How licensing works
- Oregon license. The Division of Financial Regulation (DFR) licenses insurance agents in Oregon. DFR's advice: verify that it licensed the agent before you do business.
- Medicare training. CMS requires agents who sell Medicare Advantage and Part D plans to be licensed in your state and to complete Medicare training and testing every year.
- Company appointments. Agents can only enroll you in plans from companies they work with, so different agents may offer different plans.
How to check a license
- Get the agent's full name or license number. Many agents also share their National Producer Number (NPN).
- Use DFR's lookup. On DFR's "Check a license" page, choose "Search agent, agency, or company." It links to the NAIC's licensing database, where you can confirm the agent is licensed in Oregon for health insurance.
- Ask about discipline. DFR's consumer advocates at 1-888-877-4894 can tell you about disciplinary actions on an agent's record.
Questions to ask
- Which companies do you work with, and how many plans do you offer in my county?
- How are you paid?
- Will you help me each fall when plans change, and with problems after I enroll?
- Can you check my doctors and drugs against each plan you show me?
Before discussing plans, an agent must tell you they don't offer every plan in your area. For a scheduled appointment, they'll also ask you to confirm what kinds of plans you want to talk about (a Scope of Appointment).
Finding an agent on this site
Our agents page lists independent licensed insurance agents licensed in Oregon. They work with Benefits Life, the publisher of this site, and are not its employees; when they enroll you in a plan, the agent and Benefits Life may be paid by the insurance company. Here's how it works:
- You pick one agent and request a call from a licensed insurance agent.
- The consent you agree to names that one agent. Your request goes to that agent, with a copy to Benefits Life. It isn't sent to other agents or sold.
- You aren't required to buy anything.
Related questions
How do I file a complaint about an insurance agent in Oregon?
DFR's consumer advocates.
How can I help a parent with Medicare in Oregon?
Permissions, paperwork and planning.
How do I choose a Medicare plan in Oregon?
Doctors, drugs and costs.
Sources
- Oregon Division of Financial Regulation — Check a license
- Oregon Division of Financial Regulation — How to pick an agent
- NAIC State Based Systems — Licensee lookup
- 42 CFR Part 422, Subpart V — Medicare Advantage communication and marketing requirements
- Medicare.gov — Reporting Medicare fraud and abuse
More questions in this guide
- How can I help my parent with Medicare in Oregon?
- How do I appeal a hospital discharge in Oregon if I'm not ready to go home?
- How do I appeal a Medicare denial in Oregon?
- How do I file a complaint about a Medicare insurance agent in Oregon?
- How do I find Medicare doctors in Oregon?
- How do I report Medicare fraud in Oregon?
- What are the Medicare phone numbers for Oregon?
- Where is the Social Security office near me in Oregon?
Part of the guide: Medicare Appeals in Oregon · All questions
Frequently asked questions
Does it cost anything to use a licensed insurance agent?
Usually not. Agents are generally paid a commission by the insurance company when you enroll, so ask how they're paid, as DFR suggests.
Can an agent show me every plan in my area?
No agent offers every plan. Agents must tell you how many organizations they represent. For a full list of options, use Medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE.
Will an agent call me out of the blue?
They shouldn't. Medicare rules bar agents from unsolicited calls and door-to-door visits. Talk only with an agent you contacted or asked to call you.
Medicare in your Oregon county
Plans, local agents and help, county by county: Multnomah · Washington · Clackamas · Lane · Marion · Jackson · Deschutes · Linn · Douglas · Yamhill · Benton · Polk · Josephine · Umatilla · Klamath · Coos · Columbia · Lincoln · Clatsop · Malheur · All 36 counties →
