In Episode 127 of the Agent Boost Podcast, Dan and Mike open with a "week of survival" tone. AEP certifications are dropping, the agent force is demoralized, and the industry feels like it's in a constant state of flux. On a lighter note, both of their sons got licensed this week, a small but meaningful signal that the business still has a future for those who approach it the right way.The centerpiece of this episode is a raw, unfiltered breakdown of why the telesales model in Medicare is dying, and why it's happening from three directions at once. Regulatory pressure has systematically outlawed nearly every outbound marketing mechanism, leaving consumer-generated inbound calls as the last legal lane. Even that lane is compromised, as lead generators routinely run unapproved URLs behind a single CMS-submitted site, meaning almost none of them are truly compliant. The 1-to-1 marketing rules that were supposed to clean up the industry have instead choked off the lead supply entirely.Carriers are finishing the job. They've made clear they prefer local, field-written business over phone enrollments, and they're backing it up with 100% call audits on telesales, requiring human review (not AI), and forcing agencies to write up agents even when the consumer never complained. It's a Salem witch trial environment, and field agents are held to zero equivalent standard. The agents getting burned are often the best ones left, the ones who survived 4+ years without a termination, while 2.5 to 4.5 million Medicare Advantage members are expected to be displaced this AEP with fewer and fewer agents available to help them.Dan and Mike also make a strong case for why FMV commissions are actually a bargain for carriers. When you pay an agent, you're not just paying for a sale. You're paying for acquisition, ongoing customer service, and retention, all bundled into one nominal fee. Carriers cutting brokers out of the equation will have to replace all three components with internal infrastructure, and they won't save money doing it.The episode closes with a timely breakdown of the Walmart retail program for 2027, covering tiered A/B/C stores, first right of refusal for agents in good standing, and cost-sharing through FMOs. Both hosts are bullish on retail as the landing spot for displaced telesales agents, and they urge agents not to wait until September. Stores will be gone before AEP kicks off.If you're a telesales agent wondering where to land this cycle, an agency owner trying to understand why the economics stopped making sense, or a field agent who wants to know what the carriers are actually thinking, this episode is essential listening.***Chapters***00:00 Welcome & Week of Survival — Both Sons Get Licensed01:09 The State of the Industry Going Into AEP Certifications04:29 Why Everything Is Changing Faster Than Ever Before07:29 Telesales Is Dead — Setting Up the Core Argument09:55 How 1-to-1 Marketing Rules Choked Off the Lead Supply13:21 The Lead Generator Problem — Noncompliant URLs and the Washing Machine19:51 The Economics of Telesales Are Broken — CPA vs. LTV Explained24:54 "The Juice Isn't Worth the Squeeze" — The Math No One Wants to Do27:52 Carriers Don't Want the Business — And They're Showing It33:31 Salem Witch Trials — Carrier Crackdowns on Phone Enrollments38:16 Carriers Are Turtling — What That Means for Distribution41:14 The Warning for Displaced Telesales Agents — There's Nowhere Left to Hop42:05 War Hero or War Criminal? Why 700 Enrollments Is No Longer a Badge of Honor43:34 The FMV Argument — What Carriers Actually Get for That Commission49:40 Walmart 2027 — Tiers, First Right of Refusal, and the Retail Opportunity57:27 Wrap Up & Final Thoughts

In Episode 126 of the Agent Boost Podcast, Mike sits down with his best friend and fellow agency owner Seth Cottle, founder of Alchemy Health Plans, for a candid conversation about what it actually takes to build a thriving insurance agency in one of the most challenging markets the industry has ever seen.Seth spent years working at Comcast while quietly building his book of business on nights and weekends before going all in on insurance. He shares exactly how he made that transition, why it worked when it doesn't work for most agents, and how that same work ethic became the foundation for everything he teaches his agents at Alchemy today.This episode goes deep on the concept of the diverse, dynamic agent, why you can no longer survive as a Medicare-only or ACA-only agent, how to properly layer products without overwhelming your team, and why the agencies that built their entire book around one product line are the ones getting wiped out right now. Seth and Mike also break down income-producing activities, the real reason agents lose momentum and leave the industry, and what a new agent's first 90 days should actually look like.If you're a new agent trying to shortcut your path to success, a seasoned broker looking to diversify, or an agency owner trying to build something that lasts this episode is essential listening.---**Chapters**00:00 Welcome & Introducing Seth Cottle of Alchemy Health Plans01:06 How Mike & Seth Met & Seth's Path from Comcast to Agency Owner06:11 Building on the Side First — The Right Way to Make the Jump10:03 Income-Producing Activities — What Actually Moves the Needle12:39 The Hoodie Agent — How One Part-Timer Outsold Everyone15:44 You Can't Be a One-Trick Pony — Diversification Is Survival20:02 How Seth Layers Products & Trains Agents from Day One27:48 Agency Value & Why Diversification Determines What You're Worth33:55 Medicare Advantage Benefits Are Drying Up — The Ancillary Opportunity Is Now35:08 Seth's Advice for New Agents — Burn the Boats & Go All In---💻 Website: [www.agentboost.com](https://www.agentboost.com)💰 Get Contracted: https://agentboost.com/get-contracted👨🏼‍🎓 Join our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/606332946546184/📬 Our Weekly Newsletter: https://agentboost.com/subscribe-to-our-newsletter/

In Episode 125 of the Agent Boost Podcast, Mike sits down with Jeff, who just returned from the CMS Annual Marketplace Meeting in Baltimore, to break down everything brokers and agents need to know heading into this fall's open enrollment season.This episode covers the real state of ACA in 2025, from what CMS leadership actually thinks about brokers, to breaking news about the three-way call finally going away, to a full carrier-by-carrier forecast for the coming open enrollment. Jeff shares firsthand intel from inside the CMS building, including what was discussed at the large agency roundtable that rarely gets talked about publicly. Mike adds his predictions on which ACA carriers are going big, why bronze plans and HSAs are about to become dominant, and why he believes the ACA market won't truly stabilize until 2028.The conversation also digs into the very real pressure brokers are facing, overlapping Medicare AE and ACA OE deadlines, new consent form regulations, 75% QLE verification requirements, and the ongoing question of whether big tech is trying to eliminate brokers altogether. Plus, Dan and Jeff break down why 50% of agents have left the industry over the past two years and the two types of agents who are already gone.If you're an ACA agent, a Medicare broker trying to cross-train, or an agency owner trying to set your team up for the most challenging open enrollment in years, this episode is essential listening.---**Chapters**00:00 Welcome & CMS Meeting Overview00:33 Inside the CMS Building in Baltimore03:31 ICHRA Update — Why It Still Isn't Working07:34 Dan's Canada Healthcare Story & What It Reveals About ICHRA09:14 Jeff's AI Panel at CMS — HIPAA, ChatGPT & What's Allowed12:01 Is CMS Trying to Eliminate Brokers?15:07 CMS Leadership Is Pro-Broker — Here's What They Actually Said17:18 Fraud vs. Real Brokers — Why They Keep Getting Lumped Together19:00 2.8 Million Ghost Enrollments & $20 Billion in Fraud Cleaned Up22:22 Large Agency Day — The NPN Problem Nobody Is Solving Fast Enough24:45 BREAKING: The Three-Way Call Is Going Away Before Open Enrollment27:51 Open Enrollment Shortened to Nov 1–Dec 31 (And Why That's a Problem)29:31 Medicare AE and ACA OE Running at the Same Time32:35 Mike: 50%+ of ACA Clients May Need a New Plan This Fall33:06 Bronze Plans & HSAs Are About to Explode — Here's Why33:50 75% QLE Verification — What It Means for Your Book of Business34:41 The Utah AI Data Center Story (Kevin O'Leary vs. All of Utah)38:16 ACA Was the Wild Wild West — How Far We've Come39:06 New CMS Consent Form Rules Coming — What You Need to Know40:45 What Every Broker Should Be Doing Right Now Before OE42:30 Go Health Files Chapter 11 — The End of the Churn & Burn Era44:08 Why You Need the Right FMO Heading Into This Open Enrollment47:48 Carrier Predictions: Oscar, Ambetter, United, CSSC & Who's Out50:27 Short-Term Medical Growth & When the ACA Market Finally Stabilizes51:49 50% of Agents Have Left the Industry — Who's Gone and Why54:26 ACA Spammers & Bad Actors Getting Eliminated55:01 Final Thoughts & What's Coming for Agent Boost---💻 Website: [www.agentboost.com](https://www.agentboost.com)💰 Get Contracted: https://agentboost.com/get-contracted👨🏼‍🎓 Join our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/606332946546184/📬 Our Weekly Newsletter: https://agentboost.com/subscribe-to-our-newsletter/