Though it is not a requirement, it is advisable that you buy your health insurance policy through an insurance agent. You will not incur any additional costs (insurance agents are paid by insurance companies not you, the consumer) and you will benefit from information about the available polices in the market.
There are two types of insurance agents; the captive and independent insurance agents. Captive insurance agents sell the health insurance policies of only one insurance company. Independent insurance agents act on behalf and sell policies for various insurance companies.
It is advantageous to buy health insurance from independent insurance agent because you will get information from different companies, compare and then choose the best.