Agent Commissions in Medicare and the Impact on Beneficiary Choice
It’s up to you whether you want to work with a Medicare agent or broker. Using a knowledgeable and ethical agent or broker can make your search for a health plan significantly easier and faster. Since their services are free, you have nothing to lose by trying an agent or broker near you. You should pick a broker or agent with solid experience selling Medicare plans in your state. When interviewing an agent or broker, ask about the types of plans they handle and the kind of customer they usually work with. However, the commissions agents and brokers receive for different plans vary by company and arrangement. Sometimes their doctor won’t accept Humana, so I help them understand how a PPO plan or something similar would let them stay with their current doctor. To that point, if their doctor is part of an HMO plan, we help them understand whether the HMO could actually be a better fit for their needs. However, all prospect partners MUST be licensed in their resident state, and be in g...