How Your Health & Medicare Agent Gets Paid (and Why It Matters to You!) When you buy health or Medicare insurance, you rely on an agent to guide you through a confusing, complex process. But have you ever stopped to wonder how that agent gets paid? And, more importantly, does their paycheck impact the advice they give you? I’m here to pull back the curtain on agent compensation. My goal is simple: transparency . I didn't start my career as the informed independent broker I am today. I started eager for a new career and sought out what I thought was the necessary path: a captive agency . My Journey from Captive to Independent My first stop was a large, well-known agency. For about a year, I worked hard, but I quickly realized I wasn't getting the training and team support I needed. While they provided leads, they required constant cold-calling—which simply wasn't my cup of tea. Seeking better guidance, I moved to a second captive agency. I’ll be honest: at the...