No More Commissions for Agents? Aetna begins The Future

I have written a few blog posts about how I felt the commission model of paying agents is going to be a thing of the past. Aetna announced that begining Feb 1 it will no longer pay commissions to its agents or brokers on health plans that have greater than 51 people. Aetna will pay a direct service fee based on what the agents do for the clients. I see this as starting a trend that will permeate all through the agents/broker business. It is time for our industry to realize that the commission model is antiquated and will be phased out. Are agents ready for this change? Can agents adapt to charging fees based on services? Are clients ready to fully understand what agents do and pay for those services? Boy things are definitely going to be different real soon. Get ready agents. Until next time know your risks and be careful out there.  K

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