There’s a movement afoot, people are breaking away from group health care and setting out on their own to find individual policies. The reasons are varied, but the fact is people are leaving the group marketplace and they have to go somewhere for their health insurance needs.

As a result more and more carriers are beginning to offer individual health plans.

This is new territory for many health insurance agents and brokers. Recently, I attended a seminar given by a major insurance brokerage firm. And the speakers offered some ways to react to this boom in individual health.

Develop a strategy. Don’t just offer health insurance; offer people a three-year healthcare, or wellness, plan. Healthcare costs are rising. Offer them solutions to keep their expenses under control by educating them on preventative measures.

Differentiate. Become an expert in consumer driven health plans tax strategy. Become a wellness expert. Leverage online tools that set you apart from competitors.

Be consultative. There are many insurance agents to choose from. If you can offer your clients advice, you are offering something different. Listen more. Talk less.

In a changing industry, the best advice is to learn how to roll with the punches and take advantage by filling the holes that those changes will inevitably leave.