Why Working With an Independent Broker Costs You Nothing
This content is educational and is not individualized advice. Plan availability, benefits, and costs vary by location and change annually. Always verify current details before making a decision.
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A fair number of people find their way to me, spend twenty minutes describing their situation, and then ask some version of: what is this going to cost me?
Nothing. And I would rather explain the mechanics than just assert it, because "it's free" is what everyone says and you have no reason to take it on faith.
How I actually get paid
Insurance carriers pay commissions to the licensed agents who enroll their members. That commission is part of the carrier's cost of acquiring and servicing a member — the same budget that funds their call centers, their own sales staff, and their advertising.
The premium you pay is filed with regulators and is the same whether you enroll through me, through the carrier's website, or through healthcare.gov. There is no broker version of the price. I cannot mark it up, and I cannot discount it.
What changes is where the carrier's acquisition cost goes. If you enroll yourself, it stays inside the carrier. If you enroll with me, some of it comes to me, and you get a person who knows your file.
What "independent" means
This is the part worth understanding, because the word gets used loosely.
A captive agent represents one carrier. They may be excellent at their job and genuinely want the best for you, but their menu has one company on it. If that company's plan is not the right fit for your doctors or your prescriptions, they do not have another answer to give you.
An independent broker holds appointments with multiple carriers and can place you with any of them. When I compare plans for you, I am comparing across companies, not across one company's product line.
That said, "independent" does not mean "every plan in existence." No broker is appointed with every carrier. Which is why, on the Medicare side, federal rules require me to tell you exactly how many organizations and how many products I represent in your area — you will find that disclosure on this site, and I would encourage you to ask any agent for their version of it.
The obvious question: does the commission bias you?
It is the right question to ask and you should ask it out loud.
Two honest answers.
First, on the Medicare side, commissions are capped by CMS and the caps are set so that the amounts are similar across Medicare Advantage plans. The regulatory design is specifically intended to remove the financial incentive to steer someone toward one plan over another. It is not a matter of my good character; it is a matter of the numbers being close enough that steering is not worth it.
Second, and more to the point: my business runs on renewals and referrals. I get paid again next year only if you are still enrolled and still satisfied. If I put you in a plan your cardiologist does not take, you leave in January, I lose the renewal, and you tell your neighbor. Selling someone the wrong plan is a bad trade for me even on purely commercial terms.
If a broker ever gets defensive when you ask how they are compensated, that is information.
What you actually get
The comparison work, obviously — running your doctors and your prescriptions against the available plans rather than sorting by premium.
But the part people underestimate is what happens after enrollment. A claim gets processed wrong. A drug moves to a higher tier in January. Your plan sends a notice you cannot parse. Your doctor's office says they no longer take your plan and you do not know whether that is true.
You can call the carrier's 800 number and start over with whoever answers. Or you can call me, and I already know your situation.
I also do not disappear after AEP. Plans change every year. Reviewing your coverage annually is part of the arrangement, not a new transaction.
What it does cost you
In fairness, two things.
Time — an hour or so, once, to go through your situation properly.
And your information. I need to know your doctors, your medications, and for marketplace coverage, your projected income. I cannot do the work without it. What I will not do is share it with anyone you have not agreed to, or hand your details to a lead buyer. If anyone offering you free help is vague about where your information goes, ask them directly and get it in writing.
What to do next
If you are shopping right now, get a second opinion even if you are already working with someone. It costs you the same either way, which is to say nothing, and the comparison itself tells you something.
Fifteen minutes on the phone is usually enough to know whether your current plan is the right one. Book a call.
Schedule a free 15-minute call with George
No pressure, no pitch. Just a conversation about your situation and your options.
Book Your Free CallFrequently Asked Questions
No. The premium is filed with regulators and is identical whether you enroll through me, through the carrier's website, or through healthcare.gov. There is no broker version of the price — I cannot mark it up and I cannot discount it. What changes is where the carrier's acquisition cost goes, not what you pay.
It is the right question and you should ask it out loud. On the Medicare side, CMS caps commissions and sets them so amounts are similar across Medicare Advantage plans, which removes the incentive to steer. Beyond that, my business runs on renewals and referrals — putting you in the wrong plan is a bad trade for me commercially.
A captive agent represents one carrier and has one company's products to offer. An independent broker holds appointments with multiple carriers and compares across them. It does not mean every plan in existence — no broker is appointed with everyone, which is why Medicare rules require me to disclose how many organizations and products I represent.
I need your doctors, your medications, and for marketplace coverage your projected income, because the work cannot be done without them. I will not share any of it with anyone you have not agreed to, and I do not hand details to lead buyers. If anyone offering free help is vague about that, ask directly.
Yes, and it costs you the same either way, which is nothing. Fifteen minutes is usually enough to know whether your current plan is the right one. The comparison itself tells you something. And if a broker gets defensive when you ask how they are compensated, that is information too.