An insurance agent is a person who is paid by one to five different insurance companies to sell their insurance policies. A broker is not. A broker is a person who does not work for any insurance agency. A broker works for you, the insured. Insurance brokers can often get individuals and small businesses the best health insurance quotes although they do charge a fee for their services.

Due to extensive knowledge and experience in the insurance industry, a broker can often advise you about what insurance policy or policies are right for you or your company. A broker can also negotiate with an insurance company on your behalf to create a health insurance plan or package that is right for you at a price you and your employees can afford. In short, an insurance broker can get you the best health insurance quote available.

While both agents and brokers do require a license to sell insurance, a broker is required to have a special license. To acquire a broker's license the broker must have completed several years as an agent as well as take an examination to prove extensive knowledge of the industry. While many insurance agents have just as much knowledge and experience as brokers do, a broker is more likely to work with businesses and have a broader understanding of different insurance companies and their practices.

When it comes to health insurance, the one segment of the population often forgotten is the small business owner. Many of these owners would like to be able to offer an affordable health insurance policy to their employees similar to what is offered by large companies but at an affordable price.

Small business owners often employ the services of insurance brokers to get them the best possible health insurance quote and health insurance deals for their employees. The reason for this is an insurance broker regularly deals with many different insurance companies and can use his or her working relationship and knowledge of the industry to help small businesses get the coverage they want at a price that the employees can afford.

Because a broker may have a larger network of insurance companies he regularly deals with he can often get special deals and discounts. These savings on health insurance quotes are usually one off deals only good from the broker to you.

One of the things a broker can do that neither you nor an agent can is negotiate. A broker can negotiate with an insurance company to make sure that his clients get the coverage they want at a fair price. This one single aspect of an insurance broker makes them well worth the fee they charge.