Plan Advisors

Helping you choose the right health plan

Medicare Advantage and Part D Plans receive a commission boost for 2023! 

CMS

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We’re almost halfway through 2022; can you believe it? A new year on the horizon comes with a commission increase for Medicare sales specialists! These increases will apply to those who are enrolling clients into 2023 Medicare Advantage plans and Part D drug plans. This now marks the eighth consecutive year that CMS has raised the commission for sales specialists. Agents’ compensation is directly tied to new enrollments and retainment of beneficiaries. With a combined 50+ million beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Advantage and Part D drug plans, there has never been a better time to become a Medicare broker.

Let’s take a look at the new commissions and what brokers can expect in the coming year:

Curious as to how this compares to years prior? View the chart below:

YearNationalCT, PA, DCCA, NJPRPDP
2021$539 / $270$607 / $304$672 / $336$370 / $185$81 / $41
2020$510 / $255$574 / $287$636 / $318$350 / $175$78 / $39
2019$482 / $241$542 / $271$601 / $301$331 / $166$74 / $37
2018$455 / $228$511 / $256$567 / $284$312 / $156$72 / $36
2017$443 / $222$498 / $249 $553 / $277$304 / $152$71 / $36
2016$429 / $215$482 / $242$536 / $268$294 / $147$63 / $32
2015$408 / $204$461 / $230$510 / $255$280 / $140$56 / $28

Here at Plan Advisors, we believe that things are only going up for brokers that are specializing in Medicare Advantage and Plan D drug enrollment plans.

Check out the full CMS fact sheet or contact us today if you have additional questions!

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Plan Advisors understands that the buzz around disclaimers and the recording rule speculation surrounding each and every enrollment is ever-present. In fact, we continue to receive more guidance on what creating compliant marketing materials should look like and how to do it. With all of the new information we continue to receive, we feel it is worth mentioning. 

The following disclaimers are, in fact, final and required for all marketing materials from this point forward. So, how do we know what disclaimers apply to us and what disclaimers are necessary? Humana has created a spectacular guide that you can view here.

Marketing or Communication Disclaimers?

Marketing. The commercial’s intent is to draw the beneficiary to a Medicare Advantage plan(s) since name-specific plans remain unacknowledged. The content addresses plan premium, cost-sharing, and benefit information for plans represented and sold by the third party.

Let’s Break it Down…

It is important to note that if your material aligns with what marketing is, then these additional disclaimers apply: 

  • Federal Contracting Statements must be present on all “marketing” materials, except banners, banner-like advertisements, outdoor advertisements, text messages, social media posts, and envelopes.
    • Example Text: “Plans are insured or covered by a Medicare Advantage organization with a Medicare contract and/or a Medicare-approved Part D sponsor. Enrollment in the plan depends on the plan’s contract renewal with Medicare.”
  • Third-Party Marketing Disclaimers must exist on all third-party websites, marketing materials, and television/radio advertisements that meet the definition of “marketing”. (Note: For those that truly offer every option in a service area, this disclaimer is not imperative.)
    • Required Text: “We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans that we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options.”
  • Benefits Disclaimers apply if plan benefits include additional coverage (i.e. Dental, Vision, Hearing, OTC, Transportation, Fitness, etc.).
    • Example Text: “Not all plans offer all of these benefits. Availability of benefits and plans varies by carrier and location. Deductibles, copays and coinsurance may apply.”
  • Part B Give-Back Disclaimers must be present on all materials when Part B give-back info is written.
    • Required Text: “Part B Premium give-back is not available with all plans. Availability varies by carrier and location. Actual Part B premium reductions vary.”
  • When mentioning STAR Ratings Disclaimers, it is necessary to convey that Medicare performs yearly evaluations, and that a 5-star rating system is active.
    • Example Text: “Every year, Medicare evaluates plans based on a 5-star rating system.”

Recording Rule Speculation

At Plan Advisors, we want to emphasize that the rumors surrounding recording every meeting and enrollment is simply a proposed rule. It is up for discussion and open for comment. Additionally, the Medicare industry will receive more guidance on this information within the next few weeks. The National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU) and American Political Advocacy and Trade Association of Health Insurance Companies (AHIP) are actively working to ensure that this exists solely for call centers instead of the on-the-go agent.

It is important to note that we will continue to update our brokers as we move forward and learn more of the final decisions surrounding the changes to marketing disclaimers and the recording rule speculation surrounding each and every enrollment.

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It can become easy to find yourself in a lull when it is not the annual election period from mid-October to early December. We are here to remind you that Special Needs Plans (SNPs) are here for you year-round!

Further, it becomes important to note that many of your senior clients qualify for a Special Needs Plan. We want you to be ready to enroll them in the best plan.

[Read more…] about Special Needs Plans Are Here For You Year-Round!

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CMS has announced a change in Medicare ID cards that will begin to take effect in April 2018. The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) of 2015 requires CMS to remove Social Security Numbers from all Medicare cards by April 2019. A new Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI) will replace the SSN-based Health Insurance Claim Number (HICN) on the new Medicare cards for Medicare transactions, such as, billing eligibility status and claim status. The MBI will be confidential and should be protected as Personally Identifiable Information. The biggest reason CMS is implementing this change is to fight medical identity theft for people with Medicare.  It will better protect private health care and financial information as well as federal health care benefit and service payments. 

[Read more…] about New Medicare ID Cards

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What your clients are required to pay in the Medicare Part D coverage gapHelping your clients with Medicare Part D coverage understand the mechanics of the Medicare Part D coverage gap can be a daunting task.  We are going to cover a couple of the more difficult questions raised regarding the coverage gap in this segment.

[Read more…] about Your client is in the Medicare Part D Coverage Gap…Now What?

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Help your clients calculate the Medicare Part D late enrollment penaltyOne of the more common questions agents get asked from their Medicare clients is “what is the Medicare Part D late enrollment penalty?”  It is fairly easy to explain that if a Medicare member spends more than 63 consecutive days without having Part D or creditable drug coverage, they will be required to pay a late enrollment penalty should they choose to enroll in a Part D plan in the future.  The typical follow-up question is “will I have a late enrollment penalty?”  This is also usually pretty easy to answer, assuming the agent asks the proper questions of the client and the client responds with accurate answers about prior coverage.

[Read more…] about Calculating the Medicare Part D Late Enrollment Penalty