“Secrets From the Medicare Advantage Producer Comp Spreadsheets,” by Allison Bell, ThinkAdvisor

“Federal regulators have set tight rules for agent compensation at Medicare Advantage plans — but most of the issuers are interested enough in new business that they will pay some compensation to agents. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the federal agency in charge of the Medicare Advantage program, tells the tale in two spreadsheets it has posted in the agent broker compensation section on the Medicare managed care marketing section of its website. Issuers said they pay no commissions for some sales of 69% of the plans. In many of the zero-commission scenarios, the issuers pay a $100 referral fee.”

LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform):

They pay agents. How beneficent of them.