Aetna will stop paying broker commissions on certain Medicare Advantage plans beginning Sept. 15, the company confirmed to Becker’s.
“Aetna routinely reviews and updates our distribution strategy, including the commissionable status of our plan offerings,” an Aetna spokesperson said. “As a result, we have made a business decision to change certain plans to non-commissionable starting on September 15, 2026, and certain other plans starting on January 1, 2027, and we have notified brokers accordingly.”
The insurer’s standalone prescription drug plan has been non-commissionable since 2025.
By making a plan non-commissionable, an insurer effectively removes it from the sales conversation and disincentives new enrollment without formally exiting the market.
UnitedHealthcare, Elevance Health, Cigna and Blue Shield of California all pulled broker commissions on some MA plans during the 2025 and 2026 enrollment cycles after years of aggressive membership growth. Carriers have been prioritizing margins over enrollment as rising medical costs and federal payment rate constraints squeeze plan profitability. PPO plans have been disproportionately targeted for broker cuts, as they tend to carry higher costs than HMOs.
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