01 — Reason
Built for Minnesota winters & realities.
From ice-storm ER visits in the Twin Cities to snowmobile injuries up north, we know what Minnesotans actually file claims for — and we pick plans that don't leave you exposed.
Our Story
15 Years Helping People Choose Coverage Confidently
We're an independent agency — not tied to any one carrier — so our advisors recommend what actually fits your life, your family, and your business.
Our Story
We started North Star Health Guide because health insurance should never be this hard.
In 2010, our founder watched his sister — a self-employed graphic designer in her early 30s — spend three weeks trying to understand her health insurance options after losing her job. Three weeks. Dozens of confusing websites, conflicting information, and zero guidance from people who actually understood the system.
She eventually gave up and went uninsured for eight months. Four months later, she was in the emergency room with appendicitis. The bill was $34,000.
That's the story that built North Star Health Guide. We created this agency because navigating health insurance is genuinely difficult — and it shouldn't require a law degree to understand your options.
What makes us different
We are 100% independent
North Star Health Guide is not owned by, affiliated with, or financially incentivized by any single carrier. Our agents earn the same commission rate regardless of which plan they recommend.
We are licensed professionals
Every North Star Health Guide advisor is a licensed insurance agent, compliant with state regulations, and carries Errors & Omissions insurance.
We offer a free service
Consultations, plan comparisons, and enrollment cost you absolutely nothing. Carriers compensate us — you pay the same as buying direct, or less.
We stay with you
Most agents disappear after enrollment. Your North Star Health Guide agent stays your resource for claims, annual reviews, life changes, and every question that comes up.
Our Mission
To make quality health coverage accessible, understandable, and affordable for every American — individual, family, or business — through honest, expert guidance and a service that costs you nothing.
Our values
Transparency
We tell you exactly what a plan covers and what it doesn't. No surprises at the worst possible moment.
Independence
We recommend what's best for you, full stop. Our advice is never influenced by carrier incentives or sales targets.
Accessibility
Health insurance shouldn't be a luxury. We work to find affordable coverage for every budget.
Longevity
We're not here to make a sale. We're here to build a relationship that lasts as long as you need us.
Licenses & credentials
North Star Health Guide is licensed to sell health, dental, vision, life, and supplemental insurance in all 50 states. Our agents are appointed with all major carriers including:
Blue Cross Blue ShieldAetnaCignaUnitedHealthcareHumanaOscar HealthMolina HealthcareAmbetterBright HealthKaiser PermanenteDelta DentalVSPMetLife DentalGuardianAmeritasAflacCigna SupplementalTransamerica
Why North Star
Minnesota coverage,
guided by Minnesotans.
North Star Health Guide is a Minnesota-only enrollment brokerage. We don't sell insurance in Texas or Florida — we obsess over MNsure, MinnesotaCare, Medical Assistance, and how Mayo, M Health Fairview, Essentia, and HealthPartners networks fit your family.
02 — Reason
We map every Minnesota health system.
Mayo, M Health Fairview, Essentia, Allina, HealthPartners — every plan we recommend is checked against your current doctors before you enroll, so a Rochester referral or U of M specialist visit never turns into a surprise out-of-network bill.
03 — Reason
We work for you. Not the carriers.
We're an independent brokerage — not a captive agency owned by Blue Cross, Medica, or UCare. That means we recommend the plan that fits your family, not the one that pays us the highest commission.
04 — Reason
Minnesota-only. Twin Cities to the Iron Range.
We don't dabble in 50 states. Every advisor on our team lives, drives, and works in Minnesota — and we know the rate differences between Hennepin, St. Louis, and Olmsted counties cold.
Real Minnesotans
Stories From the State
We Call Home
Three Minnesotans whose coverage went from confusing to clear after one call.
“We'd been guessing at MNsure for three open-enrollments in a row. North Star sat with us for an hour, screened the kids for Medical Assistance, and put me and my husband on a HealthPartners plan that actually kept our pediatrician at Hennepin Healthcare in network.”
Asha M.Cedar-Riverside, Minneapolis
“I'm a contract nurse at Mayo. Every plan I'd looked at off-marketplace dropped Mayo as in-network the moment I needed care. North Star matched me to a Quartz plan with full Mayo access and saved me from a four-figure premium hike.”
Bridget K.RN, Rochester
“When the mine cut hours and our union plan ran out, I had 45 days. The North Star team had me enrolled in a Medica plan with Essentia in network before the COBRA letter even arrived. They knew the Iron Range cold.”
Dale O.Steelworker, Hibbing