It's the first thing a lot of people think when someone offers to help them find health insurance for free. What's the catch? Is this real insurance? Is this a scam?
It's a completely reasonable reaction. Health insurance is confusing, the industry has its share of bad actors, and anything that sounds too good tends to be. So let's address it directly.
Health insurance brokers are legitimate, licensed professionals. MacKenzie Wickel at Triple Crown Health holds an active insurance license in 25+ states. The insurance she helps clients enroll in is real coverage from real carriers — the same plans available directly from insurance companies and on healthcare.gov.
So How Does a Broker Get Paid If Not By You?
Insurance carriers — the companies that actually provide the coverage — build a broker commission into the cost of every plan they sell. This commission exists whether you use a broker or not. If you enroll directly through a carrier's website or through healthcare.gov without a broker, that commission stays with the carrier. If you work with a broker, that commission goes to them instead.
The price of the plan is identical either way. You are not paying extra for broker guidance — you're just redirecting money that was already built into the premium toward someone who's actually working to find you the right fit.
What About Scammy "Health Plans" That Aren't Real Insurance?
This is where the skepticism is well-earned. There are bad actors in the insurance space who sell discount cards, health sharing ministries, and limited benefit plans that sound like insurance but aren't. These are real concerns and real people have been burned by them.
The difference with a licensed independent broker is transparency and accountability. MacKenzie only works with licensed, legitimate insurance carriers offering ACA-compliant plans and regulated private health insurance. She is licensed by the state and bound by insurance regulations. She can lose her license for misleading clients — which means her incentive is to find you real, appropriate coverage, not to sell you something that won't work when you need it.
How to Tell the Difference Between Legitimate and Illegitimate
- A legitimate broker is licensed — you can verify their license with your state's department of insurance
- A legitimate broker works with real carriers — names you recognize like Blue Cross, Aetna, Cigna, Oscar, and others
- A legitimate broker never charges you upfront — if someone asks for a fee before finding you a plan, walk away
- A legitimate broker discloses how they're paid — through carrier commissions, never hidden fees
- A legitimate broker stays available after enrollment — for claims, billing, and renewals
The Bottom Line
Using a licensed independent health insurance broker isn't a scam. It's one of the better deals in the insurance world — professional guidance, plan comparison across multiple carriers, and ongoing support, all at no cost to you.
The only way to know for sure is to have the conversation. MacKenzie Wickel at Triple Crown Health offers a free 20-minute call with zero obligation. You'll walk away knowing exactly what your options are — and you can decide from there.
Book a free call with MacKenzie and see for yourself.