How We Rate Carriers
We don't rate carriers based on who pays us the most. We rate them on five criteria that matter to the people who have to live with the plan.
Financial Strength
We require a minimum A.M. Best rating of A− (Excellent). A carrier that can't pay claims is not a carrier we recommend - regardless of how low their premium is. Financial strength ratings are verified annually.
NAIC Complaint Index
The NAIC publishes a complaint index for every licensed carrier. A score above 1.0 means the carrier receives more complaints than the industry average for its size. We weight this heavily - a carrier's complaint record tells you how they treat people when something goes wrong.
Rate Stability
A low premium today means nothing if the carrier raises rates 15% every year. We track historical rate increase patterns and factor them into our ratings. Carriers with a history of aggressive rate increases are noted explicitly in our reviews.
Plan Availability
Not every carrier offers every plan type in every state. We verify current availability by state and note any geographic limitations in our carrier reviews.
Consumer Experience
We evaluate the ease of the enrollment process, the quality of customer service, and the clarity of benefit documents. Carriers that make it difficult to understand what you're buying or to get help when you need it are rated accordingly.
Data Sources
Our carrier ratings draw from A.M. Best financial strength ratings, NAIC complaint index data, CMS plan availability data, state insurance department filings, and direct carrier benefit documents. We do not rely on carrier-provided marketing materials as a primary source.
Update Schedule
All carrier ratings are reviewed and updated annually following the Annual Enrollment Period. Ratings may be updated mid-year if a carrier's A.M. Best rating or NAIC complaint index changes materially. The date of last review is noted on every carrier review page.
Independence Disclosure
Patriot Plans is a licensed independent insurance agency. We earn commissions when clients enroll in plans through us. This creates a financial relationship with the carriers we review. We disclose this relationship on every carrier review page. Our ratings methodology is designed to minimize the influence of commission structures on our recommendations - but readers should be aware of this relationship when evaluating our content.
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