Independent broker · Buffalo, NY · Licensed in 25 statesHealth Insurance for Individuals, Families, the Self-Employed, and Small Businesses. Explained in Plain English.
Richard "Dick" Tracy · 80+ carriers · Updated August 29, 2026
I'm Dick Tracy. Real name, real job: independent health insurance broker. I help individuals, families, self-employed people, and small businesses find coverage that actually fits, from my home base in Buffalo and across the 25 states where I'm licensed. I'm not tied to any one carrier, so I'm not here to sell you the one plan I happen to have. With 80+ carriers behind me, I show you the whole board, side by side, and you pick. I spent years on the healthcare side of this business, so there's no gag clause on me: you get the tips, the tricks, and the traps. I educate, you decide.
Doctor and drug check on every planI read the bills so you don'tYear-round enrollmentOne agent, not a call centerPlain English, real numbers
25
states licensed
80+
carriers compared
$0
cost to work with me
Where I’m licensed
Home base is Buffalo, but the badge works in 25 states. If yours is blue on this map, we can work together today, right over Zoom or the phone.
Home base: Buffalo, NYLicensed (25 states)Not yet, ask anyway
Tell me about youTwo minutes, a few basic questions. No medical records, no commitment, no cost.
I investigateI comb 80+ carriers across the 25 states where I'm licensed and bring back your real options with real numbers side by side, in plain English.
You pick, I stay on the caseI handle the paperwork, then I stick around for the part most agents skip: bills, claims, EOBs, and renewals.
Education first, always. Bring me your situation and I'll show you every option you actually qualify for, with real numbers next to each other: what it costs, what it covers, and where the traps are. Billing codes, allowable rates, prior authorizations, the true price tag. I know that world from the inside, and I'll walk you through it in plain English. No hard sell, ever. If the best answer for you is a plan I don't write, I'll tell you that too. That's the whole detective bit: I find the truth, you make the call.
Start with the free tool everyone needs this year
The marketplace subsidy cliff came back for 2026, and one dollar of income over the line means losing every dollar of help. Most people find out at renewal, when it's too late to plan. Don't be most people: the free 2026 Subsidy Cliff Calculator tells you in 60 seconds which side of the line you're on. No email, no signup.
Common questions, straight answers
Do you only work with small businesses in Buffalo?
No. I help individuals, families, self-employed people, 1099 contractors, and small businesses. Buffalo is home base, and I'm licensed in 25 states: AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, IN, KY, ME, MD, MA, MI, NJ, NY, NC, OH, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV, and WI. Most of my work happens over Zoom or the phone, so where you live just tells me which options are on your table.
What does it cost to work with an independent broker?
Nothing extra. Brokers are paid by the insurance carriers, and a plan's price is the same whether you buy it through a broker or on your own. The difference: on your own you see one slice of the market. With me you see the whole board, 80+ carriers, side by side.
Is the healthcare.gov marketplace my only option?
No, and that's the most expensive myth in health insurance. The marketplace is one option, and with a good subsidy it can be the right one. But there are private plans outside it, coverage built for the self-employed, and small-group strategies it never shows you. Compare everything before you assume.
What kinds of coverage do you work with?
Health insurance first: private medical plans, pre-established ERISA group plans, small-group options, and the marketplace when it is the right tool. Around that core I use the supporting pieces where they make sense: accident coverage, critical illness, hospital indemnity, gap protection, and dental. I call it building a house: a solid roof for the catastrophic stuff and the right rooms for everyday life, instead of one oversized, overpriced plan.
How do we get started?
Two easy doors: book a free 30-minute call below, or fill out the quick details form and I'll do my homework before we ever talk. Either way, step one is education, not a pitch. I educate, you decide.
Watch: what my clients say (2 min)
Not sure where you fit? That's literally my job.
Tell me your situation and I'll show you your real options with real numbers, side by side. No hard sell, ever. I educate, you decide.
