Medicare Steering: How Commission Cuts Impact Senior Choices

Recent announcements from two major Medicare Advantage carriers have sent shockwaves through both the broker community and the seniors we serve.

Starting July 2025, UnitedHealthcare (UHC) will stop paying commissions on select Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug (MAPD) plans across the country. This follows a move by Elevance Health (formerly Anthem), which recently announced it will remove certain Medicare plans from its electronic enrollment platforms, making materials and access unavailable to brokers.

On the surface, these changes may seem like internal carrier policy shifts. But make no mistake: this is steering, and its impact on seniors is real, long-term, and deeply concerning.

What Is Medicare Steering and Why Should You Care?

When carriers reduce or eliminate commissions on certain plans, or limit broker access to plan tools and materials, they create an uneven playing field. Brokers, especially independent ones, rely on commission structures to invest time and resources into educating seniors about all available options.

If a plan offers no compensation and no tools for enrollment, it often gets excluded from the conversation, not because it’s a bad plan, but because it’s been strategically removed from reach.

The result? Seniors may never hear about a plan that might have been a better fit for their health or budget. Over time, this kind of steering limits access, reduces transparency, and puts profits ahead of people.

How This Hurts Seniors in the Long Run

This trend could create a two-tiered Medicare marketplace: one for high-visibility plans with full marketing support and compensation, and another of hidden or unavailable options that get buried not due to quality, but due to internal carrier strategy.

It undermines the heart of Medicare choice: informed, independent decision-making based on a beneficiary’s unique health, lifestyle, and financial needs.

Where FYInsurance Solutions Stands

At FYInsurance Solutions, we believe education and transparency are non-negotiable. We are proud members of NABIP (National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals) and CAHIP (California Association of Health Underwriters). These organizations advocate at both state and federal levels to protect Medicare access, agent support, and consumer choice.

We're actively working with other independent agencies, brokers, and Medicare advocates to push back against the long-term harm of carrier-driven steering. Our goal is simple: make sure that you, the Medicare beneficiary, still have access to every available plan and honest, unbiased guidance.

What You Can Do

Whether you're a senior navigating Medicare or a broker working with clients, this issue affects you.

Seniors: Ask your agent if they're independent. Ask how they’re paid. Ask if they’re showing you every available plan. You deserve to know.

Brokers: Stay connected. Support your associations. Speak up when access is being limited.

And if you're looking for help navigating your Medicare options or want to join the fight for better transparency, we’re here.

Click the button below to schedule a consultation or learn more about how FYInsurance Solutions can help.