Health Affairs Forefront: For Dually Eligible Individuals, Medicare Brokers Are Broken

In Health Affairs Forefront, Michael Monson, Sarah Barth, and Nicole Whitaker propose the use of independent enrollment brokers for full benefit dually eligible individuals for both their Medicaid and Medicare benefits. 

The authors argue that the current system of paid brokers and agents creates confusion, conflicts of interest, and rewards marketing prowess instead of quality care. They suggest that the independent enrollment broker model, which is already used in the Medicaid program, would minimize confusion, remove misaligned financial incentives, and level the playing field among all health plans. 

The article also suggests solutions to increase enrollment in integrated care, such as standardized marketing materials and default enrollment.

Read For Dually Eligible Individuals, Medicare Brokers Are “Broken.” Here’s A Proposal To Fix It in Health Affairs Forefront.

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