If you’re on a Medicare Advantage (MA) or Part D drug plan, you’ve probably noticed things feel a little different this year — fewer plan choices, shrinking dental and vision benefits, higher copays, and more confusion than ever.
Behind the scenes, there’s another big change taking shape — one that will affect millions of seniors starting next fall: many independent brokers may no longer be available to help you with your Medicare plan.
Why This Is Happening
Over the past year, many major insurance companies have stopped paying brokers commissions for new Medicare Advantage business, and in some cases, even for renewals. Others have announced they will exit entire counties or cancel certain plan lines altogether.
This comes on top of major regulatory changes from CMS (the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) that have made it more complex and costly for brokers and agencies to stay compliant.
Meanwhile, plan margins are tightening as insurers face higher costs from hospitalizations, specialty drugs, and risk-adjustment changes. To protect profits, many carriers have:
Eliminated commissions on some or all MA and PDP plans
Reduced or removed supplemental benefits such as dental, vision, hearing, and OTC allowances
Shifted from PPOs to lower-cost HMOs
Cut administrative spending — including support for brokers
Unfortunately, that last change affects you directly.
Brokers Are Still Helping This Year — But Many Won’t Be Back Next Fall
Although many of us already knew changes were coming, it was a shock to see how widespread the changes and compensation cuts were, but we still went through national AHIP training (6 to 8 hours) and the 4 to 6 hours of annual certification and testing with every company we represent — because we didn’t want to leave our clients stranded.
We’re helping everyone through this year’s Annual Enrollment Period so you have time to prepare, ask questions, and adjust. But the reality is that next fall, you may not have a broker to call.
Without compensation from the insurance companies, it will simply not be sustainable for most independent brokers to provide free research, plan comparisons, or year-round support.
What You Can Expect in 2026
Here’s what’s likely to happen next year:
Many brokers will exit the Medicare business altogether.
Fewer plans will be available, especially PPOs.
Supplemental benefits will continue to shrink.
Clients will need to use Medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE to compare plans.
Some insurance companies may focus only on online or call-center enrollments.
Plan changes (especially drug formularies and networks) will still happen every year — meaning you’ll still need to review your coverage carefully, even without a broker’s help.
How I’ll Continue to Help My Financial Planning Clients
For my financial planning clients, Medicare remains part of your broader retirement strategy — and I’ll continue to help you evaluate your coverage within your planning relationship.
That means reviewing your medical costs, drug coverage, and plan stability as part of your annual review, even though I won’t be taking any commissions from insurance companies.
However, for clients who only used me for Medicare, this will likely be the last year I’m able to provide hands-on assistance. I want to give you plenty of time to prepare so you’re not caught off-guard next fall.
What You Should Do Now
Watch your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) each fall — this document explains what’s changing in your plan for the coming year.
Double-check your doctors and prescriptions every year — formularies and networks change frequently.
Bookmark Medicare.gov— it’s where you can compare plans and enroll if you don’t have broker support next year.
Keep a record of your current plan and coverage details.
If you work with me for financial planning, rest assured we’ll continue to review your healthcare coverage as part of your comprehensive plan.
In Closing
The Medicare Advantage program has helped many people manage healthcare costs, but the system supporting it is changing fast. Brokers like me have been proud to serve as your advocates — explaining the fine print, running comparisons, and helping you make informed choices.
We’ll continue to do that this year, but now is the time to prepare for what comes next.
If you’re a financial planning client, we’ll continue reviewing your Medicare coverage as part of your overall retirement roadmap. If you’re not, I strongly encourage you to use this enrollment period to get familiar with Medicare.gov and the tools available to help you navigate future changes.
The system may be changing, but the goal remains the same: helping you stay protected, informed, and in control of your healthcare decisions.