Compliance Bulletins
IUL Illustration Complication: Helping Clients See Past the Hype
Indexed universal life (IUL) insurance has surged in popularity over the past decade, but regulators warn that the way these products are illustrated often sets clients up with unrealistic expectations. For years, regulators, actuaries, and consumer advocates have...
Why Affordability Must Be Our North Star
This is a pivotal year for our nation’s healthcare system, and one theme rises above the rest: affordability. Millions of older adults depend on Medicare Advantage for stability, simplicity, and support. ARTICLE
Medicare Advantage Enrollment Grew by About 1 Million People, Mainly Due to Special Needs Plans
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the latest Medicare Advantage enrollment data on February 13, 2026. These data provide the first look into Medicare Advantage enrollment for 2026 following a statement published by CMS last fall...
3 Legislative Headwinds in Medicare That Agents Can’t Afford to Ignore
Legislative change in Medicare may feel slow, but the proposals now on the table could reshape how licensed agents sell and support coverage as early as 2026. Lawmakers, regulators, and advocacy groups are signaling three major priorities: new restrictions on Medicare...
New 2027 ACA draft rules could drive small firms toward individual market
The individual health insurance rules that federal regulators are developing for 2027 could help individual coverage crowd out more of the small-group market, according to Jeff Smedsrud. ARTICLE
Trump Team’s Planned ACA Rule Offers Its Answer to Rising Premium Costs: Catastrophic Coverage
The Trump administration has unveiled a sweeping set of regulatory proposals that would substantially change health plan offerings on the Affordable Care Act marketplace next year, aiming, it says, to provide more choice and lower premiums. But it also proposes...
Keeping Retirement Timelines on Track for the Peak 65 Generation
Every day, more than 11,000 Americans turn 65 — the most significant wave of retirees in U.S. history. But instead of celebrating, many are hitting pause. Nearly one-third of Peak 65 consumers (ages 61-65) say they’re considering delaying retirement due to worries...
The IRA Has Improved Coverage of Drugs Selected for Medicare Price Negotiation
The Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program, enacted as part of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA), was designed to help lower Medicare spending on prescription drugs by requiring the federal government to negotiate the price of some high-cost drugs covered by...
Exclusive: House panel subpoenas 8 health insurers
House Judiciary Committee Republicans have subpoenaed eight Affordable Care Act health insurers for documents as part of a widening investigation of potential fraud surrounding the use of premium subsidies in the individual market, Axios has learned. Highlights:...
CMS Issues ACA 2027 Proposed Rules
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Feb. 9 released its 2027 proposed standards for the health insurance marketplaces, including the issuers and brokers who assist marketplace enrollees. Notably, the proposed rule would allow CMS to certify non-network...
The ACA Opportunity Agents Are Ignoring: Why It’s Time to Step into State Marketplaces
Agents, we may be leaving money on the table. If you’re already in the ACA game and not working in state-based marketplaces (SBMs), you’re missing out on one of the most significant growth opportunities in our industry right now. In 2025, a record-breaking 24.2...
Texas sees more enrolled in Affordable Care Act insurance
Almost 4.2 million Texans enrolled in Affordable Care Act health insurance for 2026, a more than 5% increase from last year, per federal data. The big picture: Around 23 million Americans enrolled for a health insurance plan through the ACA for this year, a roughly...
Medicare Advantage shifts focus to quality
Medicare Advantage plans face pressure to be profitable, so carriers are shifting their focus to quality. “The entire MA ecosystem is for the benefit of seniors and we must remember that,” said Steve Kaplan, chief legal, compliance and privacy officer at...
How Agents Can Use 2026 Premium Increases to Build Trust and Retention
Medicare cost increases are nothing new, but 2026 is shaping up to be a year that beneficiaries will remember. Part B premiums are projected to climb 11.6% to $206.50 — the sharpest jump in dollar terms since 2022. Meanwhile, Part D base premiums are also expected to...
KFF Health Tracking Poll: Health Care Costs, Expiring ACA Tax Credits, and the 2026 Midterms
The cost of health care, including paying for health insurance and out-of-pocket expenses, tops the list of the public’s economic anxieties, rising well above other necessities. Two-thirds of the public (66%) say they worry about being able to afford health care for...
Keeping Retirement Timelines on Track for the Peak 65 Generation
Every day, more than 11,000 Americans turn 65 — the most significant wave of retirees in U.S. history. But instead of celebrating, many are hitting pause. Nearly one-third of Peak 65 consumers (ages 61-65) say they’re considering delaying retirement due to worries...
Keeping Retirement Timelines on Track for the Peak 65 Generation
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a proposed 0.09% Medicare Advantage payment increase for CY 2027 on Monday, a significant drop from the 5.06% rate hike finalized for CY 2026. ARTICLE
As federal ACA subsidies lapse, blue states offer their own
Some states are stepping in to blunt the financial fallout of lapsed federal subsidies for Affordable Care Act health insurance premiums. California, Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts and New Mexico have all started offering additional state-funded...
Brian Krantz and Plan Medicare Partner with AmeriLife to Expand White-Glove Medicare Support for Financial Advisors Nationwide
Industry veteran and respected licensed health insurance producer joins one of the nation’s largest FMOs to scale an advisor-first Medicare service model for wealth management firms and their clients. ARTICLE
Unused Benefits: Agents are Key to Making the Most of Medicare Advantage Plans
This year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) had planned to require Medicare Advantage (MA) carriers to send midyear reminders to beneficiaries who hadn’t used their supplemental benefits. Initially slated for July 2025, those notices have been...
ACA Marketplace 2026 OEP Report: National Snapshot
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reports that 22.8 million consumers have signed up for 2026 individual market health insurance coverage through the Marketplaces since the start of the 2026 Marketplace Open Enrollment Period (OEP) on November 1,...
House passes three-year Affordable Care Act tax credits extension
The House voted 230-196 to revive expired Obamacare funds for three years, with 17 Republicans joining the unanimous Democratic caucus. NBC News’ Julie Tsirkin reports on what happens next as the legislation moves to the Senate. ARTICLE
Navigating Disruption and Market Contraction in Medicare Business in 2026 and Beyond
NAIFA’s Medicare Collective is bringing together leading voices from across the Medicare ecosystem for focused, solutions-driven conversations about the forces reshaping the Medicare market. Each session during this live virtual event will be 20-30 minutes and are...
Turbulence in the ACA Marketplace: Fraud Crackdowns and Rising Costs
A convergence of legislative changes and market integrity initiatives is reshaping the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace landscape. For the more than 24 million Americans who rely on the ACA Marketplaces for their coverage and the insurance professionals who serve...
List of Health Systems Dropping Medicare Advantage Plans in January
Several major health systems are dropping Medicare Advantage plans in the new year. The hospitals are ending their acceptance of MA plans over issues with prior authorization denials and slow reimbursement, as seniors face increased costs on plan...
All About Medicare Part A: What You Need to Know About This Basic Benefit Medicare Advantage vs. Supplement: Which is Right for You?
Our team successfully secured a consumer-facing media placement for AmeriLife's Amber Allen in a recent Woman's World Magazine article! Amber provided expert insights, detailing what consumers need to know about Medicare and clarifying the differences between Medicare...
Medicaid Eligibility Changes Could Increase Need for Long-Term Care Solutions
Tighter Medicaid eligibility rules could strip long-term care (LTC) coverage from more than 5 million Americans, including many older adults and people with disabilities. New income limits, stricter documentation, and increased oversight are already pushing some...
How the Big, Beautiful Bill Impacts ACA Marketplace Plans and Enrollment
Recent legislative changes have been set to reshape how ACA Marketplace agents and brokers operate during the upcoming Open Enrollment Period (OEP). The newly passed “One Big Beautiful Bill” (OBBBA), along with executive orders aimed at improving the Affordable Care...
‘Time is not our friend’: Health care scramble begins amid mixed signals from Trump
Congress returns to session Monday and kicks off a December sprint to address expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies and prevent health insurance premium hikes for millions of Americans. ARTICLE
UnitedHealthcare sues Idaho insurance director over Medicare Advantage commission crackdown
UnitedHealthcare has filed a lawsuit against the director of the Idaho Department of Insurance, arguing that the state’s recent efforts to regulate Medicare Advantage plan marketing and broker commissions are in violation of the U.S. Constitution. The lawsuit, filed...
Contract Year 2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D Proposed Rule
On November 25, 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule that would revise the Medicare Advantage (MA) Program, Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Program (Part D), and Medicare Cost Plan Program. The Contract Year (CY) 2027...
Trump Weighs Extending ACA Subsidies as White House Drafts New Plan
The White House is circulating a draft plan that would extend Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies for two more years and make several changes to how consumers qualify for and pay for coverage, according to people familiar with the proposal. ARTICLE
Medicare premium hike will cut into 2026 Social Security checks
“That’s the second-highest Part B premium increase in program history,” Mary Johnson, a Social Security and Medicare policy analyst, told Yahoo Finance. It hits just as seniors are coming to terms with the modest 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) increase in the...
Why Some Medicare Advantage Plans Are Ending in 2026 (and What You Can Do to Help Enrollees)
Medicare Advantage enrollment continues to surge, with projections showing two-thirds of beneficiaries enrolled by 2034. However, the landscape is undergoing significant shifts in 2026, and the future may look very different from the industry we recognize today....
States warn payers not to restrict Medicare Advantage access
State insurance regulators are issuing warnings around what they describe as unfair practices by Medicare Advantage insurers to restrict enrollment. Amid rising costs and increased regulatory pressures, insurers have been adjusting their broker commission structures...
2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles
The Medicare Part A inpatient hospital deductible that beneficiaries pay if admitted to the hospital will be $1,736 in 2026, an increase of $60 from $1,676 in 2025. Part A inpatient hospital deductible covers beneficiaries’ share of costs for the first 60 days of...
Forecasting the Future Health Insurance Impacts of the Big, Beautiful Bill
The recently signed “One Big, Beautiful Bill” (OBBB) is already making waves across the country, especially among Medicaid and ACA enrollees. Most headlines have focused on the immediate effects — subsidy rollbacks, work requirements, and funding cuts — but licensed...
Dems accept shutdown deal without ACA guarantee
Enough Senate Democrats are poised to accept a deal to reopen the government without a concrete agreement to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies — but with the promise of a showdown vote on the assistance next month. Why it matters: If a bill to temporarily fund the...
Serving Rural Medicare Beneficiaries: Acting Now, Not Waiting on Policy
Wellcare, a company offering a comprehensive range of Medicare products and the Medicare brand of Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC), will offer Medicare Advantage (MA) to over 51 million beneficiaries in 32 states and Prescription Drug Plan (PDP) products to more than 8...
Serving Rural Medicare Beneficiaries: Acting Now, Not Waiting on Policy
More than 10 million Medicare beneficiaries live in rural communities — nearly one in five enrollees. These individuals tend to be older, sicker, and poorer than their urban peers. They often face long drives for care, limited plan choices, and a health system that...
Medicare finalizes controversial cut to specialty care next year
Medicare has locked in a controversial pay cut for specialty doctors next year, normalizing reimbursement between specialists and primary care doctors and curbing the influence of a powerful physician association in setting rates. The CMS finalized the 2026 Medicare...
Plan Year 2026 Marketplace Plans and Prices Fact Sheet
The Health Insurance Marketplace® Open Enrollment Period for plan year 2026 begins on November 1, 2025, and runs until January 15, 2026. In plan year 2026, most enrollees on Healthcare.gov will have access to plans with premiums at or below $50 per month, after the...
What to know about ACA open enrollment
Beginning Saturday, Americans will be able to log into the federal Affordable Care Act exchange and choose their insurance plans for next year. Nov. 1. has been a key date in the shutdown fight, as Democrats have long argued that if the enhanced federal subsidies...
Scammers now targeting Medicare open enrollment
With open enrollment for Medicare currently available the Better Business Bureau reports scammers are trying to take advantage of those adding or changing their coverage. The Quincy BBB regional director, Don O’Brien, said scammers often like to take advantage of...
CMS recalls nearly 3,000 employees to manage open enrollment amid shutdown
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is temporarily bringing furloughed employees back to work to help individuals sign up for health insurance plans during the open enrollment period. CMS told employees in an email obtained by Federal News Network that it...
Dealing with Disruption: How to Navigate This Year’s AEP Challenges
With Medicare Advantage (MA) now covering more than half of all Medicare beneficiaries, its dominance in the senior health coverage space is only growing. However, this growth doesn’t necessarily mean stability. This year’s Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) is expected...
GOP leaders map out potential Obamacare extension as hard-liners warm to health talks
Republican leaders on Capitol Hill are quietly ramping up talks within their senior ranks and with White House officials over how to structure and advance a potential extension of key Affordable Care Act insurance subsidies before the end of the year, according to...
What to Do About These Three Medicare Changes During Open Enrollment
When the Medicare open-enrollment season for 2026 starts on October 15, brace yourself for some big, and potentially costly, changes. Premium hikes for both medical and drug coverage, shrinking benefits on some private insurers' Medicare Advantage plans and a few rule...
5 Things to Know About the Health Care Fight Behind the Shutdown
The tax credits that make ACA health care premiums affordable for many Americans don't expire until December, as Republican lawmakers note. But Democratic lawmakers want to see them extended before enrollment begins Nov. 1, and they have made that a condition of...
Winners and Losers from 2026 Medicare Advantage Star Ratings
The CMS quietly released highly anticipated 2026 star ratings for MA insurers on Thursday evening. The agency normally issues a press release on the results, but has yet to do so. Operations may be hampered by the government shutdown — the HHS said communication...
Bulletin 2025-07: Arizona Licensed Insurance Producers
Solicitation and Sale of Health Insurance ProductsPursuant to Arizona Revised Statutes (“A.R.S.”) §§ 41-1001(24) and 41-1091, the Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions (“Department”) issues this Substantive Policy Statement (“Bulletin”) to provide...
Medicare Part D Premiums Are Decreasing for Many Stand-Alone Drug Plans in a Number of States in 2026
CMS has just released information about Medicare Part D plans for 2026, including plan availability and premiums for the coming year. As this year’s Medicare open enrollment period approaches, there’s some good news for Medicare Part D enrollees when it comes to...
AmeriLife’s Next-Generation LeadStar, Powered by EnrollHere, Poised to Drive Unprecedented Success During Medicare’s Annual Enrollment Period
CLEARWATER, FLORIDA / ACCESS Newswire / October 7, 2025 / AmeriLife, a leading provider of insurance and financial solutions, is proud to announce the remarkably successful launch of its premier lead generation tool, LeadStar, Powered by EnrollHere, as licensed agents...
Where ACA enhanced subsidies stand: 10 updates
The federal government has shut down for the first time since 2019 after lawmakers failed to reach a funding deal, with the fate of enhanced ACA subsidies, set to expire at year’s end, hanging in the balance. Premium tax credits were originally available for enrollees...
The Great Wealth Transfer: Predicting Impacts Across Generations with Julian Movsesian
From now until 2045, an estimated $124 trillion in assets is expected to change hands in the Great Wealth Transfer, primarily passing from Baby Boomers to younger. “The Great Wealth Transfer is no longer a distant forecast — it’s happening right now,” said Julian...
Medicare’s best-kept secret: The licensed agent
We’ve all heard of Peak 65 — more than 11,000 Americans will celebrate their 65th birthday each day this year. That reality isn’t only a demographic headline; it’s transforming the client base. As clients a ge, Medicare becomes a key factor in their pre- and...
Kettering Health to End Medicare Advantage Contracts with Humana, Inc. and Devoted Health, Inc.
Kettering Health announced today that its contract with private Medicare Advantage insurers Humana, Inc. and Devoted Health, Inc. will not be renewed after December 31, 2025. This decision follows an extensive review of payer policies and administrative practices,...
Gold Kidney Sanction
On September 12, 2025, the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (FL OIR) and Gold Kidney entered into a consent order which stated that Gold Kidney’s “authority to enroll new subscribers for plan year 2025 shall be suspended through December 15, 2025”. However, Gold...
Texas judge strikes down federal rule targeting Medicare Advantage overpayments
A federal judge in Texas has vacated a rule that would have expanded the government's ability to audit Medicare Advantage plans and claw back billions in alleged overpayments each year. The rule, finalized in 2023, gave the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services...
How an ACA Premium Spike Will Affect Family Budgets, and Voters
If the enhanced ACA tax credits are not extended, premium payments will increase by more than 100% for many of the 24 million Americans who buy their own coverage (as forthcoming KFF research will show), and that’s on top of rising food and housing costs among other...
Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Programs Expected to Remain Stable in 2026
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is announcing that average premiums, benefits, and plan choices for Medicare Advantage (MA) and the Medicare Part D prescription drug program are expected to remain stable in 2026. Average premiums are projected...
Client Profiles: Identifying the Ideal Use Cases for Long-Term Insurance
A recent study by Certification for Long-Term Care reveals a critical gap in understanding among middle-income consumers regarding long-term care insurance (LTCI). Many consumers significantly underestimate their need for and the affordability of LTC plans. Because of...
Health Insurance Premiums Could Rise More Than 80% Next Year
Americans' health insurance premiums are on track to surge next year, due to the imminent expiration of enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a recent analysis by the Peterson Center on Healthcare...
Zacks Industry Outlook Highlights Cigna and Humana
The U.S. health insurance industry, referred to as Health Maintenance Organization (HMO), is poised to benefit from expanding commercial plans suite, which offers higher margins and reduced regulatory risk, while also leveraging favorable financing conditions from...
Reversing the Rise in Avoidable Deaths: Examining the Role of Agents
The U.S. is facing a public health failure that most people don’t even know about. Between 2009 and 2019, the average rate of avoidable deaths — those that could have been prevented or effectively treated with proper care — increased by 33 per 100,000 people across...
Health agent groups support bill aimed at deceptive Medicare marketing
Health agents’ associations are supporting bipartisan legislation that empowers agents and brokers who sell Medicare Advantage and Part D drug plans while strengthening protections for Medicare beneficiaries. ARTICLE
Congress Must Preserve Access to Affordable Marketplace Coverage
Unless Congress acts soon, critical tax credits that help over 22 million people buy Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace plans will expire at the end of this year, causing premiums and coverage losses to skyrocket. ARTICLE
Mastering SEPs in the ACA Marketplace
With ACA enrollment hitting a record 24 million in 2024 — 15% higher than the previous year — the demand for quality healthcare remains strong. While Open Enrollment for Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans in most states may have closed on January 15, millions may still...
Elevance cuts MA footprint, exits standalone Medicare prescription drug plans
Elevance is trimming its Medicare footprint, especially in prescription drug plans, in a bid to improve the business’ profitability. The insurer is exiting Medicare Advantage plans where “long-term economics are not sustainable,” Elevance CFO Mark Kaye said Thursday...
HHS Expands Access to Affordable Health Insurance
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced today it is implementing important measures to expand access to more affordable catastrophic health coverage through HHS’ new hardship exemption guidance. This guidance streamlines access to...
Always Be Marketing: The Mindset Shift Licensed Agents Need in 2025
Let’s get this out of the way upfront: “Always Be Closing” “ABC’s” of Sales still has its place. Asking for the sale is part of the job, and a critical one at that. Whether you’re helping someone enroll in a Medicare plan or choose the right life insurance...
‘Dreamers’ Now Excluded from Enrolling in ACA Marketplace, Other Changes ‘Up in the Air’
DACA populations, the children of undocumented immigrants popularly known as “Dreamers,” are now excluded from enrolling in the Affordable Care Act Marketplace, following the effects of a new U.S. Health and Human Services rule. Meanwhile, a recent federal court...
10 Big Medicare Changes In 2026: Higher Premiums, Drug Price Drops, and Looming Program Cuts
Medicare rules, costs, and benefits change every year, but some coming up in 2026 could have a bigger impact on your health and your wallet than usual. Along with having to pay fairly standard price increases, you may be affected by uncertainty across the health...
From Products to Purpose: Leading Through Change in The Health Insurance Industry
With 2025 forecasted to bring continued premium hikes and increasingly narrow options for consumers, our role as leaders is clear: We must equip our teams to lead with value, not just products. That means shifting from transactional sales to comprehensive planning. It...
Trump eases red tape on bare-bones health insurance. What this means for you
With millions of people projected to lose health insurance over the next decade, President Donald Trump's administration appears ready to ease access to a potentially cheaper form of coverage. The Labor, Health and Human Services and Treasury departments said they'll...
Health Costs Consume a Large Portion of Income for Millions of People with Medicare
Medicare and Social Security play a central role in the lives of tens of millions of older adults and people with disabilities in the U.S., in the form of health insurance from Medicare and retirement or disability income from Social Security. Yet, even with Medicare...
Ghost Networks Are Real — and Your Clients Are Counting on You to Help
Despite CMS mandates for Medicare Advantage (MA) insurers to update their directories every 90 days, a staggering 33% of provider listings contain inaccurate phone numbers, and 52% list incorrect provider locations. Seniors calling doctors listed as “in-network” often...
A Checklist For Success In Medicare AEP
The Medicare annual enrollment period is approaching, and you’ve likely been gearing up for this critical time when your clients can enroll in or make changes to their Medicare Advantage and Part D prescription drug plans. But in this flurry of activity, it’s easy for...
Trump administration tiptoes into testing prior authorization in traditional Medicare
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced a new program to test prior authorization requirements for certain services in six states starting Jan. 1. The states — New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona, and Washington — will apply...
Why Young Americans Dread Turning 26: Health Insurance Chaos
Amid the challenges of adulthood, one rite of passage is unique to the United States: the need to find your own health insurance by the time you turn 26. That is the age at which the Affordable Care Act declares that young adults generally must get off their family’s...
United Healthcare dropping Medicare Advantage plans: Here’s what it means for 600,000 enrollees
UnitedHealthcare is making a big move that's about to affect a lot of people-specifically, 600,000 seniors enrolled in its Medicare Advantage plans. The decision follows months of mounting financial strain. When UnitedHealthcare built its 2025 Medicare...
As payers stumble, hospitals eye their Medicare Advantage members
Despite the national pullbacks, total Medicare Advantage enrollment is still growing, though at a slower rate. Between 2024 and 2025, enrollment grew 4%, compared to 7% the year before. In 2025, 34 million Medicare beneficiaries, or 54% of the eligible population, are...
IUL or FIAs: Which is the Best Option?
Indexed universal life (IUL) and fixed indexed annuities (FIAs) both stand out as powerful yet distinct tools, with their camps of defenders. Some of the more dedicated proponents may even suggest that their preferred product is objectively better than others....
How much and why ACA Marketplace premiums are going up in 2026
Health insurers submit rate filings annually to state regulators detailing expectations and rate changes for Affordable Care Act (ACA)-regulated health plans for the coming year. A relatively small, but growing, share of the population is enrolled in these plans...
Plan for Higher Health Care Costs in 2026: Projected Medicare Part B and Part D Premiums
Medicare premiums and deductibles typically increase annually. Part B premiums are expected to rise 11.6% in 2026, nearly double the six percent jump in 2025, according to the 2025 Social Security and Medicare Trustees Report (page 204). The report projects a $206.50...
The SEP Advantage: Boost Your Medicare Business Year-Round
Licensed agents in the Medicare space are well-versed in the rhythm of the Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) and the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (MA OEP). The busy months from October through March are often a whirlwind of enrollments, client meetings, and...
Medicare Advantage in 2025: Enrollment Update and Key Trends
Highlights for 2025: More than half (54%) of eligible Medicare beneficiaries are enrolled in Medicare Advantage in 2025. While a growing share of Medicare beneficiaries are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, the pace of the increase in enrollment slowed in 2025....
Health agents Must Start Now to Keep Clients from Losing ACA Coverage
Health insurance agents who work in the Affordable Care Act market need to begin working with clients now to help them prepare for new regulations that will impact their eligibility for coverage. The “One Big Beautiful Bill” along with new regulations from the Centers...
Medicare Advantage legislation in Congress: 7 bills to know
Federal lawmakers have introduced a handful of bills aimed at speeding up prior authorization and cracking down on upcoding in Medicare Advantage. None of the introduced bills have been heard in committee. Here are seven proposals introduced in 2025 to know: ARTICLE
Republicans are split on extending Obamacare tax breaks as higher costs loom
Trump’s pollster warns that the GOP will pay a “political penalty” in the 2026 election if the funds expire this year. But many conservatives in the party say they should end on schedule. WASHINGTON — Republican leaders are facing growing calls from their members...
Momentum in the Market: Why Life Insurance Growth Isn’t Slowing in 2025
The life insurance industry entered 2025 with tailwinds, not headwinds. Here’s what that means for licensed producers: demand is still high, opportunity is growing, and consumer expectations are evolving fast. If you’re a life insurance agent, this is a great time to...
Cost of Obamacare expected to soar as subsidies expire and insurers hike premiums
People who get health insurance through the Affordable Care Act could soon see their monthly premiums sharply increase as subsidies expire and insurers propose a major premium hike for 2026. Insurers that offer plans through the ACA are planning an average premium...
The Uncertain Future of Medicare’s Stand-Alone Prescription Drug Plan Market and Why It Matters
Why does the stability of the PDP market matter? For Medicare beneficiaries who are enrolled in traditional Medicare, which is just under half of all people with Medicare, getting Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage means enrolling in a stand-alone PDP. For...
Keys to Consistency: How SNPs Can Help You Make the Most of Medicare Lock-In
Outside of the busy AEP enrollment season, it can feel like someone pressed pause on your sales momentum. However, the reality is that Medicare opportunities don’t disappear during the rest of the year; they merely shift. CMS expects enrollment in Special Needs Plans...
Prior Authorization Coming to Traditional Medicare Starting in 2026
Traditional Medicare, also known as Original Medicare, has historically required little in the way of pre-authorization for beneficiaries seeking services; pre-authorization was typically the domain of Medicare Advantage. But that's about to change, as the Centers for...
‘Big, beautiful bill’ rolls back federal support for Medicaid, ACA
A preliminary estimate from the Congressional Budget Office projects that the bill would reduce federal spending for Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act’s provisions by more than $1 trillion over a decade, resulting in nearly 12 million more people becoming uninsured...
Aetna Exits ACA: What It Means for Agents
ave you heard the big news in the healthcare space? CVS Health has announced that Aetna will exit the ACA individual insurance market, effective in 2026, impacting approximately 1 million members across 17 states. But no need to worry — your ACA guru is here (via JC’s...
What Medicare beneficiaries really want in AEP
Medicare beneficiaries’ priorities have clearly shifted. Factors beyond cost are significantly influencing consumer decision-making, presenting new challenges and opportunities for carriers and advisors. Consumer confusion drives plan switching, while consumers place...
CMS Finalizes Major Rule to Lower Individual Health Insurance Premiums for Americans
Rule Cracks Down on Improper ACA Enrollments, Protects Patient and Taxpayer Dollars, and Restores Marketplace Integrity The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is finalizing a major rule that will lower individual health insurance premiums by...
Compliance Bulletin Videos
