Agent Survival Guide | Empowering Insurance Agents to Survive Today and Thrive Tomorrow

With the passing of President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, your clients may have questions about how health savings accounts may play into their healthcare costs. In this episode, we’ll be giving you the breakdown of everything you need to know.   Read the text version    Get Connected: 🤝 Register with Ritter Insurance Marketing – the FMO that powers the Agent Survival Guide Podcast!   📧 Connect with the Ritter Insurance Marketing Sales Team Near You! 📢 Submit a shoutout to be read in a future episode 🎙️ Be a Guest on the ASG Podcast 💌 Send feedback, questions, and topic suggestions to [email protected] or call 1-717-562-7211 and leave a voicemail.   Resources: Affinity Partnerships for Insurance Agents IntegrityCONNECT The Insurance Agent’s Guide to Establishing Successful Affinity Partnerships The Ritter Platform   References: Medicare Made Clear. (n.d.). Health savings accounts and Medicare. UnitedHealthcare. https://www.uhc.com/news-articles/medicare-articles/hsas-and-medicare     Follow Us on Social!   Ritter on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/RitterIM Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/ritter.insurance.marketing/ LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/company/ritter-insurance-marketing TikTok, https://www.tiktok.com/@ritterim X, https://x.com/RitterIM and YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/user/RitterInsurance      Sarah on LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/sjrueppel/ Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/thesarahjrueppel/ Threads, https://www.threads.net/@thesarahjrueppel  and Bluesky, https://bsky.app/profile/sarahjrueppel.bsky.social  Not affiliated with or endorsed by Medicare or any government agency.

With 2027 right around the corner, the SSA has released their new numbers on what to expect for the cost-of-living adjustment and Social Security benefit checks. Here’s what your clients can expect for 2027! Read the text version   Get Connected: 🤝 Register with Ritter Insurance Marketing – the FMO that powers the Agent Survival Guide Podcast!   📧 Connect with the Ritter Insurance Marketing Sales Team Near You! 📢 Submit a shoutout to be read in a future episode 🎙️ Be a Guest on the ASG Podcast 💌 Send feedback, questions, and topic suggestions to [email protected] or call 1-717-562-7211 and leave a voicemail.   Resources: $90 Rebate for Qualifying Medicare Beneficiaries Can Insurance Agents Charge Consulting Fees for Medicare Sales or Services? Q4 Medicare Sales Planner   References: Social Security Administration. (2025, October 24). Cost-of-living adjustment (cola) information. Social Security. https://www.ssa.gov/news/en/cola/index.html Social Security Administration. (2026, October 14). Social Security announces 3.6 percent benefit increase for 2027. Social Security. https://www.ssa.gov/news/en/press/releases/2026-10-14.html   Follow Us on Social!   Ritter on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/RitterIM Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/ritter.insurance.marketing/ LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/company/ritter-insurance-marketing TikTok, https://www.tiktok.com/@ritterim X, https://x.com/RitterIM and YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/user/RitterInsurance      Sarah on LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/sjrueppel/ Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/thesarahjrueppel/ Threads, https://www.threads.net/@thesarahjrueppel  and Bluesky, https://bsky.app/profile/sarahjrueppel.bsky.social  Not affiliated with or endorsed by Medicare or any government agency.

Debbie Hoffman joins Sarah to talk about her journey as an independent insurance agent. Listen to learn about Debbie’s approach to building her agency and how she defines success.   Find Debbie Hoffman Online: HIR Insurance Agency LinkedIn   Resources: ACA in 2027: CMS Changes, Fraud Prevention & Identity Proofing ft. Arthur Barlow How to Stay Top of Mind & Build Trust That Drives Growth ft. Bjorn Piltingsrud and Andrew Saksa Turning Life Changes into Sales Opportunities   Follow Us on Social! Ritter on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/RitterIM Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/ritter.insurance.marketing/ LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/company/ritter-insurance-marketing TikTok, https://www.tiktok.com/@ritterim X, https://x.com/RitterIM and YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/user/RitterInsurance      Sarah on LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/sjrueppel/ Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/thesarahjrueppel/ Threads, https://www.threads.net/@thesarahjrueppel  and Bluesky, https://bsky.app/profile/sarahjrueppel.bsky.social  Opinions expressed by interview guests are their own and not representative of Ritter Insurance Marketing or Integrity. The Agent Survival Guide Podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Medicare or any government agency. For Agent Training and Educational Purposes Only. Any plan benefits, premiums, copayments, coinsurance, deductibles, or other out-of-pocket costs shown are hypothetical examples provided for illustrative purposes only and are not representative of any specific insurance plan or product. Actual plan benefits and costs vary by plan, service area, eligibility, and other applicable factors. Agents must reference current, carrier-approved plan materials when discussing specific plan benefits or costs with consumers.

The Friday Five for October 23, 2026: Medicare Advantage Stakeholders Survey Results Epic Announces New Prescription Marketplace CMS Removes Duplicate Enrollments from ACA Rolls NABIP Files Lawsuit Over Moratorium on New ACA Agents CMS Medicare Advantage Proposed Rule   Get Connected: 🤝 Register with Ritter Insurance Marketing – the FMO that powers the Agent Survival Guide Podcast!   📧 Connect with the Ritter Insurance Marketing Sales Team Near You! 📢 Submit a shoutout to be read in a future episode 🎙️ Be a Guest on the ASG Podcast 📰 Get Field Notes delivered to your inbox! 💌 Send feedback, questions, and topic suggestions to [email protected].   Medicare Advantage Stakeholders Survey Results: “Charting A Path Forward For Medicare Advantage: Expert Consensus On Policy Priorities And Trade-Offs.” Healthaffairs.org, Health Affairs, 5 Oct. 2026, https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.2025.01724.  “Little room for stakeholder onsensus among potential Medicare Advantage reforms.” Fiercehealthcare.com, Fierce Healthcare, 8 Oct. 2026, https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/regulatory/look-stakeholder-perspectives-medicare-advantage-reform.   Epic Announces Prescription Marketplace: “Epic teams up with Amazon Pharmacy, LillyDirect and Mark Cuban to launch prescription drug pricing tool.” Fiercehealthcare.com, Fierce Healthcare, 15 Oct. 2026, https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/health-tech/epic-teams-amazon-pharmacy-mark-cuban-launch-prescription-drug-pricing-tool. “Prescription Marketplace Will Let Patients Compare Pharmacy Cash Prices Before Leaving the Doctor’s Office.” Epic.com, Epic, 15 Oct. 2026, https://www.epic.com/epic/post/prescription-marketplace-will-let-patients-compare-pharmacy-cash-prices-before-leaving-the-doctors-office/. “New Regulations Make It Easier to Find, Compare, and Report Healthcare Pricing and Coverage Information.” 5 Oct. 2026, https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/new-regulations-make-it-easier-find-compare-report-healthcare-pricing-coverage-information. “Transparency in Coverage Final Rules (CMS 9882-F).” cms.gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 5 Oct. 2026, https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/transparency-coverage-final-rules-cms-9882-f.   CMS Removes Duplicate Enrollments from ACA Rolls: “CMS takes aim at duplicative ACA, Medicaid enrollments.” Fiercehealthcare.com, Fierce Healthcare, 14 Oct. 2026, https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/regulatory/cms-takes-aim-duplicative-aca-medicaid-enrollments. “Trump Administration Delivers Second Year of Savings by Stopping Taxpayer Payments for Duplicate and Deceased Enrollees in Obamacare.” Cms.gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 14 Oct. 2026, https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/trump-administration-delivers-second-year-savings-stopping-taxpayer-payments-duplicate-deceased. “US cuts Obamacare subsidies for 189,000 with duplicate coverage.” Reuters.com, Reuters, 14 Oct. 2026, https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/us-government-cuts-subsidies-189000-obamacare-enrollees-2026-10-14/.   NABIP Files Lawsuit Over Moratorium on New ACA Agents: “Agent, broker group sues CMS to block ACA registration freeze.” Beckerspayer.com, Becker’s Payer, 16 Oct. 2026, https://www.beckerspayer.com/legal/agent-broker-group-sues-cms-to-block-aca-registration-freeze/. “CMS Cracks Down on Fraud, Waste, and Abuse in the Federal Health Insurance Marketplace.” Cms.gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 22 Sep. 2026, https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cms-cracks-down-fraud-waste-abuse-federal-health-insurance-marketplacer. “NABIP Seeks Injunctive Relief Against HHS and CMS Over Marketplace Moratorium Affecting Nearly 19,000 Agents and Brokers.” Nabip.org, National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals, 15 Oct. 2026, https://nabip.org/media/11423/cms-lawsuit_press-release_final_261015.pdf. “NABIP sues CMS over moratorium on new ACA broker registrations.” Fiercehealthcare.com, Fierce Healthcare, 15 Oct. 2026, https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/payers/nabip-sues-cms-over-moratorium-new-aca-broker-registrations.   CMS Medicare Advantage Proposed Rule: “CMS Proposes Reforms to Strengthen Transparency and Affordability in Medicare Advantage and Part D.” cms.gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 16 Oct. 2026, https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cms-proposes-reforms-strengthen-transparency-affordability-medicare-advantage-part-d. “Fact Sheet: Medicare Program; Implementation of Sections 6219, 6220, and 6224 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 (CMS-4214-P).” cms.gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 16 Oct. 2026, https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/medicare-program-implementation-sections-6219-6220-6224-consolidated-appropriations-act-2026-cms. “Medicare Program; Implementation of Sections 6219, 6220, and 6224 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026.” Federalregister.gov, Federal Register, 20 Oct. 2026, https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2026-21420.pdf.   Follow Us on Social!  Ritter on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/RitterIM Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/ritter.insurance.marketing/ LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/company/ritter-insurance-marketing TikTok, https://www.tiktok.com/@ritterim X, https://x.com/RitterIM and YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/user/RitterInsurance  Sarah on LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/sjrueppel/ Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/thesarahjrueppel/ Threads, https://www.threads.net/@thesarahjrueppel  and Bluesky, https://bsky.app/profile/sarahjrueppel.bsky.social Not affiliated with or endorsed by Medicare or any government agency.

Learn more about Custom Health Option and Individual Care Expense (CHOICE) Arrangements. These healthcare options (formerly known as Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements or ICHRA) can be offered by agents and are increasing in popularity.   Read the text version   Get Connected: 🤝 Register with Ritter Insurance Marketing – the FMO that powers the Agent Survival Guide Podcast!   📧 Connect with our Under-65 Health Team to Get More Info on CHOICE Arrangements 📢 Submit a shoutout to be read in a future episode 🎙️ Be a Guest on the ASG Podcast 💌 Send feedback, questions, and topic suggestions to [email protected].   Resources: Getting Started Selling Group Ancillary Benefits ft. Max Ravenelle Insurance Agents Can Generate More Leads   References: “CHOICE Arrangements: A Guide for Employers.” Cms.gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, https://www.cms.gov/marketplace/employer-initiatives, Accessed 6 Oct. 2026. “Growth Trends for ICHRA & QSEHRA Volume Five: 2025-2026.” Hracouncil.org, HRA Council, https://www.hracouncil.org/resources/Documents/2026%20HRA%20Council%20Data%20Report%20-%20PDF%20Version.pdf, Accessed 6 Oct. 2026. “Health Insurance Marketplace Calculator.” Kff.org, KFF, https://www.kff.org/interactive/subsidy-calculator/, Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.   Follow Us on Social! Ritter on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/RitterIM Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/ritter.insurance.marketing/ LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/company/ritter-insurance-marketing TikTok, https://www.tiktok.com/@ritterim X, https://x.com/RitterIM and YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/user/RitterInsurance      Sarah on LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/sjrueppel/ Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/thesarahjrueppel/ Threads, https://www.threads.net/@thesarahjrueppel  and Bluesky, https://bsky.app/profile/sarahjrueppel.bsky.social  Not affiliated with or endorsed by Medicare or any government agency.