Government Healthcare Policy, Business and Technology

Thousands of brokers exit HealthCare.gov as plan commissions go unpaid

Modern Healthcare: Each year since the launch of HealthCare.gov, insurance broker Craig Paulson faces a difficult question: Should he continue to sell individual market plans even though insurance companies increasingly refuse to pay commissions?

If his Utah-based insurance brokerage firm, Altura Benefits, stops selling exchange plans, consumers may be left with lower quality coverage or none at all. In the past year, Aetna announced it would stop paying any commissions on the individual market in Utah. Molina Healthcare later announced that it wouldn't pay for commissions on special enrollment plans.

“It's created a moral conflict,” Paulson said. “We want to do what's right for the client, but if you're not getting paid for your services, you can't remain in business.”

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