Congress Eyeing Broker Payments Behind Booming Medicare Sales

Lawmakers are taking a closer look at the money that changes hands between health insurers and the brokers who sell their Medicare plans, in an effort to crack down on payments that may be steering seniors to some plans over others.

Federal rules already limit the commissions Medicare plans can pay brokers. But a group representing nonprofit insurers says some companies are skirting these rules by offering extra payments that aren’t explicitly called commissions but can look like them. These payments can sometimes double brokers’ compensation and influence them to push plans that pay the most, said Ceci Connolly, ...