New Delhi, May 18 -- When Shilpa Arora needed health insurance for her husband, who has a history of ulcers, she couldn't just log on to a comparison website and choose a plan. She needed someone who knew how to speak to the underwriter, explain her husband's medical history, and make the case for why the policy should still be issued. The right agent, she said, is someone who understands the process and can advocate for you while you're disclosing pre-existing conditions.

Arora decided to buy insurance through an agent even though she is an insurance expert herself, and co-founder of Insurance Samadhan, an online platform for resolving insurance complaints.

Most of us, however, don't think about expert advice when we buy insurance. We ...