Internet has made buying health insurance easier. Even the health insurance industry has tapped into the Internet to provide its potential customers a fast delivery of information, and a quick way of buying health insurance plans. Buying health insurance online has its advantages. By entering some of your personal and medical information in the website, you can easily get health insurance quotes from as many health insurance companies as you can. If you compare it with the traditional way of buying health insurance, it’s as if you are consulting with several insurance brokers. However, buying health insurance online also has its disadvantages. The information they present may be too technical for you as they have their own language and terms. The information may appear too complicated and technical, especially the provisions on eclusions and eceptions. If you did not understand these provisions before buying your health insurance, then it might create problems for you later on when you file your claims. The websites are just a way for the actual insurance brokers to get your personal information. Once you give your personal and medical information online, health insurance companies or brokers can sell them to other companies or brokers for less than $50. Eventually, you might get calls from five or more insurance brokers who are urging you buy their health insurance plans. . Buying health insurance online also prevents you from getting special customer treatments. Insurance brokers usually give special attention to their customers during consultation. The consultations and discussions help establish rapport and trust not only with the insurance brokers but also with the insurance carriers they represent. Insurance brokers know a lot about the health insurance companies in your area, and even those in other States. They can give you quick and practical advice and answers to help you choose the plan that best fits your needs. They can even pick the plan and the insurer that they think is best for you once you inform them of your healthcare needs, and your budget. Insurance brokers may eplain the different scenarios better than the information presented online, especially when it comes to claims processing.  When buying health insurance, you can work with one insurance broker at first and then work with five later on, all at the same time. - June 19, 2009 @ 3:38 pm

With either method, coverage costs the same: rates are legally regulated. Therefore, it's all down to what method you prefer.
Fully online buying offers more convenience, but you can also get into big trouble if you don't understand your options--what if something happens and something you thought was covered isn't? Insurance agents study the industry and typically have more experience than the average person in it.
The ideal is the best of both worlds: online shopping combined with personalized support from a broker. That is available from some sites. Just try to go through a specific brokerage and stick to one agent from them instead of an aggregator server somewhere--the latter are the ones that give your information to multiple dealers.

Source: http://www.vitalonehealth.com