An Unbiased Select Quote Insurance Company Review

Choosing a Medicare plan is a decision built on trust. You need to feel confident that the person guiding you has your best interests at heart. That’s why it’s so important to know that SelectQuote is currently facing a lawsuit from the U.S. Department of Justice. The lawsuit alleges that the company accepted improper payments from certain insurance carriers to enroll people in their Medicare Advantage plans. This raises serious questions about the objectivity of their recommendations. This article will look closely at these allegations, what real customers say about their experiences, and the potential pitfalls of working with a broker that may not show you every option from every Select Quote insurance company partner.

Key Takeaways

Recognize You’re Seeing a Limited Menu: SelectQuote is an insurance agency that only shows you plans from its specific partners. This means you won’t see every option available, and a better, more affordable plan for you might not be on their list.
Understand Their Business Model: SelectQuote offers a free service because they are paid commissions by the insurance companies whose plans they sell. This financial arrangement, highlighted by a government lawsuit, raises questions about whether their recommendations are truly unbiased.
Compare Their Quote with an Independent Agent: The best way to ensure you’re making a fully informed decision is to treat any quote from SelectQuote as a starting point. An independent agent can show you all available plans, giving you a complete picture of the market and truly impartial advice.

What Is SelectQuote?

You’ve likely seen ads for SelectQuote while researching insurance online. It’s important to know that SelectQuote isn’t an insurance company. Instead, it’s a large insurance agency that connects you with various insurance carriers from their specific list of partners. Think of them as a marketplace for a select group of insurance policies.

How Does SelectQuote Work?

SelectQuote operates as an insurance broker, meaning they don’t create the plans they offer. Their job is to present you with options from a list of insurance companies they’ve partnered with. Their licensed agents help you find a policy within their portfolio, acting as a single point of contact. When you choose a plan, the insurance company pays SelectQuote a commission. This model lets you compare several plans in one place, but you are only seeing options from their specific network.

What Types of Insurance Do They Offer?

SelectQuote offers a wide range of insurance products, including Medicare Supplement and Medicare Advantage plans, as well as life, auto, and home insurance. By offering these different types, they aim to be a convenient, one-stop shop. Many people appreciate talking to one company about multiple insurance needs. For this review, we’ll focus on their Medicare offerings, as that’s where the details can get tricky and expert guidance is crucial.

The Process for Getting a Quote

Getting a quote is straightforward. You can either call their toll-free number or fill out a form on their website. In both cases, you’ll connect with a licensed agent who will ask for personal information like your age and location to generate quotes. They will then present you with a few options from their partner companies. This process is designed to be quick, but it’s the first step in a sales conversation, so it’s good to have your questions ready.

Which Companies Partner with SelectQuote?

This is a critical point: SelectQuote doesn’t show you plans from every insurance company. They have a curated list of partners. While this simplifies the choices, it also means their comparison isn’t comprehensive. You won’t see options from carriers outside their network. This is a significant drawback because a better or more affordable plan for your needs might exist with a company they don’t represent. This is why working with an independent insurance agent who can access all plans is often a better path.

A Closer Look at SelectQuote’s Services

SelectQuote is an insurance agency, not an insurance company. Think of them as a middleman or broker. Their main service is to help you compare insurance policies from various carriers and find one that fits your needs. They do this for several types of insurance, from Medicare to life and auto. The process usually involves speaking with one of their licensed agents who will present you with options. Let’s break down exactly what they offer.

Medicare Plan Options

When it comes to Medicare, SelectQuote can connect you with Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement (Medigap), and Part D prescription drug plans. However, it’s important to understand that they don’t show you every plan available in your area. SelectQuote only presents plans from their partner insurance companies. This means if the best or most affordable plan for you is offered by a company that isn’t in their network, you won’t see it as an option. While they offer variety, it’s a curated variety, not the entire market.

Life, Home, and Auto Insurance

Beyond Medicare, SelectQuote has a large presence in the life insurance market—it’s actually how the company got its start. They also help people find home and auto insurance policies. For these types of insurance coverage, their model is the same: they compare quotes from their network of partner companies to help you find a competitive rate. This can save you the time and effort of gathering quotes from multiple insurance websites yourself. Their goal is to be a one-stop shop for several of your insurance needs.

Working with a Licensed Agent

When you reach out to SelectQuote, you’ll be connected with a licensed agent. This person’s job is to ask you questions about your situation, understand your needs, and then present you with relevant insurance plans. Many people find the agents to be friendly and helpful, especially when explaining the details of complex policies. The agent is your primary point of contact through the shopping process. They will walk you through the options their partner carriers provide and help you complete the application if you decide to move forward with a plan.

Using Their Online Comparison Tools

One of the biggest draws of a service like SelectQuote is convenience. They do the heavy lifting of shopping around for different insurance plans so you don’t have to. Their platform allows you to compare quotes from multiple well-known insurance companies all in one place. This is much faster than calling each company individually or filling out forms on several different websites. For someone who wants to see a range of options quickly, their comparison tools can be a very efficient way to get started.

How Does SelectQuote Make Money?

It’s a fair question to ask about any service that offers to help you for free. When you see ads promising to find you the perfect insurance plan at no cost, it’s smart to wonder what the catch is. The simple answer is that SelectQuote isn’t an insurance company itself; it’s an insurance broker. This means they act as a go-between, connecting you with a variety of insurance carriers.

Their income doesn’t come from charging you a fee. Instead, they earn commissions from the insurance companies for each policy they help sell. This is a very common setup in the insurance world, but it’s crucial to understand how it works so you can be a well-informed shopper. Knowing where the money comes from helps you evaluate the advice you’re given and understand the limitations of the service. Let’s break down exactly what their business model means for you and your search for the right coverage.

Is It Really Free to Get a Quote?

Yes, using SelectQuote to compare plans and get quotes won’t cost you a dime out of pocket. You can use their tools and talk to their agents without ever pulling out your credit card. The reason it’s free for you is that the insurance companies pay SelectQuote a commission when you enroll in one of their plans. So, while you aren’t paying a fee for the service, money is still changing hands behind the scenes. This is an important distinction to keep in mind as you evaluate your options and decide who to trust with your healthcare decisions.

Understanding Their Commission Model

Think of SelectQuote as a matchmaker. They introduce you to a selection of insurance plans from their partner companies. When you find a plan you like and sign up, the insurance company pays SelectQuote a commission as a thank-you for bringing them a new customer. This commission-based model allows them to offer their comparison service to you for free. It’s how they keep the lights on and pay their licensed agents. This is standard practice for many insurance brokers, but it’s good to be aware of the financial incentive driving the transaction.

How Commissions Can Influence Recommendations

This is where things can get a little tricky. Because SelectQuote is paid by insurance companies, there’s a potential for a conflict of interest. Are their agents recommending the absolute best plan for your unique needs, or are they suggesting a plan from a company that pays them a higher commission? This concern has been significant enough to lead to legal trouble, with a lawsuit alleging that the company was paid by insurers to enroll people in certain Medicare Advantage plans. This raises valid questions about whether the advice you receive is truly unbiased.

The Drawback of a Limited Carrier Network

Another key point to remember is that SelectQuote doesn’t show you every plan from every company on the market. They only work with a specific group of partner insurance carriers. This means their “comparison” is limited to only the companies within their network. You won’t see options from insurers they don’t have a financial relationship with. As a result, you could easily miss out on a plan that offers better coverage or a lower premium simply because it’s not part of their lineup. This makes it essential to look beyond a single source when making your decision.

Lawsuits and Customer Reviews: What You Should Know

When you’re shopping for something as important as a Medicare plan, you need to feel confident in the company you’re working with. That means looking beyond the commercials and promises of a quick, easy process. It’s always a good idea to dig a little deeper into a company’s reputation, including any legal issues and what real customers are saying about their experiences.

With SelectQuote, the picture is complicated. The company is currently facing a significant lawsuit from the U.S. Department of Justice over its sales practices, which raises important questions about the objectivity of its recommendations. At the same time, many customers have left positive reviews online, indicating they were happy with the service. However, even among the good feedback, there are consistent complaints about aggressive sales tactics and a lack of support when problems arise. To get a clear view, it’s helpful to look at all these pieces together. We’ll walk through the details of the lawsuit, the good and the bad of customer reviews, and what it all means for you.

The Department of Justice Lawsuit, Explained

It’s important to be aware that the U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against SelectQuote. The suit alleges that the company was part of a scheme that violated the False Claims Act, a law designed to combat fraud against government programs like Medicare. In essence, the lawsuit claims that SelectQuote’s actions may have resulted in Medicare being overcharged or paying for services that weren’t appropriate. This isn’t a minor complaint; it’s a serious legal challenge from the federal government that calls the company’s core business practices into question. Understanding this lawsuit is a critical first step in evaluating whether SelectQuote is a trustworthy partner for your Medicare needs.

A Look at the Allegations

The lawsuit goes into detail about the alleged “kickback scheme.” The government claims that for several years, SelectQuote accepted improper payments from specific health insurance companies. In return for these payments, the lawsuit alleges, SelectQuote would then enroll its customers in those companies’ Medicare Advantage plans. This is a major red flag for anyone seeking unbiased advice. If these allegations are true, it suggests that the guidance given to consumers may not have been based on their unique health needs or financial situation, but rather on which insurance plan paid SelectQuote the most. This kind of conflict of interest can undermine the trust you place in an agent to help you find the right coverage.

What Do Customers Say About the Service?

Legal issues aside, it’s also helpful to see what customers think. On this front, SelectQuote has received a lot of positive feedback. The company holds an “Excellent” 4.3-star rating on Trustpilot based on thousands of reviews. This high rating indicates that a large number of customers are quite satisfied with the service they received. Many reviewers mention that the process was simple and that their agent was friendly and helpful in finding a plan that worked for them. These positive scores show that for many people, the experience is a smooth one. It’s a good reminder that individual experiences can vary widely, and while some customers face serious issues, others walk away happy.

Concerns About High-Pressure Sales

Despite the high ratings, a common theme in negative reviews involves aggressive sales tactics. Many people report that after giving SelectQuote their contact information, they received a constant stream of phone calls and emails, making them feel pressured to make a decision quickly. Some former employees have also described a high-pressure sales environment where they were pushed to meet quotas. This reportedly led to some agents using manipulative tactics, such as promising benefits that didn’t actually exist—like $400 food cards—just to convince someone to switch plans. This is exactly the kind of pressure you want to avoid when making a careful, informed decision about your healthcare.

How the Company Handles Complaints

How a company responds when things go wrong is just as important as its sales process. In this area, SelectQuote’s record raises some concerns. While the company has thousands of positive reviews, a closer look at their Trustpilot page shows they have responded to only 3% of their negative reviews. This low response rate suggests that if you do run into a problem with your plan or the service you received, you might struggle to get it resolved. Good customer service means being there for you after you’ve signed up, not just before. A failure to engage with unhappy customers can be a sign that a company is more focused on making sales than on providing long-term support.

The Pros and Cons of Using SelectQuote

Every service has its strengths and weaknesses, and it’s important to look at both sides before making a decision. SelectQuote can be a useful tool for some, but it’s not the right fit for everyone. Understanding the benefits and drawbacks will help you decide if their approach aligns with your needs for finding the right Medicare plan. Let’s walk through what you can expect.

Pro: Compare Multiple Carriers at Once

One of the biggest draws of using a service like SelectQuote is convenience. Instead of you having to research and call multiple insurance companies one by one, they present you with several options at once. Their goal is to help you find coverage by comparing different insurance companies for you. This can save you a significant amount of time and effort upfront, which is especially helpful if you’re feeling overwhelmed by the sheer number of plans available on the market. Seeing a handful of quotes side-by-side can make the initial shopping process feel much more manageable.

Pro: A Potentially Faster Way to Shop

Since 1985, SelectQuote has operated as a large insurance agency. They aren’t an insurance company themselves; they function as a broker that connects you with the companies they represent. For many people, this is a much faster way to shop for a policy than starting from square one. You fill out your information once, and an agent presents you with a few plans that might fit your situation. If you’re looking for a quick, straightforward process to get a policy in place, their model is designed to move you from quoting to enrollment efficiently.

Con: A Limited Selection of Plans

Here’s a crucial point to understand: SelectQuote only shows you plans from their specific list of partner insurance companies. This is a significant limitation because it means you are not seeing the full picture. Think of it like a grocery store that only stocks one brand of milk. It might be a good brand, but you have no way of knowing if another brand down the street is a better price or a better fit for your family. You could easily miss out on a more suitable or affordable plan simply because it’s offered by a company that SelectQuote doesn’t work with.

Con: You Might Miss Better Options

Because SelectQuote’s agents can only present plans from a small group of partner carriers, your choices are automatically narrowed. The biggest risk here is that the perfect plan for your health needs and budget might not be in their portfolio. A different company could offer a Medicare Supplement plan with a lower premium or a Medicare Advantage plan with a better network of doctors for you. When you don’t see every available plan, you can’t be certain you’re making the best possible choice. This is why working with an independent agent who can show you all your options is so important.

Should You Use SelectQuote?

Deciding where to turn for Medicare advice is a big step. SelectQuote is one of the most visible names in the insurance marketplace, but are they the right choice for you? Let’s walk through who their service is best for, the key questions to consider, and how to make a choice you feel confident about.

Who Is a Good Fit for Their Service?

SelectQuote has been in the insurance business since 1985, acting as a large-scale broker. They don’t underwrite policies themselves; instead, they connect you with various insurance companies they partner with. If you’re someone who wants to compare several quotes from well-known carriers in one go, their service might seem appealing. It can be a convenient starting point for those who are just beginning their research and want a broad overview of potential options without visiting multiple websites. Their model is built for efficiency, aiming to give you a selection of plans quickly.

Key Questions to Ask Yourself

Before you pick up the phone, it’s helpful to ask yourself a few questions. First, how important is it for you to see every possible plan in your area? SelectQuote only presents options from its network of partner insurance companies. This means you could miss out on a more suitable or affordable plan from a carrier they don’t work with. Also, consider how you feel about receiving advice that might be influenced by business partnerships. Understanding these limitations is key to deciding if their service aligns with your goal of finding the absolute best Medicare plan for your specific needs.

Weighing the Good with the Bad

Like any large company, SelectQuote has a mix of positive and negative feedback. Many customers have a good experience, reflected in their “Excellent” 4.3-star rating on Trustpilot. However, a common complaint involves aggressive sales tactics, with some people reporting an overwhelming number of calls and emails. More seriously, the company is facing a lawsuit from the U.S. Department of Justice. The government alleges that SelectQuote accepted illegal payments from certain insurance carriers to push their Medicare Advantage plans, raising questions about the impartiality of their recommendations.

How to Make an Informed Choice

Making a smart decision comes down to being prepared and comparing your options. If you contact SelectQuote, go in with a clear list of your healthcare needs and budget. Know what you’re looking for before you hear their pitch. Regardless of the quote you receive, it’s always a good idea to see what else is out there. You can get a second opinion from an independent Medicare specialist who isn’t tied to a specific set of carriers. This is the best way to ensure you’re seeing all available plans and getting truly unbiased advice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is using SelectQuote really free? Yes, you won’t pay a fee to get quotes or talk to an agent. SelectQuote’s service is free for you because they are paid by the insurance companies. When you sign up for a plan through them, the insurance carrier pays SelectQuote a commission. This is a standard practice for insurance brokers, but it’s helpful to know that their income is tied to the policies they sell.

Will I see every Medicare plan available in my area if I use SelectQuote? No, and this is a critical point to understand. SelectQuote only shows you plans from a specific list of insurance companies they have partnered with. This means their comparison is not comprehensive. A more affordable plan or one that better suits your healthcare needs might be available from a company outside of their network, but you won’t see it as an option.

What’s the difference between an agent at SelectQuote and an independent agent? An agent at SelectQuote can only present you with plans from their limited portfolio of partner carriers. Their options are restricted to what their company offers. An independent agent, on the other hand, is not tied to a specific set of insurance companies. They can access and compare plans from all carriers in your area, giving you a complete and unbiased view of the entire market.

I’ve heard about a lawsuit involving SelectQuote. Should I be concerned? It’s definitely something to be aware of. The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit alleging that SelectQuote accepted improper payments from certain insurance carriers to enroll people in their Medicare Advantage plans. This raises serious questions about whether the recommendations you receive are based on your best interests or on the financial relationships the company has with its partners.

If so many customer reviews are positive, what’s the potential downside? It’s true that many people have a smooth and positive experience with SelectQuote, which is reflected in their high online ratings. However, a common theme among negative reviews is the feeling of being rushed or pressured by aggressive sales tactics, including a high volume of calls and emails. Some customers also report that it’s difficult to get support from the company after they’ve enrolled in a plan, which is a concern if you run into issues with your coverage.