One of the main goals of the new Affordable Care Act is to make purchasing small group and individual health insurance policies easier and simpler.  It may end up eliminating the need for agents and brokers, according to the article “Health Insurance Broker: Friend of Foe” by Kate Pickert on Times blog site.  This obviously doesn’t make brokers too happy.

This could change the way major medical insurance quotes are handled.  Brokers and agents give valuable guidance to employers as they sort through health care packages for their employers.  Often these costs are passed onto the customer and can increase health insurance quotes.

The biggest concern for health insurance brokers about the new reform is the health insurance exchange which will be required in each state starting in 2014.  This will basically be a web site portal where people can review and compare health insurance plans and get ratings and quality quotes from reputable companies.  This may result in far less variation in health insurance policies and decrease further the need for brokers to help people sift through plans.  Time will tell how big the impact will be on current health insurance brokers.