06/14/2026
I’ve been specializing in Medicare since 2004. This bill is insulting, to say the least, and another example of ignorance!
Most brokers provide much appreciated and wanted help to people turning 65, trying to decipher the confusing maze of Medicare. From the very beginning to the selection of the plan that will work best for them, then ongoing support for YEARS to come, I provide a complete service.
We don’t get paid to handle the extra help that includes: what to do when their doctor leaves a network, medication costs, confusing letters, moves, lose Medicaid, lose a spouse, or face a serious diagnosis, understand doctors, prescriptions, networks, deductibles, copays, Part D, supplements, enrollment periods, penalties, and countless other things nobody else can explain clearly.
When something happens and they’re needing help, they don’t get answers from an 800 number or ANY politician (who collects a paycheck off the tax payer’s income). They call us.
As a good broker, I have a 50/50 split of original Medicare + supplement and Medicare Advantage clients.
In the 20+ years I’ve been in this role, I have never seen “vacations or trips/perks” paid to brokers. I’d be surprised if compensation was truly in the billions in one year.
To be fair, other professions that advise and provide consulting services (like CPAs) can charge fees; there’s no reason we shouldn’t also be paid for our time and expertise.
To quote a colleague of mine (Jeremy Boz): “People need to understand the difference between a local broker and a churn and burn call center.
A local broker has to live with the recommendation they make. Our reputation matters. A bad call center can enroll someone, move on, and leave the client confused when problems show up later. No relationship. No accountability. No ownership.
Then a politician looks at that mess and decides the problem is the local broker???
The industry spent years rewarding growth at all costs. Carriers poured millions into TV advertising, lead generation, marketing organizations, celebrity endorsements, and massive call centers. They wanted membership, growth, and market share.
Now that margins are tighter, independent brokers are being blamed for problems we did not create.
Much of the confusion seniors experience today came from aggressive marketing, nonstop advertising, lead generation systems, and high-volume enrollment models that prioritized growth over relationships.
Independent brokers did not create that environment. In many cases, we’re cleaning up the mess afterward.
If Congress truly wants to help Medicare beneficiaries, focus on access to care, provider shortages, prescription costs, misleading marketing, bad call center churn, and overall confusion throughout Medicare.
This bill is looking for a villain in the wrong place.
Medicare brokers are not the problem. For millions of seniors, we’re part of the solution.”
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