On June 1, 2026, CMS released the official Contract Year 2027 Agent and Broker Compensation Rates memo — and for Medicare agents, the numbers are moving in the right direction. National Medicare Advantage initial commissions climb to $725 per member, standalone Part D commissions jump more than 14%, and new marketing rule changes take effect...
Can a SEP IRA Really Change How Much a Consumer Pays for Marketplace Health Insurance? Yes. For self-employed consumers, a SEP IRA contribution can sometimes lower taxable income enough to increase Marketplace premium tax credits. In simple terms, the Marketplace looks at a household’s income to decide how much help they receive toward health insurance...
New York brokers should treat the end of the Essential Plan 200–250 category as one of the biggest individual-market transitions on the horizon. NY State of Health says the expanded Essential Plan coverage for people between 200% and 250% of the federal poverty level will end effective July 1, 2026, following federal funding changes and...
CMS released the Contract Year 2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D Final Rule on April 2, 2026. The rule is effective June 1, 2026, applies to coverage beginning January 1, 2027, and the new marketing and communications policies apply beginning October 1, 2026. For brokers and agencies, that means the operational changes start now, not...
Published by AffordableCareAgents.com Each year during the Annual Enrollment Period (AEP), Medicare beneficiaries review their prescription drug coverage and often ask about the Medicare Part D Late Enrollment Penalty (LEP). This penalty is one of the most misunderstood aspects of Medicare, and it’s important to clarify how it works—and what brokers can and cannot discuss...
2026 Brings Big Changes — Are Your Clients Ready? The Medicare Extra Help program (also called the Low-Income Subsidy, or LIS) continues to be one of the most valuable benefits for seniors with limited income. But every year, CMS updates the benchmark premium amounts — the maximum Part D premium that Extra Help will fully...
Brokers serving under-65 (U65) consumers in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace are facing an unusual gap in 2025. The Federally Facilitated Marketplace (FFM) certification window has closed, and the 2026 training is not yet available. For many agents, this means waiting until later in 2025 to re-certify with HealthCare.gov. But here’s the opportunity: while...
In August 2025, a federal district court in Texas delivered a landmark ruling with significant implications for the Medicare Advantage (MA) and Part D markets. The court vacated the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) attempt to impose new limits on broker and third-party marketing organization (TPMO) compensation. The decision halts CMS’s effort to...
Published by Affordable Care Agents | August 2025 On August 22, 2025, the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland issued a nationwide stay (pause) on several provisions of the 2025 Marketplace Integrity & Affordability Final Rule. The order came as part of the lawsuit City of Columbus et al. v. Kennedy et al....
📲 How ACA Brokers Can Receive Real-Time Leads via CMS Help On Demand in 2025 By Mikh Yusupov, M.P.A.Founder, AffordableCareAgents.com In today’s competitive ACA health insurance marketplace, consumer engagement must be fast, compliant, and responsive. That’s where CMS’s Help On Demand steps in—a live referral system connecting qualified ACA brokers with consumers seeking immediate enrollment...