Health insurance safeguards financial stability as one prepares for and progresses through various stages of life. By protecting a person from financial setbacks that could jeopardize financial security should illness or injury occur at any stage of life, adequate health insurance aids in the development and maintenance of financial security. Due to a significant decline in employer-sponsored health insurance over the past 30 years, it is increasingly the individual’s responsibility to secure their own financial security.
Agents and brokers make sure their clients have high-quality products that offer security and safeguard against sizable losses. The customer now owns the policy, and the insurer is responsible for keeping the contract’s commitments. Underwriting is an essential function in all forms of insurance. It is the process of assessing an insurance applicant, deciding whether to accept the applicant for insurance coverage, and choosing the proper grounds for offering coverage and collecting a premium.
In order to help professionals better support their clients in achieving their immediate goal of protecting themselves from insurer insolvency and unfair treatment by insurers, NAHU developed this course. Health insurance may be the most strictly regulated type of insurance because it safeguards virtually irreplaceable personal values that are crucial to one’s health and well-being, ability to earn a living, and performance of daily activities. The process of purchasing individual health insurance depends on a number of fundamental elements, including the market for individual health insurance, the availability of sources for individual health insurance, and the insurability of health-related expenses. You will learn about the Affordable Care Act, the differences and comparisons between the purchasing processes for individual disability and long-term care, as well as the purchasing processes for individual medical expense coverage, in this course.
Medical expense insurance offers coverage for privately purchased medical services. In the past, principal policies had fixed or scheduled benefit limits and were only applicable to hospital and physician services related to inpatient care and surgery. Essential health benefits were added to the list of coverage requirements under the Affordable Care Act, which also eliminated lifetime and annual maximums, health status as an underwriting factor, and pre-existing condition exclusions for medical expense plans.
The Individual Health Insurance Certification course includes online instruction in six webinar modules, a final exam, and continuing education credits for $495 for members and $645 for non-members (refund policy and privacy policy). A certificate of completion as a Certified Individual Health Insurance Professional will be given to the student upon completion.
The Registered Employee Benefits Consultant® designation offers an elective called the NAHU Individual Health Insurance Certification. The REBC designation enhances your professional credibility and equips you to provide the best services to your clients. You will get one step closer to getting the designation by passing the NAHU Individual Health Insurance Certification. To access more details about the REBC designation, including the learning goals and curriculum, click here.
What is a Certificate of Insurance? Why Do I Need It?
Why get an insurance certification?
Obtaining an insurance certification demonstrates your dedication to learning and reviewing the most crucial facts and industry best practices. A certification can signal to clients that you are an authority in your field or that you are pursuing the necessary credentials to do so. Insurance agents may benefit from the coursework by having a better understanding of the nuances of risks and litigation in the sector to better serve their clients. Agents can choose to add their designation letters to the end of their names in email signatures, business cards, and on websites for professional networking after obtaining a certification.
What is an insurance certification?
Insurance professionals can demonstrate their advanced training in a specialty area by earning an insurance certification. Typically, initial education courses must be completed and an exam must be passed in order to earn an insurance certification. For many insurance certifications, keeping up with new information in the industry necessitates taking continuing education courses.
How to get an insurance certification
Follow these steps to find out how to become certified in insurance:
1. Know the participating organizations
Three institutions provide most coursework for insurance certification programs. They include:
You might choose the institution from which you want to obtain a certificate based on your area of interest.
2. Choose your specialty area
You can pursue a variety of insurance certificates in many different specialty areas. Health insurance, life insurance, and property and casualty insurance are some of the most popular general categories. Even more specialized certifications in fields like workers’ compensation, flood insurance, or marine insurance might be available.
3. Understand the specifications for your certification
Each certification has its own list of requirements to pass. Before beginning your certification program, familiarize yourself with any prerequisite courses, exam preparations, fees, or additional requirements.
4. Complete the required courses
The majority of certification programs demand that you finish at least one educational course before you can become certified. However, you might need to finish five courses on average in order to learn the specifics needed to prepare for your certification exam. These courses could cover core competencies, elective topics, and other material.
5. Pass the required exams
The majority of certification programs demand that candidates pass a written exam in order to receive their credentials. Exams may be taken at testing centers, online, or through proctoring organizations. You should speak with a representative from the issuing institution if you have any questions about the course material or exam preparation.
6. Complete continuing education courses
You have a limited amount of time to finish a certain number of continuing education courses in order to maintain your certification. These vary by certification and institution. There may be new material in your courses that wasn’t covered in your introductory classes.
7 types of insurance certifications to increase expertise
To help you develop your skills and broaden your knowledge in the industry, here are seven of the most typical and well-liked insurance certifications:
1. Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC)
All insurance-related fields, including life, business, and personal insurance, are covered by the Certified Insurance Counselor credential. This certification has been available through The National Alliance for more than 40 years and covers particular subjects like commercial casualty, commercial property, and agency management.
2. Certified Risk Manager (CRM)
For those who are interested in assisting business clients analyze their operations and identify potential risk areas, the Certified Risk Manager designation is available. This certification, provided by The National Alliance, necessitates passing five courses totaling 120 hours in order to learn how to prevent, reduce, avoid, and eliminate risks. Through this program, candidates might gain a better comprehension of policy and insurance terminology.
3. Certified WorkComp Adviser (CWCA)
Those with an interest in the specialty of workers compensation insurance should enroll in the Certified WorkComp Adviser program. This certification course, provided by The Institute of WorkComp Professionals, teaches candidates how to assist their clients in reducing the cost of their workers compensation insurance, create safety committees, and give employees human resource guidance.
4. Accredited Adviser in Insurance (AAI)
Agents can learn more about property and casualty lines, underwriting, and customer services by earning the Accredited Adviser in Insurance credential. Candidates must pass four classes in the program through The Institutes in order to receive their certificate.
5. Certified Insurance Service Representative (CISR)
Insurance professionals can learn risk management strategies for both businesses and individuals by earning the Certified Insurance Service Representative designation, which is provided by The National Alliance. For those who oversee both commercial and personal life insurance accounts, this certification might be a great option.
6. Certified WorkComp Specialist (CWCS)
If you decide to focus on workers compensation insurance, another option is the Certified WorkComp Specialist program. Candidates learn about experience modifiers, claims management, and audits through this IWCP program. With this certification, agents may be able to provide workers compensation education to both employers and employees because it gives them a broader focus across several insurance disciplines.
7. Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU)
Anyone who works for an insurance company, not just insurance agents, may benefit from obtaining the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter certification. This course, provided by The Institutes, explains insurance accounting and legal issues in the industry and covers all aspects of the underwriting process.
28 additional insurance designations
Other certifications of interest could be the following, depending on your specialty interests or company offerings:
Please note that Indeed is not affiliated with any of the businesses mentioned in this article.
FAQ
Which certifications is best for insurance professionals?
- CIC – Certified Insurance Counselor.
- CRM – Certified Risk Manager.
- AAI – Accredited Advisor in Insurance.
- CPCU – Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter.
- CISR – Certified Insurance Service Representative.
- AINS – Associate in General Insurance.
What ARe insurance qualifications?
- Minimum Age: 18 years.
- Residency: California residency is not required.
- Entity Types: Individual and Business Entity.
- Prelicensing Experience/Education:
- Continuing Education:
- Continuing Education Exemption Revision.
How do you get insurance accreditation?
- Know the participating organizations. …
- Choose your specialty area. …
- Understand the specifications for your certification. …
- Complete the required courses. …
- Pass the required exams. …
- Complete continuing education courses. …
- Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) …
- Certified Risk Manager (CRM)
Is insurance a certification?
In the reinsurance industry, a professional designation known as the ARe is used. Candidates must pass a series of self-taught courses and exams in order to obtain it. The ARe program covers a variety of subjects, such as financial accounting, industry best practices, and reinsurance industry regulation.
