Check two things, and both take about a minute.

First, confirm an active health line of authority with your state’s department of insurance. Every state runs a free license lookup. Second, if the broker is helping you with a Marketplace plan, confirm he appears on the CMS Agent and Broker Registration Completion List for the current plan year. Marketplace registration and training have to be renewed every single year.

Also know your rights. A broker must have your permission before enrolling you or changing your plan. In July 2024, CMS blocked agents from altering a consumer’s enrollment unless they were already associated with it, specifically to stop unauthorized plan switching. If something looks wrong with your coverage, call the Marketplace at 1-800-318-2596. They can cancel an unauthorized plan, get incorrect charges repaid, and issue corrected tax forms.