How to check an agent's North Carolina license
- Get the agent's full name and NPN. A licensed insurance agent should give you both without hesitation.
- Open the lookup. NCDOI's "Look Up An Insurance Agent" link goes to the NAIC licensee lookup. Choose North Carolina.
- Search by name or NPN. The NPN avoids mix-ups with agents who share a name.
- Read the result. Check that the license is active and lists accident and health (or sickness) authority, which Medicare Advantage, Medigap and Part D sales need.
- Check for discipline. NCDOI's licensing actions search lists fines, suspensions and revocations of insurance producers by year.
Questions to ask
- Which companies do you work with in my county? North Carolina has 106 Medicare Advantage plans open to everyone statewide for 2027 from 16 companies, and the number varies by county, from 11 in Carteret County to 57 in Guilford.
- Can you check my doctors, my prescriptions and my pharmacy before I enroll?
- If I'm a State Health Plan retiree, do you know how an outside plan would affect my group coverage? See State Health Plan retirees and Medicare.
- Will you help me after I enroll, for example if my plan changes or ends?
Red flags: someone who calls you without your permission, says they're from Medicare, pressures you to decide today, offers a gift for switching, or asks for your Medicare number before explaining anything. Medicare's rules require a Scope of Appointment, a record of which types of plans you agreed to discuss, before a sales appointment. Report problems; see how to file a complaint about an insurance agent in North Carolina.
Agents on this site
Our licensed insurance agents page lists independent licensed insurance agents who are licensed in North Carolina and work with Benefits Life, the publisher of this site. They aren't Benefits Life employees, and when they enroll you in a plan, the agent and Benefits Life may be paid by the insurance company. They can explain plans from the companies they work with. You can also request a call from a licensed insurance agent.
Related questions
How do I complain about an insurance agent in North Carolina?
When something goes wrong.
How do I report Medicare fraud in North Carolina?
Scam calls and suspicious charges.
How can I help a parent with Medicare?
Meeting an agent together.
Sources
- NAIC — Licensee lookup (linked from NCDOI's "Look Up An Insurance Agent")
- NC Department of Insurance — Licensing actions search
- eCFR — 42 CFR 422.2272, licensing and appointment of marketing representatives
- eCFR — 42 CFR 422.2264, beneficiary contact and Scope of Appointment
- Medicare.gov — Reporting Medicare fraud and abuse
More questions in this guide
- How can I help a parent with Medicare in North Carolina?
- How do I appeal a hospital discharge in North Carolina if I'm not ready to go home?
- How do I appeal a Medicare denial in North Carolina?
- How do I file a complaint about an insurance agent in North Carolina?
- How do I find my area agency on aging in North Carolina?
- How do I report Medicare fraud in North Carolina?
- Medicare phone numbers in North Carolina
Part of the guide: North Carolina Medicare contacts · All questions
Frequently asked questions
What is an NPN?
A National Producer Number is a unique ID the National Association of Insurance Commissioners assigns to each licensed insurance agent. It stays the same across states, so it's the most reliable way to look an agent up.
Does an agent have to live in North Carolina?
No. An agent can hold a North Carolina nonresident license. What matters is that the North Carolina license is active and covers health insurance.
Does it cost anything to use an agent?
No. Licensed insurance agents are paid by the insurance companies whose plans they sell, so their help is at no cost to you. A plan's premium is the same whether you enroll through an agent or on your own.
Can any licensed agent sell me any Medicare plan?
No. Medicare rules say a Medicare Advantage or Part D company may use only agents licensed in the state and appointed by that company. Ask which companies the agent is appointed with in your county.
Medicare in your North Carolina county
Plans, local agents and help, county by county: Wake · Mecklenburg · Guilford · Forsyth · Durham · Cumberland · Buncombe · Union · Johnston · Cabarrus · New Hanover · Gaston · Onslow · Iredell · Alamance · Pitt · Davidson · Brunswick · Catawba · Rowan · All 100 counties →
