Negotiating pay when I have been out of work, insurance claims processor here

A recruiter asked for my salary expectations on a first call as I look for work as an insurance claims processor. This is my first time dealing with any of this. I also do not want to sell myself short. Does giving a range hurt?

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it 9 months ago, and it got easier once I kept a simple log of every call and form.