I’ve been to many a flea market in my day. It always seems like an odd exercise to stroll around in a winding fashion, up & down various aisles, nodding politely to vendors, all the time thinking to yourself, “who would buy this crap?” I’ve also wondered why the flea, this tiny little annoying insect gets a shopping mall named after it! Yet people come out of these places with bags full of items ready to go back the following weekend.

How many of us have experienced the joy of riding around our neighborhood in search of people who are selling stuff out of their homes and garages. People post signs and flyers on telephone poles, bulletin boards, car windshields, their children’s foreheads, anywhere possible that will beckon the general public to this once in a lifetime event! They see you drive up and their eyes swell with dollar signs as they know your wallet is about to open. Capitalistic and enterprising people figure, why put this stuff out by the garbage when I can sell to someone else, take the money and buy more junk for next year’s garage sale.

For the first time in a few years we see all seven of the notable New Jersey carriers with products that are “in play” in the small group market. They have all come out with new plan designs, new rates and new prescription card options hoping that we, the flea market and garage sale shoppers of the insurance world will find something to our liking. We now have a larger selection to choose from. Problem is, how do we know which one to recommend? 

Well, let’s face it. Most people sell price. Most people buy price. Have you ever heard these brilliant statements?

“I want something cheap but that will cover EVERYTHING!”

“$1,350 per month is TOO much but I need the Viagra rider and NO referrals!”

“They faxed me this flyer, HEALTH INSURANCE FOR YOUR FAMILY, JUST $49.95 PER MONTH. What’s that all about?” (By the way, they’re the same people that send you the flyer about going to Florida for 9 days for the low, low price of $99.00)

“My neighbor pays $300 per month less than I do and he is 3 years older than me. How can that be?” (Truthfully, at that point, don’t you just want to call him a knucklehead and walk out? Of course you do.)

Sometimes you have to buy and sell based on a carrier’s network of providers. Not all doctors are in all networks. Hopefully one or two of the carriers will satisfy that specific client’s need. With doctors leaving networks or having full panels it is not always easy to find the one perfect situation. Sometimes people are forced to switch doctors because the employer has chosen a carrier that doesn’t include your doctors. It’s a shame but it is a real and common occurrence.

It is a good thing that the marketplace has gotten a bit more competitive. The insurance flea market thrives each day with brokers milling around looking for the best product, lowest price, largest network and highest commission (except in New Jersey, where we’re far too scrupulous for that nonsense) to sell to their client. The client, looking for the ultimate bargain, shops at the garage sale of insurance products, finds what they think they’re looking for, brings it home, has it working for a few days and then it breaks! I wonder why.

The broker and the client need to work together to try to come up with the best fit for the money spent and coverage desired. Neither one can always make that decision alone. We have to get back to the days of selling based on “need.” It is always very satisfying to fill the need as best you could and have the client thank you for your hard work. There is enough out there to choose from now so that fulfilling the need should be a little easier and a lot more rewarding. “HAPPY SHOPPING”

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