Want to play ball with retired Yankee Mariano Rivera? Become a health insurance broker

Before health insurance brokers pitch a plan to employers, the brokers are pitched by the insurance companies themselves — and the pitches come with promises of luxury vacations, $100,000 bonuses and in one instance, the chance to play baseball with former New York Yankee Mariano Rivera.

The lucrative health insurance business doles out commissions and bonuses to independent brokers who are working with employers, reports ProPublica. But these additional incentives are ultimately paid for by the employers and the employees who purchase the plans. One major insurer, Health Care Service Corporation, spent $816 million on broker bonuses and commissions in 2017.

When insurance brokers sign up more employers, they receive commission based on the price of the premium, often upwards of $50,000 per client. Commissions increase for costlier plans, therefore creating a lack of incentive to promote more cost-effective options, per ProPublica. The average cost of employer-sponsored health insurance premiums has reportedly tripled since the 1990s.

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Insurers foot the bill for commissions, but these payments are ultimately factored in to the price of the premiums that employers pay. Some insurers offer additional non-financial incentives to brokers, and these are often not revealed by brokers to the employers they are advising unless specifically asked for. Read more about the lucrative brokering business at ProPublica.