agents or the website. Some people reported over 30 calls from different insurance agents within a few hours. These complaints seem to have been resolved.
Not the best, but far from the worst
Despite the website's beauty and ease of use, and Health Markets' extensive history in the insurance industry, the acquisition by UnitedHealthcare seems to have led to issues with personal data being shared more frequently. Because of these few issues and the larger group of subsidiaries personal information is being shared with, it serves to knock Health Markets down from its previous number one position on our list. It's still a decent way to shop for health insurance, but there are a few sites we'd recommend that you consider first.
New Plan Options has a world of experience in all aspects of insurance. They are a family-run business, and they are set apart by their personal commitment to their clients. New Plan Options is part of CMS Insurance Agency, which is accredited by the BBB with an "A+” rating.
Straightforward questions
You begin by choosing a coverage type from the dropdown box and entering your zip code. Next, New Plan Options will ask you to choose who needs coverage. The next question involves your name and phone number. You won't be able to go further without giving this information to them. The website policies state that they do indeed give your personal information to third-party sources, so proceed with that in mind.
Routes you through Health Sherpa
On the next screen, New Plan Options passes you along to a third-party site, Health Sherpa. This is pretty much an industry-wide pass-off, so it's not a surprise. At that point, when you look at the top of the page, you'll see that you're looking for coverage through CMS Insurance Quotes and the name of one of the company owners as your licensed agent. This is the company that owns New Plan Options.
Quick response from support, no spam calls
One reviewer stated that the live chat was very responsive and helpful. The reviewer's questions were answered honestly and quickly. The best thing about this option, however, is that they don't have any complaints from people saying that their information was given to other health coverage search agencies to call and text relentlessly.
Outdated social media and website
When it comes to health insurance coverage, you want to ensure that your search is current with any new changes or less expensive alternatives. New Plan Options unfortunately feels very outdated, and social media channels have not been updated in years. This is not something we want to see in a health insurance marketplace.
Concerns about relevance, security, and lack of information
We love that New Plan Options is a family business, but we are concerned about the lack of information about this company or the parent company, CMS Insurance, and their relevance in the modern health insurance coverage landscape. We also worry that security may be compromised if the website is not updated frequently.
It's okay; there are better out there
Despite using the same database as many other health coverage marketplaces, New Plan Options' outdated design and neglected social media channels do not inspire confidence in its commitment to staying at the forefront of healthcare coverage. It seems to keep your private data truly private, but we do feel concerned about the safety of an outdated website. Even though the company seems fine, we'd prefer shopping for health insurance with a service that is forward-moving, not stuck in the past.
HealthInsurance.com's goal is to help as many people as possible find coverage that fits their unique healthcare needs and lifestyle. Over the past 20 years, HealthInsurance.com has had over 1 million people come to the website looking for health insurance that is right for them. But, you should be aware that, in the past, their parent company (Benefytt Technologies) was required by the FTC to pay out over $100 million to people who they scammed using websites like HealthInsurance.com, but now the website has new ownership.
Lots of educational resources
HealthInsurance.com has a clean look and is easily navigable, which makes it nice if you just want to learn about health insurance coverage and get yourself familiarized with a general knowledge of what it's all about. It's actually a relatively quiet website, so the educational resources are easier to understand, and there are no real distractions. The resources are concise and well written.
Uses cookies, but no forms
To get a quote using HealthInsurance.com, you will have to make a phone call and talk to a live agent. That might not be as convenient as online enrollment, but you don't have to worry about any online forms collecting your data digitally. The only real data collected is spelled out in their terms and includes your general location. HealthInsurance.com does not hide that they use cookies and other data-gathering tools on their websites. It is likely that your information may be used for other purposes.
Troubled past
While the company may now be working on transparency and honesty, they were previously embroiled in a nasty bout of legal issues. According to an FTC lawsuit, Benefytt (HealthInsurance.com's owner) lied about their sham health insurance plans and used deceptive websites (primarily this one) to sell products and services that cost as much as hundreds of dollars per month but were not qualified under the Affordable Care Act and lacked key elements. The lawsuit also alleged that Benefytt tacked on add-ons, like life or accident insurance, and made it hard for customers to cancel. Benefytt was ordered to pay over $100 million in compensation to people they scammed. While HealthInsurance.com may be under new management, it's difficult to completely recover from the previous problems the website had.
Choose a higher-rated site for health insurance coverage
We'd love to see HealthInsurance.com, under new management, reach its current goal of transparency and honesty. We appreciate their educational resources and hope that the new owners make honest improvements. We will wait and see what happens, but for now, go with a higher-rated website to shop for health insurance coverage.
For over 25 years, eHealth has helped millions of Americans find the healthcare plan that fits their needs at a price they can afford. eHealth offers online resources and live support from licensed insurance agents and boasts over 10,000 plans from over 180 companies.
Quick access to quotes
It's easy and painless to access a general quote at eHealth. With a click of a button, you will get a page that lists some types of plans. In order to see prices, you do need to give a little bit of information, but not your email or phone number. Once you answer a few general questions, you will have quick access to quotes of plans that match your profile. You can even have access to unsubsidized quotes.
Lots of insurance types on offer
eHealth offers a wide range of insurance types to shop for: Medicare, short-term, small business, individual/family, dental, vision, and GAP. If you're trying to find coverage for yourself or your family, click on the Individuals and Family tab on the main eHealth page and enter your zip code.
Agents claim to be available to help even after purchase
eHealth offers a customer promise that includes a commitment to expert guidance and timely follow-up. They also promise to always work on your behalf to get the information you need to select the right plan for you. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. There have been some complaints from customers that agents have misled them into signing up for more than they needed or for a higher-level plan that was out of their budget. When customers get the bill, eHealth agents do not respond to their pleas for help. They have had to resolve their complaints using third-party help.
Agents are overly available - if you don't enroll
We have read and experienced ourselves the commitment of eHealth agents. We gave them our contact information and have been inundated with calls and texts that we did not want from agents everywhere asking if we need health insurance. One woman who did not sign up for a policy but gave out her personal information has had texts, calls, and voicemails for months and has asked repeatedly to be taken off their call list. Still others have changed their phone numbers due to the amount of spam calling they have received. This is not acceptable.
Won't be a pick this time around
Due to complaints of harassing texts and phone calls, along with the distinct lack of educational materials on the website, eHealth will not be a good pick this time around. You'll want to use a more reputable health insurance resource on our list, especially if you want to avoid the spam you'll undoubtedly get from eHealth.
insuranceQuotes has formed partnerships with thousands of insurance agents and over one hundred insurance providers. They claim to offer dependable resources along with one online application that allows you to receive and compare tailored insurance quotes from multiple companies at the click of a button for free. Not just for health coverage, insuranceQuotes offers quotes for car insurance, homeowner's insurance, and more.
Insurance of every type
This website offers a comprehensive range of insurances and coverage options. This can be a boon to get things all done in one place, but in the case of insuranceQuotes, this doesn't work out well. Health insurance is a complex topic, and a website should be able to handle it effectively, but insuranceQuotes' approach results in an unfocused experience.
This is a lead generator
While we appreciate the fact that insuranceQuotes is not going overboard to hide that it is a lead generator, some people might not realize this. If you read the policies of the website, they are very clear: "When you provide personally identifiable information to us, we share your information with providers to provide you with the quotes you requested and for providers to contact you for informational, advertising, and marketing purposes. Providers and others with whom we may share your personally identifiable information may contact you with a quote by email, telephone, text message, postal mail, or other forms of communication. Further, these providers and third parties may share your personally identifiable information and automatically collected data with other third parties without restriction. Please note that we may share or sell your personal information with third parties that may not be insurance-related so that those third parties can directly market their products and services to you. Those third parties may also share or sell your data with other third parties.” Yikes!
Owned by All Web Leads
insuranceQuotes is a subsidiary of All Web Leads, a company that uses platforms like this website to generate leads to provide to health insurance companies and to insurance agents. This is not an insurance broker or agency. In the end, you will have to complete the information all over again with the insurance company you choose, so you aren't doing anything but giving them a lead with your personal information. All Web Leads gets an "A” rating from the BBB, but people are beginning to understand that insuranceQuotes is related to them, and there are some complaints. Complaints involve people being spammed mercilessly by different agencies and companies that have gotten their personal information.
You can do better
insuranceQuotes finds itself in a situation where it tries to be all-encompassing. It tries to be everything for a lot of different kinds of insurance but ends up being lackluster at doing anything well. If they are just in the game to generate leads, they still could have done better. It's unfortunate that the internet is cluttered with confusing things like this, especially when dealing with something as personal and important as health insurance coverage. Seniors, especially, don't understand the difference between a legitimate health insurance coverage marketplace and a lead-generating website. We wish insuranceQuotes would be more upfront with what they are doing and who they work for. There are lots of complaints from people who state they were spammed with unwanted contact from agents and companies for a very long time, and for all these reasons, insuranceQuotes is almost at the bottom of our rankings.
Find Health Insurance serves as a basic landing page for "nationwide” (less than 25 states are actually covered) expansion of the Florida state Peacetree Insurance, which owns and operates Find Health Insurance. Aside from both companies being based in South Florida, there is little to no information regarding the company or its origins that can be found online.
Captures personal information
Not only does Find Health Insurance introduce a form at the beginning of the quote finder process that requires your phone number, but they also trick people into agreeing that they are fully aware that they are NOT required to give their phone number on the form to receive a quote. It's a sneaky way to gain people's "consent” and circumvent the law. The form online requires your phone number. You cannot get to the quotes screen without inputting your phone number. There is nowhere on the form or the website that gives the consumer any knowledge about an alternate way to get a quote without giving out their phone number.
Clicking the quote button binds you legally
By clicking the "Quote” button, you are giving your consent to the company and any agents it "employs” (or sells leads to), to contact you via text or phone. The form is confusing in that it has a check box for you to opt out of being contacted for "relevant” services. But just by clicking the "quote” button, you have already consented to being contacted for health insurance coverage. It's a misdirect where people think they are opting out of contact, but in reality will still be contacted because they gave their consent.
Lead generation website
While you can get some health insurance quotes from Find Health Insurance, we wouldn't recommend it. This seems to be a website dedicated to getting your personal data and charging agents for your personal data as a "lead.” We find this unacceptable.
BBB accreditation and grade
This website boasts an "A” rating as an accredited business of the Better Business Bureau, but there is no link to the proof of this. After searching for a long time, we couldn't find this website, Find Health Insurance, even listed on the site, let alone being accredited or having a good grade. Instead, we looked up Peacetree Insurance, LLC, which is the company that owns and operates Find Health Insurance, and found that not only was it not accredited, it also had an "F” rating. Those who complained about the company claimed that Find Health Insurance actually took their personal information and signed them up for health insurance using their next year's projected tax credit to pay for it. If true, this would be tax fraud.
Sneaky dealings and shady overtones
Because of the misleading nature of the forms on the website as well as the questionable use of the BBB logo and fictitious grade, we cannot recommend Find Health Insurance for anything but as an example of a questionable website.
First Quote Health says that they put you in touch with licensed, independent agents to get free quotes on different types of health insurance plans "in just a single phone call”. The company has been in business since 2014.
Sleazy way to get leads
When you enter your zip code and then click on "Complete My Quote”, you'll be taken to a form that asks for your gender, birthdate, height and weight (?), household size and income, and so forth. You then are required to give your contact information, including a phone number. The next screen will let you know that an agent is calling right then to talk to you.
100% lowest possible reviews
Among all of the reviews we found for First Quote Health, 100% gave this service the lowest possible rating of just one star - and most people said they'd give it zero stars if they could (we had to laugh when we saw one lead-generating reviewer describe the company as a "clown factory”). Numerous individuals referred to First Quote Health as a "scam" and expressed that the company was so aggressive that many users would receive 50 calls or more per hour after they gave their information via this website. Upon further digging, we found that First Quote Health is operated by a lead-generating company founded by a man who worked in advertising at Google.
Legal problems in California
First Quote Health got in hot water in California for allegedly violating the TCPA, which protects consumers from getting spammed with phone calls if they are on the Do Not Call Registry, from auto phone dialing, and other problems. Thousands of people have complained that First Quote Health continues to violate the TCPA in all of those ways.
More complaints from consumers reveal major problems
Users complain of the following patterns of behavior from First Quote Health, saying the company has been guilty of:
First Quote Health exists solely to generate leads
First Quote Health exists for the sole purpose of making money for NextGen, not for helping you get good health insurance coverage. You'll find all of that in the Terms page.
Your information will be sold
If you look in the terms further down, you will see that First Quote Health has an exhaustive list of partners that will happily pay for your personal information. It's easy to see how some people get hundreds of spam calls a day after handing their contact information over to First Quote Health.
Don't give your information to First Quote Health
Unless you enjoy being called and texted 200 times a day, it is a good idea to stay far away from First Quote Health. Go with a health insurance marketplace that has licensed agents and is very transparent about who they are. Stay away from this walking violation of TCPA.
Fortunately, there's good news on that front. There are a number of health insurance platforms that can help you sort through your options and get coverage. You won't pay extra for using one of these resources, and you'll often get the benefit of knowledgeable guidance from a licensed insurance agent. If you don't understand the difference between PPOs and HMOs or between deductibles and coinsurance, you should make sure you have an expert on hand to walk you through the process of picking a plan.
However, not all of these companies are made equal. While some do exactly what they say they will, others are fronts disguising lead-generating agencies. They get paid to collect your personal information, which is then sold to anyone with the cash - marketing companies, other insurance agents, health insurance providers, and who knows who else.
How can you tell which health insurance websites are legitimate? Consider the following criteria when deciding where to begin your coverage shopping:
To help you get the medical coverage you need, Top Consumer Reviews has evaluated and ranked the best resources for finding health insurance plans. We're confident that this information will make it easy to navigate the often-tricky world of healthcare and buy the right plan for your needs.
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