Chapter, in collaboration with Nuvo Health and Spark Advisors, is taking a stand against restrictive Medicare industry practices with the launch of the Agent Freedom Pledge — a commitment to let Medicare agents work with the agency they want and where their values align, without delay or penalty.
Participating Medicare organizations commit to grant an immediate release upon request for any individual agent, ending the practice of holding advisors “captive” in agencies they wish to leave. Releases work like non-competes for agents who are hourly employees or 1099 contractors, limiting their ability to move to a new agency that may better align with their ethics or other work preferences.
The pledge also encourages pre-releases for new agents, making it easier to switch affiliations when necessary. Pledge participants are open-sourcing a pre-release template, which agents are encouraged to require new agencies to complete prior to affiliation.
“No Medicare advisor should be forced to choose between their livelihood and their principles,” said Cobi Blumenfeld-Gantz, CEO and Co-Founder of Chapter. “The Agent Freedom Pledge is about raising the ethical bar for our industry. We call on all Medicare organizations to join us or publicly declare their position on agent freedom. We also urge every advisor to ask their agency where it stands.”
“When trust forms the foundation of a relationship, holding brokers hostage is unnecessary. Field Marketing Organizations and Medicare agencies have long held undue power over brokers, which isn’t fair,” said Calvin Bagley, Founder and President of Nuvo Health. “At Nuvo Health, we commit to offering unconditional releases, giving brokers the freedom to chart their own course.”
“Joining The Agent Freedom Pledge reflects Spark's commitment to independent Medicare brokers and their success,” added James Jiang, CEO and Co-founder of Spark Advisors. “Since day one, we’ve offered upfront releases because we believe our partners deliver the best service when they are free to choose where and how they work. Ending restrictive release practices isn’t just about fairness for agents — it’s about raising the standard of service for Medicare beneficiaries.”
Tens of millions of Americans rely on Medicare agents for guidance. Yet, under current industry rules, many agencies can delay or deny an agent’s release, blocking them from working with another agency for months — often with no income in the meantime. These practices can trap agents within agencies whose business tactics may clash with their ethics.
The stakes are high. In May, the U.S. Department of Justice sued multiple Medicare agencies, charging: “Rather than acting as unbiased stewards, the defendant brokers allegedly directed Medicare beneficiaries to the plans offered by insurers that paid brokers the most in kickbacks.” Unlike financial advisors, Medicare brokers are not bound by a fiduciary duty to act in their clients’ best interest.
By signing the pledge, organizations affirm their commitment to free choice and ethical conduct. Agencies can join the pledge by emailing AgentFreedom@AskChapter.org.
About Chapter
Chapter is the most comprehensive Medicare navigation platform in the United States. Built to empower older Americans with unbiased, personalized guidance, Chapter helps seniors find the best-fitting Medicare coverage by evaluating every plan in every zip code. Learn more at askchapter.org.
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"We call on all Medicare organizations to join us or publicly declare their position on agent freedom. We also urge every advisor to ask their agency where it stands."
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Paul Davis
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