As the U.S. healthcare system faces a crisis of trust, one insurance company is bucking the trend by prioritizing ethical training for its agents. Lorena Granadillo de Fernandez, CEO and Founder of Mighty Shield Insurance, believes that by educating agents to put clients’ needs before profits, her company can help restore faith in the system.
According to a recent poll from Gallup, trust in the U.S. healthcare system has dropped from 71.5% in April 2020 to 40.1% in January 2024, with research finding that only a third of Americans trusted the health system. This report shows that this drop relates to the rising cost of health care and pandemic-related policies.
Mighty Shield Insurance, a national agency based in the U.S., has been building a reputation for excellence and integrity since its founding in 2019. Under Granadillo de Fernandez’s leadership, this woman-owned company has expanded its network to over 80 licensed agents, serving more than 8,000 clients across nearly all U.S. states.
Granadillo de Fernandez emphasizes that ethics is not just a policy at Mighty Shield, but a fundamental culture that permeates every aspect of the organization. “We ensure that our agents prioritize proper client assessment and compliance over profit through a structured system of education, supervision, and accountability,” she explains.
The company’s onboarding process sets the tone for ethical practices, emphasizing that clients’ long-term well-being always takes precedence over sales targets or commissions. This commitment is reinforced through continuous monitoring, transparency reporting, and strict compliance parameters for all enrollments. If inconsistencies or unethical behavior are detected, agents receive corrective coaching, retraining, or disciplinary action as needed.
Granadillo de Fernandez also stresses the importance of mentorship and accountability among senior agents and team leaders. These leaders are trained to lead by example, ensuring that every transaction reflects honesty, respect, and the client’s best interest.
The CEO’s philosophy is simple: “Integrity sells better than pressure.” Agents who educate responsibly build trust and create sustainable relationships that benefit both the agency and the healthcare system. Continuous education, Granadillo de Fernandez believes, is the key to success for all parties involved.
As a trainer, Granadillo de Fernandez aims to develop professionals who understand the social and moral impact of their work. Rather than viewing health insurance as complicated or inaccessible, she transforms it into a transparent, respectful, and accurate structure. This approach builds trust not only between agents and clients but also between the population and healthcare institutions.
The success of Mighty Shield Insurance’s approach is reflected in its record. The company has received the CMS Circle of Champions Award consecutively since 2022 for outstanding performance in ACA enrollments and dedication to consumer education. Under Granadillo de Fernandez’s direction, Mighty Shield not only trains individual agents but also supports them in establishing and developing their own sub-agencies, fostering entrepreneurship and leadership in the insurance industry.
“At Mighty Shield Insurance and its partner agencies, the hiring process goes far beyond evaluating licenses and production history; we look for character, integrity, and a genuine desire to serve qualities that cannot be measured by numbers but are essential to building a sustainable and ethical organization,” said Granadillo de Fernandez.
“The first step is a comprehensive screening and interview process that focuses not only on experience, but on values,” she adds. “We discuss real-life scenarios that test judgment, empathy, and compliance awareness, to understand how a candidate thinks when faced with ethical dilemmas, not just how they perform under pressure. We also evaluate the agent’s commitment to continuous education. Those who are eager to learn, adapt, and grow with the system tend to be the ones who respect it most. For us, education is the strongest indicator of long-term ethics.”
In an industry often marred by misaligned values and short-term gains, Granadillo de Fernandez’s leadership stands out. She believes that true growth can only come through structure, not shortcuts, and that sustainability and integrity are the real markers of success. As she expands her impact, setting higher standards of professionalism, she inspires a new generation of leaders in the insurance field.
“I believe that leadership must create leaders,” she said. “My goal is not to have followers, but to empower new leaders who can continue spreading the values of ethics, education, and family commitment across the healthcare and insurance industry. As I always remind my team: ‘Leadership is not measured by how many people follow you, but by how many are inspired to lead with you.’”
As the U.S. healthcare system grapples with declining trust, Granadillo de Fernandez’s model offers hope. By prioritizing ethical training for its agents, Mighty Shield Insurance demonstrates that there is a better way – one that puts clients first, values integrity, and seeks to change the perception of the health system through knowledge, responsibility and leadership. The company offers continuous training programs, updated frequently to reflect current CMS regulations, Marketplace procedures, and carrier-specific guidelines. Agents are trained not only to understand insurance products, but also to communicate effectively, identify client needs accurately, and act with transparency.
“I lead through example, education, and empathy,” she said. “At Mighty Shield Insurance and its partner agencies, leadership is not about hierarchy it’s about influence, consistency, and responsibility. A good leader does not simply manage; they inspire others to believe in the mission and act with integrity.”
