Of 520 NAIFA member agents and brokers who sell and service health insurance policies:

75 percent have seen their commissions decrease since the MLR went into effect Jan. 1, 2011.
An additional 13 percent have been informed by insurance companies that commissions will be cut in the near future.
53 percent of all the agents surveyed report that their commissions have been lowered by 25 percent or more, which includes 17 percent who say their companies have cut commissions by 50 percent or more.
23 percent of the agents who have seen their commissions fall have reduced services for their clients
11 percent have stopped selling and servicing policies for individuals and 4 percent have gotten out of the health insurance market altogether.
44 percent say that if allowed they will charge fees for services they have always performed at no additional cost to clients.
Customer services will be on the chopping block for 30 percent of the agents, if commissions remain depressed, and 29 percent will stop serving individual health insurance clients, and 18 percent will stop selling health insurance altogether.
13 percent of the agents with reduced commissions have laid off or reduced the hours of their support staff. Another 23 percent have considered staff reductions. More than a quarter (27 percent) said they will be forced to reduce staff in the future if commissions remain depressed.

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