National Medicare & small business health insurance agency · Chicago, IL
Health insurance advice for the cases other agents can't solve.
Smart Insurance Agents is run by actuaries and licensed financial professionals. We take the complicated cases: Medicare Advantage plans with the wrong network or drug coverage, Medigap applications blocked by underwriting, and small groups deciding between ACA and medically underwritten plans.
Which of these sounds like you?
Pick what fits and we'll route you to the right advisor.
Free. No enrollment required. A licensed advisor replies within one business day.
Medicare
For people on Medicare, and the adult children helping them.
- Second opinions on Medicare Advantage plans: network, drug formulary, out-of-pocket exposure
- Moving from Medicare Advantage to a Medicare Supplement, including when underwriting is a problem
- Guaranteed-issue and special enrollment options you may not have been told about
- Part D reviews with an actual cost projection for your medication list
- Complaints and corrections when an agent misrepresented a plan
Small Business / Employer Plans
For owners of 1–100 employee businesses and their HR or finance lead.
- Independent broker: we quote every route, not one carrier's product line
- ACA community-rated small group plans, medically underwritten plans, and level-funded arrangements, side by side
- Renewal analysis with the real cost drivers, so you know what you're paying for
- ICHRA and QSEHRA when a traditional group plan isn't the right structure
- Multi-state groups and owner-only businesses
Stuck in a Medicare Advantage plan that isn't working?
This is the case we see most. The plan looked fine at enrollment. Then the specialist wasn't in network, a drug moved tiers, or the agent's explanation didn't match the Evidence of Coverage.
- Narrow network: your doctor, hospital, or cancer center isn't in it
- Drug coverage: a medication isn't on the formulary, or the copay changed
- Misrepresentation: what you were told and what the plan does don't match
- Underwriting wall: you want a Medicare Supplement but your health history gets you declined or rated up
How we approach it
- Map your guaranteed-issue rights first. Federal rules and many state rules create windows where a Medigap carrier must accept you without health questions: trial rights, plan terminations or service-area changes, loss of employer coverage, documented misrepresentation by a plan or agent, and state-specific rules such as birthday rules or continuous open enrollment. We check every one before anything else.
- If no window exists, we work the underwriting. Carriers underwrite differently. Some accept conditions others decline. We know which ones, and we pre-screen before you apply so a decline isn't on your record.
- Compare the real cost. Premium plus expected out-of-pocket for your actual usage, run by an actuary, not a brochure comparison.
- Fix the record if you were misled. We help document what happened and file with the plan or CMS when the facts support it.
Small group plans: the route you're quoted depends on who's quoting.
A captive agent quotes what their carrier sells. A payroll company quotes what pays them. We quote ACA, medically underwritten, and level-funded plans side by side and show you the math, because for many healthy small groups the difference is 15–30% of premium, and for others the ACA plan is the safer bet.
We are an independent broker with working knowledge of both markets: the ACA small group rules (guaranteed issue, community rating, essential benefits, participation and contribution requirements) and the underwritten market where group health and claims history drive the rate.
Request a group plan comparison| What matters | ACA small group | Underwritten / level-funded |
|---|---|---|
| Who can be declined | No one. Guaranteed issue. | Group can be declined or rated up based on health |
| How rates are set | Age, location, tobacco. Not health. | Group health, claims history, census |
| Best fit | Groups with known conditions or high claims | Younger, healthier groups; owners who want refunds on unused claims |
| Renewal risk | Predictable, market-wide trend | Can rise sharply after a bad claims year |
| Our role | Quote both. Show you the break-even. Recommend one. | |
How a consultation works
Advice is free. We're paid by the carrier if and when you enroll, and the commission is comparable across the plans we compare, so the recommendation isn't tied to our pay.
Tell us the situation
Fill out the short form or call. For Medicare, have your current plan name and medication list. For a group, we'll ask for your census and current renewal.
We run the analysis
Guaranteed-issue and underwriting screen for Medicare. Full-market quote for groups. You get a written comparison with our recommendation and the reasoning.
You decide
Enroll through us, take the analysis elsewhere, or do nothing. We'll tell you if your current plan is already the right one.
Who's behind the advice
Smart Insurance Agents is a team of actuaries and licensed financial professionals. Every recommendation is reviewed by a credentialed advisor, not a call center, and we are independent of every carrier we place business with.
What clients say
Schedule a consultation
Two short steps. A licensed advisor reviews your answers and replies within one business day with next steps or a calendar link.
- Free, with no obligation to enroll
- Reviewed by an actuary or licensed advisor, not an autoresponder
- We won't sell or share your information
Prefer to talk now?
(773) 657-9140 — call or text
Mon–Fri 9am–6pm CT
Or email help@getsmartquotes.com
Common questions
Does it cost anything to work with you?
No. Advice and comparisons are free. If you enroll through us, the carrier pays a commission. Because commissions are generally comparable across the plans we compare within a category, our recommendation isn't driven by pay.
Can I get a Medicare Supplement if I've been declined before?
Often, yes. A prior decline with one carrier does not bind another. Some situations also give you a guaranteed-issue right where no health questions are allowed. We check for those first, then pre-screen carriers before you submit an application.
Can I switch from Medicare Advantage to a Supplement at any time?
You can leave Medicare Advantage only during specific enrollment periods, and Medigap acceptance outside your initial enrollment window usually depends on underwriting or a guaranteed-issue right. Timing both correctly is most of the work; we handle that.
Are you a Medicare Advantage agency or a Supplement agency?
Neither. We're independent and appointed with both types of carriers. For some people a well-chosen Medicare Advantage plan is the right answer, and we'll say so.
Our small group is healthy. Is an underwritten plan always cheaper?
Usually cheaper now, not always cheaper over time. A level-funded plan can renew sharply after one bad claims year, and re-entering the ACA market later is always possible but resets your rate basis. We show the break-even and the downside before you choose.
Do you handle groups with employees in multiple states?
Yes. We're licensed in 40+ states and structure multi-state groups with the right situs and carrier network footprint.