Where do I begin?
To…read moresay my experience with this broker has been frustrating would be an understatement.
I was originally enrolled in my health insurance through her back in 2017 by my former partner. After our separation, I needed to explore more affordable options since my financial situation had changed. Naturally, I contacted my insurance provider, Anthem, directly to discuss cancelling or modifying my plan. To my surprise, I was told I could not make changes through them and would need to go through my broker.
That's where the difficulty began.
When I attempted to contact Ms. Gordon, I was met with a voicemail stating that I needed to provide my credit card information just to speak with her. She would not answer questions via email or text--only through a paid phone consultation. This immediately raised concerns for me. I was trying to cancel my plan and transition to a different provider, Kaiser Permanente, and did not feel comfortable sharing my credit card information in that situation.
Given today's environment, I believe it's reasonable to be cautious about providing sensitive financial information--especially when I was not trying to make a payment, but simply cancel a service.
Interestingly, my former partner--who originally set up the policy--confirmed he was never required to provide credit card information just to communicate. It seemed that once my intent to cancel became clear, the process became significantly more difficult.
Eventually, after I informed her that I had already secured new coverage independently, she reached out to me. During that conversation, she attempted to get me to state that she had enrolled me in the new plan, which I declined. At that point, I had deliberately chosen not to work with a broker due to how complicated the cancellation process had been.
To be fair, when I spoke directly with Anthem, they were helpful--until they realized I had originally signed up through a broker. That experience made it clear to me that consumers can enroll directly with insurance providers and may have more control by doing so.
In hindsight, it felt as though there was little incentive to assist me in cancelling, especially given that brokers often earn commissions tied to active policies. Whether intentional or not, the process felt unnecessarily obstructive.
I'm sharing this experience as a caution to others: if you work through a broker, your insurance provider may direct you back to them for support--even for basic account changes or cancellations. That can create an added layer of difficulty when you're trying to make decisions about your own coverage.
As a client for over seven years, I expected clearer communication and more flexibility--especially during a time when I needed to make a change. At the very least, alternative ways to communicate (email, basic support, or a receptionist) would have made a significant difference.
Due to this experience, I plan to file a complaint with the California Department of Insurance so the situation can be reviewed.
