Medicare Agents
Medicare Agents Near Me
How to find a Medicare agent or broker, check their license, and know how they are paid before you sign anything.
Quick Answer: Any agent who sells Medicare plans must hold a license from your state, and you can look it up on the state insurance department's website. An agent can't charge you an enrollment fee. Plans pay agents, up to $725 for a new Medicare Advantage member in 2027 in most states. For free help, call your state's SHIP.
How to find and check a Medicare agent
Agents and brokers who sell Medicare plans must be licensed by your state. Plans must also tell your state which agents are selling their plans.
Agents must also complete training and pass a test on Medicare every year.
- Ask the agent for their full name and license number.
- Look the license up on your state insurance department's website. Each state guide below links to the right tool. If your state is not listed below, find your state insurance department at content.naic.org/state-insurance-departments, and your SHIP at shiphelp.org.
- Check that the license is active.
- Ask how many insurance companies and plans they represent. They must tell you before they discuss plan details.
Medicare agent guides by state
| State | Free counseling (SHIP) | SHIP phone | 2027 Medicare Advantage plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | HICAP | 1-800-434-0222 | 259 |
| Florida | SHINE | 1-800-963-5337 | 308 |
| Georgia | Georgia SHIP | 1-866-552-4464, option 4 | 99 |
| North Carolina | SHIIP | 1-855-408-1212 | 120 |
| Ohio | OSHIIP | 1-800-686-1578 | 134 |
| Tennessee | TN SHIP | 1-877-801-0044 | 105 |
| Washington | SHIBA | 1-800-562-6900 | 71 |
Plan counts are Medicare Advantage plans anyone with Part A and Part B can join, statewide, from Medicare's plan data as of November 2026. Your county has fewer. Each state guide links to that state's license lookup.
Source: CMS CY2027 landscape file; state SHIP websites
Agent or broker: is there a difference?
Medicare's rules treat agents and brokers the same way. Both must be licensed by your state and follow the same marketing rules.
The more useful question is how many companies a person represents. Someone who sells for one company can show you only that company's plans. They must tell you how many companies and plans they represent, and point you to Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE for all your options.
How Medicare agents are paid (2027)
You don't pay the agent. The plan does. CMS sets the most a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan can pay an agent for each person who joins. These are the limits for 2027.
| Where you live | First year | Each later year |
|---|---|---|
| Most states | $725 | $363 |
| Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Washington, DC | $816 | $408 |
| California and New Jersey | $902 | $451 |
| Puerto Rico | $495 | $248 |
A Part D drug plan can pay up to $130 in the first year and $65 each later year, in every state.
Source: CMS, 2027 agent and broker compensation
The first-year amount is paid when you join. If you stay, the agent can get about half that amount each later year.
Using an agent does not change your premium for a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan. Federal rules say everyone in the same plan in the same area pays the same plan premium.
An agent can't charge you an enrollment fee.
Medigap is different. The insurance company pays the agent a share of the premium. CMS's dollar limits cover Medicare Advantage and Part D plans, not Medigap.
What an agent can't do
Medicare sets rules for every agent and broker who meets with you. During a meeting, they can't:
- Charge you an enrollment fee.
- Steer you toward a particular plan or pressure you to join.
- Talk about plans you didn't agree to discuss, unless you ask and fill out a separate appointment form.
- Ask you to sign an enrollment form before you're ready.
Questions to ask a Medicare agent
- How many insurance companies and plans do you represent in my area?
- Are you licensed in my state? What is your license number?
- Will you talk only about the products I agreed to hear about?
- Can I take time to decide before I sign?
Free help: your state's SHIP
Medicare points people to their state's SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program) for free health insurance counseling. SHIPs help people with Medicare and their families. A counselor can help you choose a plan, review your coverage and understand your costs.
You don't need an agent to sign up for Medicare. You sign up for Part A and Part B through Social Security. You can review and join Medicare Advantage and drug plans on Medicare.gov.
Medigap: when an insurer can't turn you down
Your 6-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period starts the first month you have Part B and are 65 or older. During it, an insurer can't refuse to sell you a policy or charge you more because of your health.
If you wait to sign up for Part B because you or your spouse still has health coverage from a current job, the 6-month window starts when you sign up for Part B.
Outside that window, an insurer can turn you down or charge more, unless you have a guaranteed issue right. Those rights come from specific events, such as your Medicare Advantage plan leaving your area. Then you can buy Plan A, B, D or G (C or F only if you were eligible for Medicare before 2020). A state may give more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Medicare agents charge a fee?
Not to sign you up. Medicare's rules say an agent or broker can't charge you an enrollment fee. The plan pays the agent, within limits CMS sets each year. For 2027 the limit in most states is $725 in the first year for a Medicare Advantage plan.
Should I use a Medicare agent?
That is your choice. Using an agent does not change your premium for a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan. An agent may show you only the plans of the companies they represent, so ask how many that is. Your state's SHIP gives free counseling if you want a second opinion.
Who should I talk to about Medicare?
You have three main options. Your state's SHIP gives free counseling. Medicare itself answers at Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). A licensed agent or broker can also help you compare and join plans.
How do Medicare agents get paid?
The plan pays them. For 2027, CMS lets a Medicare Advantage plan pay up to $725 for a new member in most states and about half that each year the member stays. A Part D drug plan can pay up to $130, then $65. For Medigap, the insurance company pays the agent a share of the premium.
How do I check if a Medicare agent is licensed?
Ask for their license number and look it up on your state insurance department's website. Make sure the license is active. The state guides on this page link to each state's lookup tool.
Can I sign up for Medicare without an agent?
Yes. You sign up for Part A and Part B through Social Security, online at ssa.gov or by phone. You can review and join Medicare Advantage and drug plans on Medicare.gov or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE.
Related Resources
Sources & References
- 1. Medicare.gov: Plan marketing rules: What agents and brokers can and can't do.
- 2. CMS: Agent and broker compensation: How plans pay agents, with the 2027 data file.
- 3. Medicare.gov: Talk to someone: Free counseling through your state's SHIP.
- 4. eCFR: 42 CFR 422.262: Medicare Advantage premiums can't vary among people in the same plan.
- 5. eCFR: 42 CFR 423.286: Part D premiums are the same for everyone in the plan.
- 6. Social Security: Sign up for Medicare: Where you sign up for Part A and Part B.
- 7. Medicare.gov: Choosing a Medigap Policy (March 2026): Federal Medigap rules.