News from a Linked In Post that NY State Agents Not Being Paid

[cadylou]

Anyone seen this? It's from a LinkedIn post from an insurance group I subscribe to:

"NEW YORK AGENTS EXPECT TO WORK FOR ZERO COMMISSIONS. (With many of the individual plans offered by health insurance companies on and off exchange)

Insurance Agents across the country continue to fight to keep their doors open with passing of the ACA when immediately they received a reduction in commissions of 50% or more throughout the Nation. However, in New York, it appears Agents in many cases are expected to work for NOTHING! When an Agent meets with a potential client, part of their due-diligence is to show the consumer all of the plans available in the NY Marketplace, and most times they are not paid for their service to the consumer.

Let me introduce you to an Independent Agent:

1. We work for the consumer, NOT Insurance Company.
(Washington said we are Biased!)
2. We work in all areas of the country.
(Washington said we didn’t go to rural areas!)
3. We do not ask someone’s income before assisting.
(Washington said we do not work with the poor!)
4. We speak different languages.
(Washington said we didn’t speak different languages!)
5. We have continued to work for the consumer, with less pay and much more work!
6. We review all plans with the consumer, making sure their doctor, hospital and medicines are covered.
7. We call the insurance companies, doctor and hospitals to resolve claim issues.
8. We make doctor’s appointments, we assist in searching for
cheapest medication, and we have been known to drive clients to their respective doctor appointments.
9. We do not “SELL” insurance, we create relationships!

How are we thanked by the Federal Government & our Partners the Insurance Companies?

1. The creation of the Navigator entities to replace us.
2. Weekly Newsletters & Webinars for the Navigator groups and NOT
Insurance Agents
3. Insurance Companies have cut our commissions or removed our
commissions!
4. Insurance Companies are spending millions of marketing dollars to
market direct to the consumers
5. Insurance Companies are marketing direct to the Insurance Agents
clients!

We only ask to be allowed to do our jobs!

1. We will work for less commission dollars, but pay us a fair wage!
2. We are hard working, taxpaying, voting Americans!

How can the New York Government allow this to happen? Someone needs to step up! The rest of the Nation is suffering, but New York Agents and the clients they represent are at the top of the list. When you remove the Agent, you HURT the consumer. Why doesn’t every New Yorker deserve an opportunity to speak to a licensed, knowledgeable, insured Insurance Expert? The Truth about New York… (Example of On-Exchange - The New York State of Health Individual/Sole Proprietor Plans):
​
1) Affinity Health - No Agent/Broker Commission
2) Fidelis Care - No Agent/Broker Commission
3) Emblem Health - No Agent/Broker Commission (on exchange)
4) Health Republic - Yes Agent/Broker Commission (but NOT on Platinum nor Total Independence Plans)
5) MVP - No Agent/Broker Commission (on exchange)
6) Oscar - Yes Agent/Broker Commission
7) Empire BC/BS - Yes Agent/Broker Commission
8) Wellcare - ??
9) United - Yes Agent/Broker Commission

Off Exchange - Aetna - No Agent/Broker Commiission (individual plans)

How did you allow this to happen? What are you going to do to change history for New York? We are looking for some Champions!

Visit www.hafamamerica.org - and join today.

B. Ronnell Nolan, HIA, CHRS
President/CEO - HAFA
Health Agents for America, Inc."




If this is happening, its only a matter of time until no one will be paid commissions for individual health. . .

 

[bluediamond]

Which insurance group on linkedin?

BTW I am a firm believer most of the health insurer's want just as much as the govt to get rid of the agent.

Never mind I see it on linkedin.

 

[Josh]

NY is a trash state for agents. I lived there for years. Most of the carriers only sell direct and the commissions have been trash since long before the ACA. As much as agents in the rest of the country are complaining about commissions, 4% is what a lot of agents have been making for as long as I can remember. I'm not sure if that was the cap or just what it ended up being.

On a side note, why does the government and/or insurers owe you a fair wage? Is someone forcing you to sell and/or sell in NY? Someone without any previous knowledge would likely get the impression that what you're referring to is something new and it just isn't. NY is and always will be a trash state for agents because insurance is regulated at the state level and NY is a state that is overrun by bad decisions. The way the free market has reacted to this is that there just aren't a lot of agents selling health insurance so you usually just have a few shops in town (even bigger towns) that work with the carriers that contract with agents and then the other players just sell direct.

On the other hand, there are agents doing work and expecting to get paid that aren't. For a period of time the HC.gov wouldn't even let a consumer put the agent information in so there was literally no way for them to get credit from the enrollment process.

All that aside, what exactly do you think you're going to do to change what Albany is doing about insurance? You're talking about at least decades of the DOI regulating all insurance companies with such a heavy hand it's run them and agents out of business and kept them starving for years. Let's talk about life insurance for a moment, the commissions suck. The state literally limits the commission payouts AND puts absurd requirements on the carriers which make the cost of doing business in NY higher than other states.

Why do you think when new products come out they're almost never approved in NY? Because again, NY is a trash state for not only agents, but carriers.

 

[BeeSelective]

Insurance used to be regulated by the stayed. McCarren ferguson is out the door.

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Insurance used to be regulated by the state. McCarren ferguson is out the door.

 

[RayNY]

He totally forgot to mention that even if you write one of the on-exchange carriers that does pay, you don't get paid at all if you're associated with a GA.

System is very screwed up here. Major GA's are going under or combining books to stay alive on a shoestring budget. Brokers are dropping like flies. Brokerages are folding left and right.

 

[somarco]

McCarran-Ferguson still exists and is enforceable. Problem is the states and carriers rolled over and bowed to Obama and Sebellius.

Kinda hard to put that genie back in the bottle now.

 

[TxOnline]

Ray, you are a brilliant young man!
Why don't you get licensed in at least 1 other state (of your choice) where you can make a fabulous living (like you deserve)?

 

[Ann H]

Ray, you are a brilliant young man!
Why don't you get licensed in at least 1 other state (of your choice) where you can make a fabulous living (like you deserve)?

I've thought the same thing many times, Ray. You are an incredible agent, and you would do very well selling plans in a state with a freer market than NY or many of the New England states. How about Florida? You will find a lot of New Yorkers who moved down there!

 

[RayNY]

Thanks for the compliments guys.

Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. I'm not about to double down on the dying horse.