Medicare Agents vs Brokers: Pros, Cons, & How To Choose

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Most of the time, you'll never even need to reach out to carrier reps. Instead, you'll have access to a wide variety of training sessions made available each week to broaden your knowledge of how to sell Medicare. As an insurance agent, you know how important it is to help protect your clients' finances. However, don't underestimate the value of protecting yourself as well.

If you enrolled in Medicare Supplement or Medigap, you can change your plans anytime but you may be subject to underwriting. Although there is no requirement to work with an agent or medicare agent broker, you may choose to do so for the following reasons. Nectar draws on a variety of marketing methods to identify high-intent Medicare shoppers across several different websites.

Another option for Medicare recipients is to stick with Original Medicare and supplement it with Medigap coverage to help cover some of the costs of care. These plans tend to be more expensive for the plan holder but less lucrative than Medicare Advantage for you as an agent. Commissions are based on a percentage of the Medigap premium, rather than flat rates as with Medicare Advantage or prescription drug plans. This one is tricky because it’s possible that you may be able discuss some ancillary plans during a Medicare sales appointment, but that’s only if your client has checked off those boxes on their Scope of Appointment.

These organizations have connections with multiple carriers and can offer you more connections and better commissions than you would earn by trying to work directly with individual carriers. They also often offer assistance with training and certification requirements. To sell Medicare Advantage plans, you'll have to complete the America's Health Insurance Plans certification in addition to each carrier's compliance and product certifications. These certifications exist to help protect seniors and reward agents who do things the right way. When it comes to considering your Medicare options, you can spend hours doing your own research or you can speak to a local, licensed agent with HealthMarkets. Your agent will compare your options to find the coverage that’s right for you … at a price that fits your budget.