Why is there an influx in insurers dropping agent commissions?

Numerous health insurers — including BCBS of Illinois, Oscar Health and UnitedHealthcare — are cutting or altogether eliminating agents' commissions, according to USA Today.

Why are certain insurers choosing to do so? There's a variety of reasons. Although Humana said its agents are "an important source of information and guidance," it has to make "changes in order to maintain sustainable and affordable health plans for [its] members," according to spokesman Mark Mathis, the report said.

Other insurers have a different tactic. "Many states are looking at doing whatever [they] can do to support agents in their states and not allow health plans to game their commissions so they enroll only healthy people," said Peter Lee, executive director of Covered California, according to the report.

On the other hand, experts have voiced their belief in the importance of keeping insurer commissions. Approximately 50 percent of healthcare exchange enrollees utilize the assistance of agents, according to the report.

"If insurance agents are not paid, the consumer loses because they have to travel down this road alone without an expert," said Health Agents for America CEO Ronnell Nolan, according to the report.

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