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.
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