Agents & how we are paid
What changes when an agent calls in 2027
New federal rules reshape the first minutes of a Medicare sales conversation for 2027: the required disclaimer comes earlier, and the 48-hour wait before an agent can walk you through a plan is going away.
By the Goodsurance editorial teamJune 27, 2026
Most people meet Medicare's marketing rules without realizing it, in the scripted opening of a call with an agent. For the 2027 plan year, CMS finalized changes to those rules, and a few of them change what that opening sounds like. The provisions begin applying to marketing and communications on October 1, 2026, just as the run-up to Annual Enrollment starts. Three are worth knowing as a consumer. First, the standard disclaimer, the line that says the agent does not offer every plan in your area, must now be given before any discussion of plan benefits, rather than simply within the first minute. The intent is that you hear the limitation before you hear the pitch. Second, the 48-hour waiting period is going away. Until now, after you signed a Scope of Appointment (the form that says what you agreed to discuss), an agent generally had to wait 48 hours before sitting down to go through plans with you. CMS removed that wait, reasoning that it often blocked people who were ready to move forward from getting timely help. Third, behind the scenes, the record-retention period for these interactions drops from ten years to six. There are two honest ways to read the package. One is that it removes friction and lets a prepared shopper get answers the same day. The other is that the 48-hour pause functioned as a small cooling-off window, and removing it puts a little more weight on you to not feel rushed. Both are fair. On this page the practical point is that you keep the same core rights no matter how the script changes: you decide what an appointment covers, you can end a conversation at any time, you never have to sign on the spot, and you are always entitled to ask an agent which carriers they represent and how they are paid. Knowing the rules is what keeps the pace on your terms.
In plain words
When an agent helps you with Medicare, there are rules for how they talk to you. For 2027, a few are changing, starting October 1, 2026. First, the line where the agent admits they do not sell every plan must come before they talk up any plan. Second, the old 48-hour wait, where an agent had to pause two days after you signed a form before going over plans, is going away, so you can get help the same day. Third, records of these talks are kept for six years instead of ten. You can see this as less hassle, or as one less built-in pause; both are fair. Either way, your main rights stay the same: you say what a meeting covers, you can stop anytime, you never have to sign right away, and you can ask any agent who they work for and how they get paid.
Understand the basics first
Source: CMS
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