The Insurance Producers Guild

Google's organic shelf is concentrating. In Kevin Indig's Growth Memo index (GIB #25, Oct 2, 2026), total visibility rose 1.8% over 12 months while the median company lost 17.2%. Own-domain sites fell 18.5%. Platforms like YouTube and Facebook gained. Zero-click searches hit 68.01% of US Google searches in early 2026 (SparkToro/Similarweb), so roughly 2 in 3 searches end without a visit.

Click reports also undercount AI discovery. Growth Memo (Sep 28, 2026) shows the path is prompt, synthesize, direct visit, and Graphite finds last-touch can miss about 10x of that influence. Amanda Natividad of SparkToro says plan for mentions, citations, and community presence before the click.

This episode covers why a traffic drop is not a lost book, the "How did you find me?" CRM ask, three Monday fixes, and a simple 2027 plan.

🔑 Key Topics Covered

• SEO shelf concentration and platform winners
• Zero-click search and AI underattribution
• Citations before the visit: mentions, communities, third-party signals
• Three-layer scoreboard: exposure, discovery, appointments

🎯 What This Means for Agents

• Do not panic-rebuild a website when sessions are down about 15 to 20%
• Ask every new appointment how they found you and tag it in the CRM
• Fix Google reviews, named bio, and a date-stamped service page first
• Show up surface by surface. AI citations rarely overlap across engines

🔗 Sources
Growth Memo by Kevin Indig: The usefulness of attribution for AI Search
https://www.growth-memo.com/p/the-collapse-of-attribution

Growth Memo by Kevin Indig: Growth Intelligence Brief #25
https://www.growth-memo.com/p/growth-intelligence-brief-25

Growth Memo by Kevin Indig: 2027 planning brief featuring Amanda Natividad, https://www.growth-memo.com/p/how-to-plan-2027-when-traffic-is

📌 GO-DO: Ask, Fix, Scoreboard
Ask every new appointment: "How did you find me?" Options at minimum: Google, referral/friend, ChatGPT or other AI, Facebook or social, review site, other. Enter it the same day.

Three fixes this week: Google Business Profile under 50 reviews or newest older than 60 days, text three happy clients the review link. About/bio has your real name, real photo, and LinkedIn. Main Medicare or Final Expense page gets a visible "Updated [month year]" and one honest paragraph refresh.

Monthly 3-number scoreboard: (1) exposure, new reviews or named mentions, (2) CRM discovery tags, (3) booked appointments. If exposure is up but discovery is flat, you are showing up in the wrong places. If discovery is up but appointments are flat, fix the page or the offer. If both are down, audit who AI and review sites recommend in your market.

For 2027, keep proven work, run one capped test with a kill date, and fund some unmeasurable bets without demanding a clean click report. If you need co-branded review-request or bio templates, use PSM Marketing Hub and send wording through the Compliance and Legal Department.

Infographic: https://www.psmbrokerage.com/hubfs/The%20Insurance%20Producers%20Guild/IPG_EP27_Infographic.png

Slides: https://www.psmbrokerage.com/hubfs/The%20Insurance%20Producers%20Guild/IPG_EP27_Slides.pdf

The Insurance Producers Guild Podcast delivers intelligence for insurance agents looking to stay ahead of industry trends.

Follow the show and connect with PSM Brokerage to access tools, training, and support designed to help you grow your business.

Learn more: https://www.psmbrokerage.com

CMS has published negotiated maximum fair prices for 15 Medicare Part D drugs effective January 1, 2027. CMS says 5.3 million enrollees used these drugs in 2024 and projects $685 million in beneficiary out-of-pocket savings for 2027. Ozempic, Rybelsus, and Wegovy move from a $959 list price to a $274 negotiated price.

For agents, the key distinction is that this is not automatically the member’s pharmacy copay. Formulary status, tier, deductible, and pharmacy still determine member cost.

The Veteran and The Closer explain what not to quote and provide a client script for booking a formulary review before AEP. Produced by PSM Brokerage.

🔑 Key Topics Covered

• 15 negotiated Part D prices
• Ozempic and Wegovy price changes
• Negotiated price versus pharmacy copay
• Pre-AEP formulary review script

🎯 What This Means for Agents

• Never quote negotiated price as copay
• Flag affected clients before 2027 reviews
• Verify formulary, tier, deductible, pharmacy
• Book drug reviews before AEP

🔗 Sources

CMS — Selected Drugs and Negotiated Prices
 CMS source

📌 GO-DO: Build the 2027 Review Queue

Export every MA-PD and standalone PDP client this week and build one 2027 formulary-review queue for anyone using a drug named in the episode. Use the counter-price warning, collect each client’s current drug list, and book the formulary review before AEP.

Infographic: https://www.psmbrokerage.com/hubfs/The%20Insurance%20Producers%20Guild/IPG_EP26_Infographic.png

Slides: https://www.psmbrokerage.com/hubfs/The%20Insurance%20Producers%20Guild/IPG_EP26_Slides.pdf

The Insurance Producers Guild Podcast delivers intelligence for insurance agents looking to stay ahead of industry trends.

Follow the show and connect with PSM Brokerage to access tools, training, and support designed to help you grow your business.

Learn more: https://www.psmbrokerage.com

CSG Actuarial’s January through August 2026 review of about 780 Medicare Supplement filings, covering more than 100 carriers, found an average increase of about 15%, a median around 14.5%, and about one in five filings at 20% or higher. Plans G, F, and N sat in the 15 to 17% range. A national average is not that household’s premium.

Medigap clients do not get an ANOC. They get a rate letter and a new draft. They pay, they like their doctors, and they rarely call. That quiet book is where silent attrition happens.

This episode explains how to turn those rate letters into review appointments before the anniversary, without quoting 15% as the client’s new premium.

🔑 Key Topics Covered

• 2026 Medigap rate filings
• Why G, F, and N are taking the larger increases
• Rate letter versus ANOC
• Retention before the anniversary

🎯 What This Means for Agents

• Pull every G, F, and N renewal in the next 90 days
• Do not quote a national average as their premium
• Compare same-letter options allowed in that state
• Call before the draft hits, not after the complaint that never comes

🔗 Sources

CSG Actuarial
https://www.csgactuarial.com/news/medicare-supplement-rate-increases-what-the-market-has-shown-throughout-2026

ValuePenguin
https://www.valuepenguin.com/best-medicare-supplement-plans

📌 GO-DO: Book Medigap Reviews

Identify every Medicare Supplement client with a renewal in the next 90 days, G, F, and N first. Send one compliant heads-up asking them to book a 20-minute review before the anniversary. Bring their rate letter. Put same-letter options on the table. Confirm state replacement and underwriting rules before you promise a move.

Infographic: https://www.psmbrokerage.com/hubfs/The%20Insurance%20Producers%20Guild/IPG_EP25_Infographic-1.png
Slides: https://www.psmbrokerage.com/hubfs/The%20Insurance%20Producers%20Guild/IPG_EP25_Slides-1.pdf

Learn more: https://www.psmbrokerage.com

The Insurance Producers Guild Podcast delivers intelligence for insurance agents looking to stay ahead of industry trends.

Follow the show and connect with PSM Brokerage to access tools, training, and support designed to help you grow your business.

Learn more: https://www.psmbrokerage.com

KFF’s August 3 analysis of 276 insurers found a median proposed 2027 ACA Marketplace premium increase of 15%, following a 20% median finalized increase for 2026. These rates are proposed and still require state approval.

Clients already absorbed major changes in 2026 after enhanced premium tax credits expired: average enrollee premium payments increased 58%, deductibles rose, and Silver enrollment declined. CMS reported 23.1 million Marketplace plan selections for 2026.

We break down what agents know now, what they should not quote yet, and how to book October reviews before November 1.

🔑 Key Topics Covered

• Proposed 2027 ACA rate increases
• 2026 client cost changes
• Marketplace enrollment shifts
• October review appointment strategy

🎯 What This Means for Agents

• Expect rate concerns before Open Enrollment
• Review subsidy and deductible changes early
• Avoid quoting unapproved 2027 premiums
• Prioritize vulnerable Marketplace clients now

🔗 Sources

KFF
2027 ACA Marketplace Premium Analysis

CMS
2026 Open Enrollment Report

📌 GO-DO: Build Your October Review List

Export your ACA, Marketplace, and under-65 clients this week. Prioritize clients who moved to Bronze in 2026 or lost enhanced-credit protection. Call each one without quoting a 2027 premium and book a 20-minute October review covering their plan, subsidy, and deductible.

Infographic: https://www.psmbrokerage.com/hubfs/The%20Insurance%20Producers%20Guild/IPG_EP24_Infographic.png
Slides: https://www.psmbrokerage.com/hubfs/The%20Insurance%20Producers%20Guild/IPG_EP24_Slides.pdf

The Insurance Producers Guild Podcast delivers intelligence for insurance agents looking to stay ahead of industry trends.

Follow the show and connect with PSM Brokerage to access tools, training, and support designed to help you grow your business.

Learn more: https://www.psmbrokerage.com

Humana said on its July 29, 2026 earnings call that 2027 Medicare Advantage plan exits will affect about 600,000 members. Humana expects to recapture just over 40 percent into other plans it continues offering, but every affected member still needs a 2027 coverage decision because their current plan is leaving.

Most exits involve plans rated 3.5 stars or lower for the 2027 bonus year. Plan-level names were not released.

In this episode we explain what agents should do now, why no 2027 plan should be quoted before it appears on the landscape, and how to schedule reviews around ANOC delivery before AEP.

🔑 Key Topics Covered

• Humana’s 600,000 affected members
• 2027 Medicare Advantage plan exits
• ANOC timing before AEP
• Rules for discussing 2027 plans

🎯 What This Means for Agents

• Identify Humana clients needing 2027 reviews
• Do not quote unavailable 2027 plans
• Prepare clients for September ANOC letters
• Schedule reviews before AEP begins
  
  

🔗 Sources

Humana Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results: https://policy.humana.com/news-and-resources/news-press/2026/humana-reports-second-quarter-2026-financial-results--affirms?utm_source=chatgpt.com

CMS 2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D Rate Announcement: https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/2027-medicare-advantage-part-d-rate-announcement

📌 GO-DO: Book Your Humana 2027 Reviews

Export every Humana Medicare Advantage client this week and tag the file “2027 review.” Call each client, explain that some Humana plans are leaving for 2027, and book a 20-minute review for the week their change letter arrives. Do not quote a 2027 plan before the landscape is available.

Infographic: https://www.psmbrokerage.com/hubfs/The%20Insurance%20Producers%20Guild/IPG_EP23_Infographic.png
Slides: https://www.psmbrokerage.com/hubfs/The%20Insurance%20Producers%20Guild/IPG_EP23_Slides.pdf

The Insurance Producers Guild Podcast delivers intelligence for insurance agents looking to stay ahead of industry trends.

Follow the show and connect with PSM Brokerage to access tools, training, and support designed to help you grow your business.

Learn more: https://www.psmbrokerage.com

CMS set the 2027 Part D base beneficiary premium at $41.33, the maximum 6% annual increase, while ending the temporary Part D Premium Stabilization Demonstration after 2026. The standard deductible rises to $700 and the out-of-pocket cap to $2,400.

For agents, the biggest watchpoint is standalone PDP coverage. The demonstration reduced average PDP premiums, while MA-PD coverage was never included. In 2026, average monthly premiums were $36 for PDPs versus $8 for MA-PDs.

This episode explains how to turn those changes into review appointments without quoting plan-specific 2027 prices before fall landscape data and September ANOCs arrive.

🔑 Key Topics Covered

• 2027 Part D premium changes
• End of PDP stabilization
• PDP versus MA-PD premiums
• Timing plan-specific conversations
  
  

🎯 What This Means for Agents

• Prioritize standalone PDP clients for reviews
• Avoid quoting unavailable 2027 plan premiums
• Use September ANOCs to verify changes
• Book review appointments before Open Enrollment

🔗 Sources

CMS
https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/medicare-part-d-2027-national-average-monthly-bid-amount-information

KFF
https://www.kff.org/quick-insights/cmss-decision-to-end-temporary-subsidies-to-medicares-stand-alone-drug-plans-could-mean-larger-premium-increases-for-some-beneficiaries-next-year/

📌 GO-DO: Book PDP Reviews

Identify every client with a standalone Part D plan and send one compliant heads-up within 48 hours asking them to book a ten-minute September review after their Annual Notice of Change arrives. Prioritize Original Medicare clients paired with a Medicare Supplement and PDP, and reserve review slots now.

Infographic: https://www.psmbrokerage.com/hubfs/The%20Insurance%20Producers%20Guild/IPG_EP22_Infographic.png

Slides: https://www.psmbrokerage.com/hubfs/The%20Insurance%20Producers%20Guild/IPG_EP22_Slides.pdf

The Insurance Producers Guild Podcast delivers intelligence for insurance agents looking to stay ahead of industry trends.

Follow the show and connect with PSM Brokerage to access tools, training, and support designed to help you grow your business.

Learn more: https://www.psmbrokerage.com

Life insurance demand is reaching record levels. Through mid-2026, U.S. life insurance application activity is up 15.4% year to date, with Term Life and Whole Life both posting strong year-over-year gains. At the same time, nearly half of American adults still lack enough coverage, largely because they overestimate the cost.

In this episode, you’ll Learn why this creates a major opportunity for independent agents. We share a word-for-word response to the “life insurance is too expensive” objection, show how to turn one appointment into two policies, and discuss why independent agents are capturing a growing share of new business. 

🔑 Key Topics Covered

• Record life application growth
• Closing affordability objections
• Coverage gap opportunity
• Cross-selling life insurance

🎯 What This Means for Agents

• More prospects are actively seeking coverage.
• Cost misconceptions create consultative sales opportunities.
• Independent agents continue gaining market share.
• Simple cross-sells increase policy count.

🔗 Sources

MIB Life Index:
MIB Life Index

Insurance news Net:
https://insurancenewsnet.com/innarticle/life-insurance-premium-surges-but-coverage-is-still-falling-short-for-many

Life Happens:
https://lifehappens.org/research/they-dont-understand-life-insurance-and-overestimate-its-cost/

📌 GO-DO: Cross-Sell Three Clients

Pull your last 20 Medicare or annuity clients who do not have a life policy with you. Call three this week using: “While I have you, a lot of folks I work with assume life coverage costs way more than it does. Can I run one quick number for you?” Book everyone who says yes.

Infographic:
https://www.psmbrokerage.com/hubfs/The%20Insurance%20Producers%20Guild/IPG_EP21_Infographic.png

Slides:
https://www.psmbrokerage.com/hubfs/The%20Insurance%20Producers%20Guild/IPG_EP21_Slides.pdf

The Insurance Producers Guild Podcast delivers intelligence for insurance agents looking to stay ahead of industry trends.

Follow the show and connect with PSM Brokerage to access tools, training, and support designed to help you grow your business.

Learn more: https://www.psmbrokerage.com

Medicare Advantage still covers 35.2 million people in 2026, but enrollment growth has slowed to 3 percent. Most remaining gains came from Special Needs Plans, signaling a flatter market for the general Medicare Advantage products independent agents traditionally sell.

Meanwhile, 2025 annuity sales reached a record $464.1 billion as millions of Americans approach retirement without pensions. Carrier filings also show Medicare Supplement enrollment rising while some Medicare Advantage footprints contract.

This episode explains how agents can follow that movement, introduce guaranteed-income conversations, identify Medicare Supplement opportunities, and use annual reviews to protect and expand existing client relationships.

🔑 Key Topics Covered

• Slowing Medicare Advantage enrollment
• Record-breaking annuity demand
• Medicare Supplement enrollment growth
• Guaranteed-income cross-sell conversations
  
  

🎯 What This Means for Agents

• Shift prospecting toward Supplements and annuities
• Review clients before plan changes occur
• Identify guaranteed-issue opportunities early
• Add retirement-income discussions to annual reviews
  
  

🔗 Sources

KFF
 https://www.kff.org/medicare/medicare-advantage-in-2026-enrollment-update-and-key-trends/

LIMRA
 https://www.limra.com/en/newsroom/news-releases/2026/limra-final-u.s.-retail-annuity-sales-set-new-sales-high-totaling-%24464.1-billion-in-2025/

Retirement Income Institute
 https://www.limraconsumer.com/peak65/

CSG Actuarial
 https://www.csgactuarial.com/news/elevance-health-announces-2nd-quarter-2026-results

📌 GO-DO: Build Your Guarantee Gap List

Review your book and create two columns: clients with guaranteed income and clients without it. Flag anyone facing Medicare Advantage termination or major plan changes. Contact the top ten flagged clients within 48 hours and offer one annual review covering Medicare Supplement eligibility and retirement-income needs. 

Infographic: https://www.psmbrokerage.com/hubfs/The%20Insurance%20Producers%20Guild/IPG_EP20_Infographic.png

Slides: https://www.psmbrokerage.com/hubfs/The%20Insurance%20Producers%20Guild/IPG_Ep20_Slides.pdf

The Insurance Producers Guild Podcast delivers intelligence for insurance agents looking to stay ahead of industry trends.

Follow the show and connect with PSM Brokerage to access tools, training, and support designed to help you grow your business.

Learn more: https://www.psmbrokerage.com

CMS’s 2027 Medicare Final Rule removes the 48-hour Scope of Appointment waiting period and the 12-hour educational-to-sales gap beginning October 1, 2026. Updated TPMO disclaimer timing also gives agents more flexibility when opening conversations.

Faster sales create greater individual accountability. Marketing and sales call retention drops to six years, while enrollment records remain subject to longer retention requirements. Agents must classify mixed calls correctly, document every lead source, and retain marketing created by vendors.

In Episode 19 we explain the new workflow, client language, recordkeeping risks, and practical steps agents should complete before AEP.

🔑 Key Topics Covered

• Same-day Scope of Appointment workflow
• Revised TPMO disclaimer timing
• Split call-retention requirements
• Vendor and lead-source accountability

🎯 What This Means for Agents

• Faster appointments require disciplined documentation
• Mixed calls need accurate retention classification
• Agents remain responsible for purchased leads
• Vendor marketing belongs in your compliance file

🔗 Sources

Federal Register
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/04/06/2026-06600/

CMS
https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/contract-year-2027-medicare-advantage-part-d-final-rule

Electronic Code of Federal Regulations
https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/subtitle-A/subchapter-B/part-155/subpart-C/section-155.220

📌 GO-DO: Build Your Compliance Defense File

Create one retrievable compliance folder within 48 hours. Add current Scope of Appointment procedures, call-recording scripts, retention instructions, lead-source documentation, landing pages, forms, emails, and sales scripts. Label each item by owner, vendor, effective date, and required retention period, then submit questionable materials for compliance review.

Infographic: https://www.psmbrokerage.com/hubfs/The%20Insurance%20Producers%20Guild/IPG_EP19_Infographic.png

Slides: https://www.psmbrokerage.com/hubfs/The%20Insurance%20Producers%20Guild/IPG_EP19_Slides.pdf

The Insurance Producers Guild Podcast delivers intelligence for insurance agents looking to stay ahead of industry trends.

Follow the show and connect with PSM Brokerage to access tools, training, and support designed to help you grow your business.

Learn more: https://www.psmbrokerage.com

📝 Episode Description

Medicare Advantage contracts earning 4 or more Stars fell from 261 to 207 for 2026, while enrollment in bonus-qualifying plans dropped to 68 percent. Because CMS resets rating cut points annually, a plan can perform similarly and still receive a lower score.

That matters because 4-Star bonuses help support dental, vision, givebacks, and low-premium benefits. Total bonus spending rose to $13.4 billion but is now concentrated across fewer contracts.

The Veteran and The Closer explain the client impact, recent legal challenges involving Clover Health and Elevance, and how agents can review affected business before open enrollment.

🔑 Key Topics Covered

• Why Star ratings can fall
• Annual CMS cut-point changes
• Bonus dollars and plan benefits
• Clover and Elevance legal challenges

🎯 What This Means for Agents

• Lower ratings do not always mean worse performance
• Bonus changes may affect future benefits
• Clients need clear, compliant explanations
• Early outreach can protect retention

🔗 Sources

Quality Bonus Program funding
Medicare Will Spend More Than $13 Billion on the MA Quality Bonus Program in 2026 (KFF, via Medicare Report, July 1, 2026)

Star ratings shift and strategy
Medicare Advantage Star Ratings Are Changing: Is Your Strategy Ready? (mPulse, July 8, 2026)

Elevance lawsuit over star ratings
Elevance Sues CMS Over Star Ratings (MedCity News, Marissa Plescia, July 7, 2026)

📌 GO-DO: Audit Ten Clients

Pull your Medicare Advantage book and flag clients whose plan or contract changed Star ratings for 2026. Schedule ten-minute annual reviews with the first ten clients, using the episode script. Use PSM’s outreach materials and submit your message to Compliance before sending.

Tags: Medicare, Medicare Advantage, star ratings, insurance agents, PSM Brokerage, CMS, enrollment, compliance, quality bonus, retention

Infographic: https://www.psmbrokerage.com/hubfs/The%20Insurance%20Producers%20Guild/IPG_EP18_Infographic.png

Slides: https://www.psmbrokerage.com/hubfs/The%20Insurance%20Producers%20Guild/IPG_EP18_Slides.pdf

The Insurance Producers Guild Podcast delivers intelligence for insurance agents looking to stay ahead of industry trends.

Follow the show and connect with PSM Brokerage to access tools, training, and support designed to help you grow your business.

Learn more: https://www.psmbrokerage.com