When the Headlines Raise Questions, Your Clients Still Have You

The Question Clients May Not Ask Out Loud

Sooner or later, a client is going to bring up the headlines about fraudulent enrollment, or you may notice them quietly wondering. They might ask whether their own plan is all right, or they might say nothing at all and simply start to doubt, just as 2027 plans open on November 1. Either way, you’re being asked a question you had no part in creating: can I trust the person who helped me choose my coverage?

Mike Smith on How Consumers May Respond

Mike Smith, President Emeritus of The Brokerage Inc., shared his view on how consumers may respond in Reuters coverage of the federal crackdown on alleged fraud in the Affordable Care Act marketplace. He said he thinks consumers will be less likely to use brokers and sign up for plans because of the announcement and the ban on new brokers. “People will think negatively of the ‘fraudulent insurance brokers’ and paint all of the good brokers with a wide brush,” Smith said. The announcement came from Vice President JD Vance, who said the government had removed 760,000 enrollees it believed did not exist or had been fraudulently signed up by brokers without their knowledge, with another 400,000 under review.

Brokers bring in 75% of marketplace enrollees, according to government data, which is why the wariness Smith describes could reach many of the people you serve.

Quiet Ways to Reassure Clients as 2027 Plans Open

The headlines are about the industry, but your clients experience them through you. These conversations can help them feel confident in their coverage and in the attention you give their health:

• Walk them through what they’re enrolled in. The government’s concern involves people who were unaware of their coverage, so a clear review of their plan and how to use it shows a client you’re working for them.

• Check in with clients who rarely use their plan. Policy experts told Reuters the changes could affect legitimate members who weren’t using their coverage because they were healthy, and a CMS spokesperson said legitimate enrollees can be reinstated after verifying their identity, so a quick call can help you catch questions early.

• Ask what they need from their coverage this year. When you learn which care a client expects to need in 2027, you show them you’re matching their plan to their health, not just renewing it.

You can’t change what’s in the news, but each of these conversations tells a client something a headline can’t: the person who helped them choose a plan is still paying attention to them.

The Brokerage Inc. is here to help as you and your clients head into the 2027 plan year.

See Mike Smith’s comments in Reuters: