Do You Need a Medicare Insurance Agent?

Sometimes these agents/brokers are employees of the contracted company. In other situations, the companies hire independent agents/brokers who are not employees to sell the companies' Medicare plans. As a medicare agent, you review your clients’ health care plan and help them evaluate their needs against the services and coverage they are eligible to receive.

SHIP is an independent program federally funded by the Administration for Community Living and is not affiliated with the insurance industry. Navigating Original Medicare, Medicare Supplement Insurance plans, or Medicare Advantage plans can be overwhelming. When you’re first learning about Medicare options, the internet is a great place to start. You may want to ask family members and friends who have Medicare if they like their Medicare plans. Additionally, there are community resources to help you understand your options. If you find that you would like personal guidance to choose what’s best for your needs, an insurance agent may be helpful.

As a sales agent, you should be self-motivated, assertive, and persuasive, with good follow-through and the ability to pay attention to details. Strong communication skills are crucial, as is the ability to present complex information clearly and engagingly. Unlike enrollment commissions, administrative payments are not set by any governing or regulatory body; instead, they are set by insurers in negotiation with each independent agency.

If you'd rather opt to be your own boss and possibly run your own firm someday, consider buying Medicare leads directly through Nectar. 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.

Our agents can simplify the process of finding the right plan, answer your questions and help you enroll. CMS could consider setting commissions to ensure that agents are not motivated financially to favor a particular type of coverage, and therefore, can provide beneficiaries unconflicted advice. Insurers also may make additional payments, in addition to enrollment commissions. These administrative payments are paid to agencies for assuming administrative and operational responsibilities in support of an agent’s work soliciting and enrolling beneficiaries. These activities may include marketing, technology, training, and compliance; the agencies serve as an intermediary between agents and insurers. Agents typically secure contracts with multiple carriers, but they are not required to contract with all available carriers in their market.