Life & Health

Life & Health License: What You Need to Know

 

What Is Life and Health (L&H) Insurance?

Every state insurance department in the US requires a person to be licensed to sell life and/or health (disability, accident, sickness) insurance policies. This requirement typically also extends to customer service representatives (CSRs).

Anyone who explains health and life insurance to policyholders, makes coverage recommendations, or processes changes to insurance policies must have a health and life insurance license.

Keep reading to learn more about what life and health insurance agents do, how much they can earn, and the life and health insurance license requirements.

 

What Do Life & Health Agents Do?

Life and health insurance are separate policies that protect the finances of an individual and/or their family in the event of the death of the policyholder (life insurance) or a medical issue that requires professional treatment (health insurance).

Life and health insurance agents play an important role in helping individuals, families, and businesses find the insurance policies that best fit their needs.

Agents educate clients about the various types of insurance policies available and make policy recommendations. For example, a life insurance agent might explain the difference between whole, term, and universal life insurance and recommend a particular product to a client based on their family’s needs.

Similarly, a health insurance agent might explain the difference between different types of health insurance plans (PPO, HMO, EPO, etc.) and help a person determine which is best for them based on their financial situation and health needs. This might involve finding a policy that covers specific medical conditions, preferred doctors, or medications.

L&H agents also help clients apply for coverage by gathering personal information and medical histories (for some health policies), and they may even coordinate medical exams.

After a policy is issued, agents provide customer service by answering questions, updating beneficiary information, or assisting with policy loans or withdrawals. And if a client needs to make a claim (after the death of a loved one with a life insurance policy, for example), agents help facilitate the process, ensuring beneficiaries understand the steps and receive their due benefits.

In short, life and health insurance agents act as intermediaries between insurance companies and clients, ensuring individuals and businesses have the protection they need against various life and health risks.

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L&H agents can sell the following types of insurance (and more):

  • Term-life insurance
  • Whole-life insurance
  • Disability insurance
  • Annuities
  • Long-term care insurance
  • Medicare plans
  • Individual health insurance
  • Group health insurance

Who Needs to Carry a Life & Health Insurance License?

To sell life and health insurance, an agent must have an appropriate license issued by the state where they sell or discuss insurance. Life insurance and health insurance licenses are often issued separately, but many states offer a combined life and health license that covers both lines.

Sales agents must have a life and health (L&H) insurance license if the scope of their duties involves both kinds of policies. Customer service representatives, appraisers, and trainers employed at an insurance company are also sometimes required to be licensed.

How to Get Your Life & Health Insurance License

To obtain your license, you must pass a life and health insurance exam. The exam covers a variety of topics, including:

  • Insurance regulation
  • Life insurance basics
  • Health insurance basics
  • Disability insurance
  • Group health insurance
  • Federal tax considerations for health insurance

Insurance license tests are usually given at a public testing center, but you may also be able to take a proctored (monitored) exam online.

Most states require licensed agents to be fingerprinted and to undergo a background check. There is usually an on-site fingerprinting technician at the testing center where you take your exam. If you take your exam online, you will need to find a fingerprinting center near you. The exam facilitator in your state can help you find one.

 

couple registering for insurance

 

How Difficult Is the L&H Exam?

Life and health insurance exams are challenging in every state. The exams are multiple choice, but that doesn’t mean they’re easy. The insurance field is full of tricky insurance concepts and terminology, and most of the information is fact-based—not common knowledge.

Specific requirements vary by state, but you can expect to see somewhere in the range of 100-150 multiple choice questions on the exam. The passing score is 70% in most states, but in some states it’s even higher.

While not every state reports its pass rates for the exams, many do, and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) publishes this data every year. Pass rates for first-time test takers vary from state to state and between exams but are in the range of 50%-75%.

The best way to ensure you become part of the “first-time passers” club is to take an exam prep course through America’s Professor.

What Do You Have to Do to Maintain a Valid License?

All states require licensed insurance agents to undergo periodic continuing education (CE) to refresh their insurance knowledge and learn about new laws impacting the insurance industry. CE requirements vary by state. Each of our Life & Health insurance pre-licensing courses are state specific.

How Often Do I Have to Renew My Insurance License?

It depends on the state where you are registered, but in general you will be expected to renew your license every 2 years or so.

How Much Money Do L&H Agents Make?

It’s challenging to provide salary data for Life & Health (L&H) agents, since most of the data available is for individual lines (Life OR Health).

According to Glassdoor.com, the estimated average salary for a Life & Health insurance agent in the US is $70,233 per year. It’s important to note that this estimate does NOT include bonuses, commissions, and profit sharing, which could significantly increase an agent’s annual take-home pay.

According to data from Salary.com, the average salary for a Life & Health insurance agent in Georgia is $85,000 per year, or $40.87 per hour.

In Texas, the average salary for a Life & Health agent is $55,000, or $26.44 per hour, according to data from Salary.com. ‘

The charts below show available salary date for Life agents and Health agents in select states:

State LIFE AGENTS

Annual Salary

Hourly Wage
Hawaii $77,182 $37.11
Washington $75,612 $36.35
Arizona $82,120 $39.48
Wyoming $81,898 $39.37
Montana $78,424 $37.70
Iowa $68,704 $33.03
Utah $67,389 $32.40
Idaho $67,650 $32.52
Missouri $66,226 $31.84
Kansas $65,562 $31.52
Virginia $74,054 $35.60
Georgia $65,809 $31.64
Texas $66,215 $31.83
South Carolina $56,861 $27.34

 

State HEALTH AGENTS

Annual Salary

Hourly Wage
Hawaii $55,089 $26.49
Washington $63,894 $30.72
Arizona $54,378 $26.14
Wyoming $54,091 $26.01
Montana $51,931 $24.97
Iowa $48,639 $23.38
Utah $47,615 $22.89
Idaho $56,537 $27.18
Missouri $47,608 $22.89
Kansas $46,707 $22.46
Virginia $50,737 $24.39
Georgia $43,577 $20.95
Texas $52,917 $25.44
South Carolina $40,866 $19.65

How Do I Study for the Exam?

The pre-licensing courses offered by America’s Professor will prepare you to pass your life and health insurance exam on your first try. We make studying for the exam fun and interesting, with engaging stories and real-world examples that help you make sense of the material. Our comprehensive courses include:

  • Detailed video lectures, accessible online 24/7
  • A free, comprehensive textbook to solidify your learning
  • Plenty of sample questions and practice quizzes, similar to the questions you’ll encounter on the exam
  • 100-day subscription with free extension at no charge, if needed

Take the first step toward becoming a licensed life and health insurance agent/producer with America’s Professor. Find your course and enroll today!

 

 

 

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