Verify My Agent — Is that caller really licensed? | Trevor Snell Insurance
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Is that caller really a licensed agent?
Every legitimate insurance agent in the United States has a license number you can check with your state — for free, in about a minute.
Start here
Who did they say they were?
The right way to check depends on what they claimed. Tap one.
Medicare does not call you out of the blue.
Neither does Social Security. They write letters. Nobody from either agency will phone you unasked and want your Medicare number, your Social Security number, or a payment.
Hang up and call Medicare yourself.
1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). Use that number, not any number the caller gave you. There is nothing to verify here — a real agency call would not start this way.
Hang up and call the number on your card.
Your insurance card is in your wallet. That number is real. The number that called you can be faked to look like anything.
If they really were your plan, nothing is lost.
You will reach them in two minutes and they will have a record of it. A real company will never be annoyed that you called back.
Ask them directly: "Are you a licensed insurance agent?"
If yes, keep reading — the steps below apply. If they dodge the question or change the subject, that is the answer.
Step 1 · While they're on the phone
Ask this. Exactly this.
Say to the caller
"What's your NPN, and what state are you licensed in?"
A real agent answers in two seconds.
NPN stands for National Producer Number. Every licensed agent has one, it never changes, and we all know it by heart. Ours is printed at the bottom of this page.
If they won't give you one — that's your answer.
You don't need to check anything. Hang up. You are not being rude, and you don't owe anyone an explanation.
Step 2 · After you hang up
Look them up
Pick the state they told you. We'll send you straight to that state's official insurance department — not to us. Nothing you type goes anywhere near our office.
What you're looking for
No record at all. The number is invented. That call was not from an insurance agent.
A different name. They gave you someone else's real number. This is common — check the name, not just that something came up.
Expired or inactive. Not licensed to sell you anything right now.
Disciplinary action listed. The state has taken action against them before.
Already gave out your Medicare number?
It happens, and it is not your fault — these people do this all day, every day. Call 1-800-MEDICARE and report it, then watch your statements. The sooner it's reported, the more can be undone.
Check us too
We'd rather you did. Every word of the advice above applies to us exactly the same.