How FreedInsure Works and How We're Paid
An independent, multi-carrier insurance agency for self-employed people, families and small businesses. Here's who pays us, how we compare plans, when we recommend an ACA plan first, what we help with after you enroll, and how to check us.
See How We're Paid ↓How Does FreedInsure Work?
Quick answer (as of Oct 28, 2026): FreedInsure LLC is an independent, multi-carrier insurance agency for self-employed people, families and small businesses. Insurance companies pay us when you enroll. You pay us no fee, and Marketplace premiums are the same with or without an agent. We compare plans with a 5-step review that starts with ACA Marketplace plans and your tax credit in the states where we sell them, we explain what any alternative gives up, and we keep helping after you enroll.
FreedInsure is a private insurance agency, not HealthCare.gov, a state exchange or a government agency. Our licensed agent is Constantino Lardi (NPN 20230457), who holds life and health licenses in 42 jurisdictions (41 states + DC). Every license number, with a link to that state's own lookup, is on our licenses page.
We compare plans from 14+ carriers: ACA Marketplace plans, private PPO plans, short-term plans where state law allows them, dental, vision, supplemental coverage, life insurance and small-group benefits. We work with self-employed people and 1099 workers, families and small businesses, including people whose income changes from year to year and people leaving a job who want to compare COBRA with a Marketplace plan. See who we help, grouped by situation.
Last updated: October 28, 2026
How Does FreedInsure Get Paid?
Insurance companies pay FreedInsure a commission when you enroll in one of their plans through us. You don't pay us a fee: not for quotes, not for enrolling and not for help after you enroll. Many licensed agents and brokers work this way. HealthCare.gov says agents and brokers often get payments, called commissions, from insurance companies, and that you won't pay anything additional if you enroll with one.
💵 What You Pay
Your monthly premium, paid to the insurance company, plus any deductible, copays or coinsurance when you get care. You pay FreedInsure nothing.
🏢 Who Pays Us
The insurance company whose plan you choose pays the agency after you enroll. Your Marketplace premium is the same either way.
⚖️ Same Marketplace Price
Federal rules require an insurer to charge the same premium for a Marketplace plan whether you buy it through the Marketplace, directly from the insurer or through an agent (45 CFR 156.255).
🏫 Tax Credits Still Apply
You can get a premium tax credit when an agent helps you, as long as the agent enrolls you through the Marketplace. HealthCare.gov says the Marketplace is the only way to get one.
Medicaid and CHIP are state programs, and we aren't paid for them. If your income looks like it may qualify, we'll tell you and point you to your state's application. We don't sell Medicare plans.
How we handle the conflict of interest
Being paid by insurers creates a possible conflict of interest, and we'd rather name it than hide it. HealthCare.gov also notes that some agents and brokers don't sell plans from insurance companies they don't represent. That's true of us, too: we can enroll you only in plans from the carriers we work with, and how many of them sell in your county depends on where you live. Here's what we do about it:
- ACA first. Where we sell Marketplace plans, we start with them and your tax credit, and we show alternatives only with their trade-offs. See our ACA-first standard.
- Side by side. We show you the plans we can offer in your area next to each other, with premiums, deductibles, out-of-pocket maximums, networks and drug lists.
- Your needs set the recommendation. Your budget, health, doctors and prescriptions guide what we suggest. If a plan from your state's exchange or Medicaid fits you better, we'll say so, even though we aren't paid for it.
- Check us. Before you enroll, you can look up the same Marketplace plan and price on HealthCare.gov or your state's exchange. We encourage it.
- You decide. Nothing is submitted until you choose a plan and say so. For Marketplace plans in HealthCare.gov states, we document your consent first, as federal rules require (45 CFR 155.220).
- Your information stays here. We don't sell your information.
The FreedInsure 5-Step Plan Review
We compare plans with you in five steps, and you can check each one yourself. The same steps apply whether you're self-employed, covering a family or leaving a job.
Household and income
Who needs coverage, your ZIP code, each person's age, tobacco use and your best estimate of next year's household income. You confirm your own income estimate; we can explain what counts as income.
Savings check
We estimate your premium tax credit. For 2027 coverage, tax credits apply from 100% to 400% of the federal poverty level under current law, and Silver plans add cost-sharing savings from 100% to 250%. If you look eligible for Medicaid or CHIP, we point you to your state. Estimate your tax credit →
Doctors, prescriptions and network
We look for your doctors in each plan's network and your prescriptions on each plan's drug list before we compare prices.
ACA benchmark, then alternatives
Where we sell Marketplace plans, we compare them first by total yearly cost: 12 months of premiums plus what you could pay out of pocket in a bad year. Only then do we show a private PPO, short-term or supplemental plan, if one fits, along with what it gives up.
Enroll, then review
You choose the plan, and we help you apply. After that, we help with plan changes, life events and claims questions, and we review your coverage with you at Open Enrollment each year.
See what a quote needs and how to read one on our health insurance quotes page, or learn the terms in our guide to deductibles, copays, coinsurance and out-of-pocket maximums.
When Is an ACA Plan Usually the Better Fit?
An ACA Marketplace plan is usually the safer choice if you qualify for a tax credit, have a pre-existing condition, are pregnant or planning to be, or take expensive medications, and we'll tell you so. ACA plans can't turn you down or charge you more because of your health (HealthCare.gov), cover 10 essential health benefits, cap your in-network out-of-pocket costs at $12,000 for one person and $24,000 for a family in 2027 (CMS), and are the only plans that can use the premium tax credit. If you may qualify for Medicaid, that usually comes first.
| Question | ACA Marketplace plan | Private PPO plan | Short-term plan | Supplemental plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Can it use your health to decide? | No. It can't turn you down or charge more for your health. | It may. It can be medically underwritten. | Usually, yes | Depends on the plan |
| Pre-existing conditions | Covered | May be excluded or limited | Usually excluded | Depends on the plan |
| Premium tax credit | Yes, if you qualify | No | No | No |
| Benefits | 10 essential health benefits | Set by the plan's own documents | Set by the plan; not ACA coverage | Set cash benefits; not major medical coverage |
| Out-of-pocket cap | Yes: $12,000 for one, $24,000 for a family (2027, in-network) | Set by the plan | Set by the plan | Doesn't cap your costs |
| When you can enroll | Open Enrollment or a Special Enrollment Period | Any time, if approved | Any time, if approved, where state law allows it | Any time, if approved |
| Marketplace plan? | Yes | No | No | No |
What the alternatives can give up
- Private PPO plans are sold outside the Marketplace. They may be medically underwritten, may exclude pre-existing conditions and can't use a tax credit. The private PPO plans FreedInsure offers use the Cigna PPO network in 2027 (they are not insured by Cigna, are not Marketplace plans, and can't use a premium tax credit). Some plans use other national networks, such as First Health or PHCS; those are provider networks, not insurers. Compare PPO options →
- Short-term plans are temporary coverage that isn't ACA coverage. They usually exclude pre-existing conditions, the No Surprises Act's billing protections don't apply to them (45 CFR 149.20), and some states don't allow them. How short-term plans work →
- Supplemental plans, such as hospital indemnity, accident and critical illness coverage, work alongside a health plan and pay set cash benefits. A fixed indemnity plan is a supplement to health insurance, not a substitute for major medical coverage. How supplemental insurance works →
When an alternative can make sense: a plan sold outside the Marketplace can cost less than a full-price ACA plan if you're healthy, earn too much for a tax credit or want a specific network. We'll show both side by side, explain what you'd give up and tell you when the alternative doesn't fit. If a private plan turns you down, an ACA plan can't, as long as you apply during Open Enrollment or a Special Enrollment Period.
What Does FreedInsure Help With After You Enroll?
Enrolling is the start, not the end. After you enroll, you can call us for help with your coverage at no cost. Here's what that help covers:
💳 ID Cards and Payments
We ask your insurer to send your ID card and help you get current on a missed payment. Marketplace enrollees who use a tax credit usually get a 3-month grace period. Member services →
🧾 Bills and Claims
We review a confusing bill or Explanation of Benefits with you, help dispute incorrect charges, check on a claim and guide you through your insurer's appeal process if a claim is denied.
👪 Life Changes
Marriage, a baby, a move, losing other coverage or a change in income can change your plan or your tax credit. HealthCare.gov says to report changes as soon as possible; we help you update your application or use a Special Enrollment Period.
📅 Yearly Review
Each Open Enrollment, we review your plan, your income estimate and your doctors with you, so you don't auto-renew into a plan that no longer fits.
📄 Form 1095-A
We explain your Marketplace tax form and help you find it if it's missing. We don't prepare taxes. How to get Form 1095-A →
📞 Carrier Contacts
Our customer service page lists insurer phone numbers, and we can contact your insurer for you. Customer service →
What we can't do: we can't make an insurer pay a claim. Your insurer decides, and if it says no, you can ask it for an internal appeal and then for an independent external review (HealthCare.gov). We don't handle Medicare or Medicaid applications, and we don't prepare tax returns.
Where Can FreedInsure Help, and Where Can't It?
What we can offer depends on where you live. For 2027, we sell Marketplace plans in the states that use HealthCare.gov and through three state exchanges: Georgia Access, GetCoveredNJ and NY State of Health. In other states, we'll point you to the official exchange.
| Where you live | ACA Marketplace plans | Other coverage we can help with |
|---|---|---|
| 29 states that enroll through HealthCare.gov: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming | Yes, with any tax credit you qualify for | Private PPO, short-term (where state law allows it), supplemental, life and small-group, where available |
| Georgia, New Jersey, New York | Yes, through Georgia Access, GetCoveredNJ and NY State of Health | Private PPO, short-term (where state law allows it), supplemental, life and small-group, where available |
| California, Illinois, Kentucky, Oregon | No. Apply directly at Covered California, Get Covered Illinois, kynect or Explore Health | Supplemental and life, and private plans where available |
| Maine, Maryland, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Virginia | No | Private PPO, short-term (where state law allows it), supplemental and life |
| District of Columbia | No | Life and supplemental only |
| Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington | No (our agent isn't licensed there) | None. Use your state's exchange or a local licensed agent. |
Medicare and Medicaid: we don't sell Medicare plans, and Medicaid and CHIP applications go through your state. See who qualifies for free or low-cost coverage in your state.
How to Check Our Agent and Report a Problem
Don't take our word for it. You can check our agent's license yourself, and you have official places to report a problem, including a problem with us.
- Check the license. Search Constantino Lardi or NPN 20230457 in your state insurance regulator's license lookup, or use the NPN lookup in NIPR's Licensing Center. Our licenses page lists every state license with a link to that state's lookup.
- Use official channels for Marketplace help. HealthCare.gov says agents and brokers must be licensed in their states and have signed agreements to sell Marketplace plans. To find help on your own, use Find Local Help on HealthCare.gov.
- Report an unauthorized plan change. If someone enrolled you or switched your plan without your permission, call the Marketplace Call Center at 1-800-318-2596 (TTY: 1-855-889-4325), or your state's exchange if it runs its own.
- File a complaint about an agent. Your state's insurance regulator licenses agents and takes complaints about them, including complaints about us. Complaint links for all 42 jurisdictions (41 states + DC) where our agent is licensed are on our licenses page.
- Tell us. Email admin@freedinsure.com or call (844) 788-3733. Telling us doesn't replace the Marketplace Call Center for an unauthorized plan change.
Learn the warning signs in our guide to health insurance scams.
Frequently Asked Questions
Have a Question About How We Work?
A licensed agent will call you back to answer it, or to compare the coverage we can offer in your state. Marketplace plans are available in HealthCare.gov states and in Georgia, New Jersey and New York. No fee to you, no obligation. Prefer to talk now? Call (844) 788-3733. Two of our team members speak Spanish.
Keep Going
Sources
- HealthCare.gov glossary: Agent: agents and brokers often get commissions from insurers, must be licensed in their states and have signed agreements to sell Marketplace plans; you won't pay anything additional if you enroll with one.
- HealthCare.gov: Get help applying: to get a tax credit, an agent or broker must enroll you through the Marketplace.
- 45 CFR 156.255(b): same premium rate whether a plan is sold through the Marketplace, directly by the insurer or through an agent.
- 45 CFR 155.220: consent and income rules for agents and brokers in HealthCare.gov states.
- HealthCare.gov glossary: Premium tax credit: available only through the Marketplace.
- HealthCare.gov: Pre-existing conditions and what Marketplace plans cover.
- CMS: 2027 maximum annual limitation on cost sharing (PDF): $12,000 self-only, $24,000 other than self-only.
- 45 CFR 149.20: No Surprises Act rules don't apply to short-term plans.
- HealthCare.gov: Why report changes and appealing an insurance company decision.
- HealthCare.gov: Contact us: Marketplace Call Center 1-800-318-2596 (TTY: 1-855-889-4325).
- NIPR Licensing Center: National Producer Number lookup.
Questions About How We Work? Ask a Licensed Agent.
No fee to you. 14+ carriers compared. ACA first where we sell Marketplace plans. Two of our team members speak Spanish.
Talk to an Agent → Call (844) 788-3733