Trump’s DOJ Takes Surprising Stance on Agent and Broker Payments in MA

[wehotex]

Feb 06, 2025

In an interesting turn of events that may signal tougher-than-expected oversight of Medicare Advantage, the Dept. of Justice (DOJ) under President Donald Trump has filed a motion supporting the previous administration's attempt to regulate Medicare Advantage payments to agents and brokers.f In its response, the DOJ asserts that CMS by law has broad authority to regulate how Medicare plans are sold and how much marketers get paid for that.

"People who think the Trump administration will have a lighter hand on MA marketing will need to look elsewhere for concrete evidence," remarks Tricia Beckmann, principal with Faegre Drinker Consulting, of the recent filing. But it is also not "terribly surprising to see the federal agency assert broad authority over marketing particularly given its responsibilities under MIPPA," she says, referring to consumer-friendly terms of the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act.

[EXTERNAL LINK] - Trump's DOJ Takes Surprising Stance on Agent and Broker Payments in MA

Why do you think they're coming after commissions? There's a lot more money that can be cut. Allllllll the soft money and a bunch of overrides.

In order for that to happen, trump and *** rainman would need to understand the value that we provide to our customers and think that it is important. The administration continuously shows us that it helps those whomever bribes them the most.
What is to stop Integrity and others to intensely lobby them to keep the status quo overrides and soft marketing money? All of that soft money marketing and overrides (Waste) should rightfully go to the medical costs. Just like the tariffs bluffing with foreign countries, this is another invitation to the big NMOs that they need to bribe a lot more to the trump to have their way with the administration.

 

[Medicare bro]

Agents are also mentioned in the filing unless I am missing something here..


"Put plainly, the Medicare statute does not leave the government—not to mention Medicare beneficiaries and taxpayers—helpless to only watch as agents, brokers, and other marketers siphon limited government health care dollars into administrative fees without regard to the impact on the information agents and brokers provide to Medicare beneficiaries. The statute instead authorizes—and, indeed, requires—the agency to take action to prevent this. This Court should therefore reject Plaintiffs' efforts to rewrite the law, and should grant summary judgment to the agency."

Maybe I'm reading it wrong. It's kind of confusing wording.

 

[straightnochaser]

Maybe I'm reading it wrong. It's kind of confusing wording.

The filing is saying that agents and brokers are siphoning limited healthcare dollars away from healthcare and into administrative fees. It's pretty clear to me.

 

[Medicare bro]

The filing is saying that agents and brokers are siphoning limited healthcare dollars away from healthcare and into administrative fees. It's pretty clear to me.

So they are going after the agents not the FMO's?

 

[straightnochaser]

So they are going after the agents not the FMO's?

Both. I'm glad I am diversifying my business at this point. It doesn't matter who tf is in power, we aren't safe.

 

[straightnochaser]

So they are going after the agents not the FMO's?

I meant to say agents and FMO's. Prolly shouldn't be posting in serious threads stoned!

 

[Special Agent]

Agents are also mentioned in the filing unless I am missing something here..


"Put plainly, the Medicare statute does not leave the government—not to mention Medicare beneficiaries and taxpayers—helpless to only watch as agents, brokers, and other marketers siphon limited government health care dollars into administrative fees without regard to the impact on the information agents and brokers provide to Medicare beneficiaries. The statute instead authorizes—and, indeed, requires—the agency to take action to prevent this. This Court should therefore reject Plaintiffs' efforts to rewrite the law, and should grant summary judgment to the agency."

I think we have to be naive to think agent commissions are not in the crosshairs of DOGE.They have to make enough cuts to be able to still pay for the the corporate tax cuts and still be able to stay under the GOP proposed increased 4.5 trillion debt ceiling

On the brightside we don't have to ask consumers what gender they are anymore.

 

[Medicare bro]

I meant to say agents and FMO's. Prolly shouldn't be posting in seri

I think we have to be naive to think agent commissions are not in the crosshairs of DOGE.They have to make enough cuts to be able to still pay for the the corporate tax cuts and still be able to stay under the GOP proposed increased 4.5 trillion debt ceiling

On the brightside we don't have to ask consumers what gender they are anymore.

If my kids can live in a better world, but it means I'm out of business then so be it. In the next 10 years AI is going to put most everyone out of a job.

 

[rmhaire]

If my kids can live in a better world, but it means I'm out of business then so be it. In the next 10 years AI is going to put most everyone out of a job.

When one door closes another one opens.

That's what they do. They're friggin doors.

 

[AgentGeneral]

Oh fun! here we go again with the delusional hysteria.

Fearmongering...

As someone wise mentioned in here a few weeks ago, the worst we have seen in this biz came from the dem side. Yes, I'm referring to Obamacare. I don't care what the naysayers say (oh but but but now everyone can get insurance because it's GI for everyone, as if that's true). Dems are demolishers of anything decent for Americans.