AIM Insurance Agency, Inc.

05/29/2026

Recently, insurance companies have decided to stop paying Independent Agents for some, if not all, of their Supplement, Advantage, and Part D (Rx) plans.

What does this mean to you? While we can ride out the storm for now, if this isn’t reversed then there will come a time when Independent Agents will no longer be available to help. Not just me, Independent Agents throughout CT and the country will have to find another way to earn a living.

That means that people 65+ and people with disabilities will no longer have access to independent and unbiased professionals to help you understand Medicare and choose a plan that is appropriate for your individual needs. People will be left to figure it out themselves by using the Medicare website, contacting each carrier to pick a plan, or use an AI Bot to choose a plan for you.

What have we done? We have met with the Connecticut Insurance Commissioner and the Connecticut Insurance Department and respectfully urged them to:
• Review insurer practices that reduce or eliminate compensation for licensed health insurance agents
• Evaluate how increased reliance on automation and AI affects consumer access and protection
• Assess the impact on seniors and vulnerable populations across Connecticut
• Convene stakeholders to ensure that innovation and cost cutting do not come at the expense of consumer care

What can you do? Sign our petition to protect consumer choice and fair access to health insurance assistance HERE! When you sign this petition, you will get an email from them. It is important that you confirm your signature, otherwise it will not count. Click here:
https://www.change.org/p/protect-consumer-access-to-licensed-health-insurance-advisors-in-connecticut?recruiter=916986838&recruited_by_id=cb2125c0-f02a-11e8-8131-a95869a8748d&utm_source=share_petition&utm_campaign=petition_dashboard&utm_medium=copylink&share_id=QGsz8Fp4xs

Want more information? Our agency has partnered with Brooks, Todd & McNeil to produce this overview: What the End of Medicare and CT ACA Commissions Means for Consumers - Brooks, Todd & McNeil https://www.brookstoddmcneil.com/what-the-end-of-medicare-and-ct-aca-commissions-means-for-consumers/

Thanks!

As always, if you have any questions, just let me know, I am here to help!

Chris O'Neil

REMINDER - If you EVER get an email from me or anyone in my office requesting a Docu-Sign or any other request for and ID, Password, or Payment, and we did not specifically tell you it is coming you should call us before clicking on anything.

Sweeping changes are reshaping how Connecticut residents get insurance advice on essential programs like Medicare and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) — including how commissions are paid and how these changes affect consumers.

05/22/2026

https://c.org/6m7rRDTxjH

Protect Consumer Access to Licensed Health Insurance Advisors in Connecticut

11/13/2025

Many Connecticut residents are picking a new Medicare Advantage plan for 2026.
If this includes you or someone you know, please keep reading.

You may have seen recent reports about the three insurance carriers with the most popular Medicare Advantage plans exiting the Connecticut market, thereby forcing people to pick a new plan for 2026. Unfortunately, reports are failing to mention that their licensed and certified independent agent will no longer get paid to help them find a replacement.

In 2026, there are eight carriers and 29 plans available in Connecticut. In years past, you could speak to a licensed and certified INDEPENDENT agent to help you navigate your options and understand the coverages available to you and your unique needs.

Unfortunately, insurance companies in Connecticut have recently eliminated commissions to independent agents who enroll people in the most popular Advantage plans. Since Medicare prohibits agents from charging clients a fee directly, independent agents are no longer being paid to help consumers navigate the Medicare landscape.

Why does this matter? Medicare plans are complex and the older we get the more our health care needs change. Having access to an unbiased and certified professional to help you navigate your options is essential, especially with the growing number of scams targeted at this vulnerable population (65+ and people with disabilities).

Carriers are now expecting Medicare eligible Connecticut citizens to research and choose a new Medicare Advantage plan on their own or find an independent agent willing to work for free, which sadly, will eliminate their access to unbiased Medicare expertise.
If you think having a local Connecticut independent agent available to help you in the future, rather than relying on advertisements, insurance company call centers, or AI, then please contact your State Senator and Representatives and file a complaint with the CT Department of Insurance. Let them know that you rely on the expertise of an unbiased, independent, licensed, and certified Medicare Advantage agent to help you understand and identify which Medicare plans are best for your unique needs.

Find your Senator’s and Representative’s contact information at https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member
File a complaint with the CT Dept. of Insurance - https://portal.ct.gov/cid/file-a-complaint?language=en_US

File a complaint with the Connecticut Insurance Department online, by phone, or by mail. Call our Consumer Helpline: 800-203-3447 or 860-297-3900.

11/07/2025

New Hampshire gets it, where is the CT Insurance Department???

New Hampshire Insurance Department Issues Bulletin on Fair Marketing and Compensation Practices for Medicare Plans


CONCORD, NH (November 6, 2025) – The New Hampshire Insurance Department (NHID) has issued a bulletin, Docket Number INS 25-082-AB, to address potentially unlawful conduct by certain insurers offering Medicare Advantage (MA) and Medicare Supplement (MS) products in the state. The bulletin reaffirms that carriers must make approved products readily accessible, treat producers in accordance with approved compensation structures, and comply with laws designed to protect consumers and ensure a fair marketplace.

Removing enrollment applications from public access, discouraging producers from marketing particular products, or altering producer compensation during the plan year could violate New Hampshire law and undermine fair competition and informed consumer choice in the Medicare marketplace. Such actions may impede seniors’ ability to evaluate the full range of available Medicare options and create improper incentives that interfere with producers’ duty to act in the consumer’s best interest. If verified, these practices could constitute unfair or deceptive acts under RSA 417 and lead to enforcement action by the NHID.

“The conduct described in this bulletin is deeply troubling because it may restrict seniors’ access to the full range of Medicare options that the law allows,” said Insurance Commissioner DJ Bettencourt. “When Medicare-eligible Granite Staters are shopping for coverage, they deserve clear information, fair competition, and the confidence that neither carriers nor producers are steering them based on hidden incentives or mid-year changes in compensation.”

For Medicare Supplement products, the bulletin explains that state law provides clear limits on producer compensation. Under RSA 415-F:3, IV, the NHID is authorized to regulate such compensation, and Insurance Rule Ins 1905.18 requires that commissions or other compensation remain consistent after the first year and not be modified during the policy term. Altering producer compensation mid-year would therefore be inconsistent with these provisions.

All carriers remain subject to RSA 417, which prohibits unfair or deceptive acts in the business of insurance, to the extent not preempted by federal law. Carriers that withhold or obscure access to enrollment materials, manipulate producer incentives, or otherwise interfere with consumer choice risk violating these standards.

The bulletin also reminds carriers that it is an unfair insurance trade practice under RSA 417 to reduce or eliminate producer compensation mid-year except as expressly permitted in an approved compensation schedule, or to create artificial disincentives that deter producers from marketing otherwise available products. Although the bulletin does not compel a carrier to continue selling a product it has lawfully withdrawn from the market, it emphasizes that as long as a plan remains approved and offered in New Hampshire, the carrier must make enrollment reasonably available through customary channels—including online, by mail, and through duly appointed producers—and must honor the compensation structure reflected in its approved filings.

All carriers and producers participating in the Medicare market are reminded of their duty of good faith under New Hampshire law. Producers must act in the best interest of the consumer and assist applicants in identifying the plan most suited to their medical and financial circumstances, taking into account provider access, prescription drug coverage, cost, and affordability.

“Medicare beneficiaries rely on carriers and producers to provide them with candid, unbiased guidance about the plans that fit their needs,” said Deputy Insurance Commissioner Keith Nyhan. “These clarifications reinforce that the NHID expects transparency, good-faith dealings, and strict adherence to approved compensation structures so that older Granite Staters are not disadvantaged by behind-the-scenes changes in how products are marketed or how producers are paid.”

The NHID will continue to monitor compliance and take enforcement action where warranted. Violations may result in administrative penalties, license suspension, or revocation under RSA 417, RSA 400-A:15, and other applicable statutes.

The full bulletin, Docket Number INS 25-082, can be viewed on the New Hampshire Insurance Department’s website at https://mm.nh.gov/files/uploads/nhid/documents/20251106-ins-25-082-ab-medicare-conduct.pdf.

Send a message to learn more

10/28/2025

Do you have to pick a new Medicare Advantage plan for 2026? More people than ever are finding themselves in this situation for 2026.

There are eight carriers and 29 plans available in CT for 2026. Are you having trouble deciding what plan to move to? It used to be easy: Speak to a licensed and certified INDEPENDENT agent.

Are you having trouble finding a licensed and certified INDEPENDENT agent to help you choose and enroll in a new plan? This is because the insurance companies in CT have eliminated commissions to independent agents to enroll people in the most popular Advantage plans, and Medicare prohibits agents from charging clients a fee directly.

Why isn’t the news covering the fact that a vulnerable population (65+ and disabled people) can no longer get independent and unbiased expert help to understand how Medicare and Medicare Advantage work and then help them to choose the solution that works best for their specific needs?

These carriers now expect people aged 65+ and the disabled to research and choose a new Medicare Advantage plan on their own or find an independent agent willing to work for FREE!

Media is covering news about the three carriers with the most popular Advantage plans leaving CT and forcing people to pick a new plan, but not the fact that their licensed and certified independent agent will no longer get paid to help people find a replacement.

Why isn’t this in the media covering this?!

If you think having a local CT independent agent available to help you in the future, rather than relying on advertisements, insurance company’s call centers, or AI, then please contact your State Senator and Representatives. Let them know that you rely on the expertise of an unbiased, independent, licensed, and certified Medicare Advantage agent to help you understand Medicare and figure out which works for your needs.

You can find your Senator’s and Representative’s contact information here:

Find your members of Congress by typing in your address on Congress.gov.

04/14/2025

I am thrilled to announce that after working together for ten years as an alignment, AIM Insurance Agency is now a division of Brooks, Todd, & McNeal! Clients should experience no disruption as our staff will remain in place to serve you, this will not result in any changes to your current policies, but now we will have access to even more carriers and backup coverage support when needed.

03/31/2023

Do you have Small Group Health Insurance with Harvard Pilgrim or ConnectiCare and have to make a change this year? Are your employees loosing HUSKY and you need to form a new small group health plan? We can help!

Call us at 860-413-9149, email to [email protected], check us out at www.aiminsinc.com

09/09/2020

Are you interested in learning more about Human Resources? Are you currently out of work and want to gain new skills that are marketable? The HR Professional Certification classes at CCSU offers adult-ed style courses covering the five main disciplines in HR:

Recruitment & Staffing
Employee Benefits
Learning & Organizational Development
Compensation
Employment & the Law

Courses are taught by experienced HR Professionals in partnership with the HR Association of Central CT and are starting for the Fall Semister in two weeks. There is an online option for attending, so if traveling to New Britain has been the obstacle in the past you can do it now!

Here is the link to all 5 classes, I will be teaching the Employee Benefits class again (for the 19th time!).

https://registration.xenegrade.com/ccsu/searchResults.cfm?prgid=1

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions, I am here to help!

I hope to see you!

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06/24/2020

We could not decide between the top two applicants, so this year it is our great pleasure to give each of them the full amount. Please join me in congratulating the Granby Memorial High School recipients of AIM Insurance Agency’s scholarship, Kenya Mouning and Lizzy Cappelli!