Agent Commissions in Medicare and the Impact on Beneficiary Choice
The average Medicare beneficiary has 39 Medicare Advantage plans to choose from in 2022, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. That number may be higher in urban areas and lower in rural areas. There are also wide selections of Medigap and Medicare Part D drug plans available. Prices and coverage can vary widely, and not all plans are available everywhere. BrokersOnce a broker hands off a client to an insurance company, the company pays the broker a commission. A commission varies based on each state’s insurance regulations, but it may be as high as 8% of the cost of the premiums. Many companies offer their agents bonuses when they meet specific sales goals. Therefore, agents are more likely to sell more expensive policies, even if the consumer doesn’t need it. Due to this, agents have a reputation of being all in the same, but that’s not at all true. With today’s technology, you don’t need to waste your time driving down to a local office to meet with a local agent. Anyone cu