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You can buy many health plans through agents, and you can also buy some directly from the insurer. When health insurance is sold both ways, buying through an agent usually doesn’t cost more.

Solicit proposals from the larger and older health insurers in your area. Larger plans can negotiate better rates from providers, and older plans are more likely to be here tomorrow. Nationally, Aetna, Anthem, Assurant, Blue Cross, Blue Shield, CIGNA, Kaiser Permanente, and UnitedHealth Group are among the older and bigger health insurers.

Also check with professional or other associations that you belong to, because plans offered by these groups sometimes provide decent benefits at a competitive price because of the purchasing-power clout that they possess. A competent independent insurance agent who specializes in health insurance can help you find insurers that are willing to offer you coverage.

Health insurance agents have a conflict of interest that’s common to all financial salespeople working on commission: The higher the premium plan they sell you, the bigger the commission they earn. So an agent may try to steer you into higher-cost plans and avoid suggesting some of the strategies I discuss in the following section for reducing your cost of coverage. (Good agents can help guide you to the best plans that cover preexisting conditions and offer the lowest costs for your medications. Be sure to provide them with this information and compare options carefully.)