The Medicare Advantage Reset

AQuiet Shift with Big Consequences

Carrier marketing dollars aretightening.

Not gradually — structurally.

Co-op funding — long relied on byagencies to:

• Run local events
• Generate leads
• Build brand presence

is contracting as carriers respond to:

• Rising medical costs
• Margin pressure
• Payment rate adjustments

For many agencies, this isn’t atemporary slowdown.

It’s a fundamental gap.

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The Risk of Dependency

For years, co-op funding has functionedas a primary marketing engine for many agencies.

But when that engine contracts:

• Event volume decreases
• Lead flow slows
• Local visibility fades

Agencies that depended entirely onco-op are now facing a difficult reality:

Their marketing strategy was neverfully under their control.

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A Structural Problem — Not a Seasonal One

This shift is not tied to a single AEPcycle.

It reflects a broader change in howcarriers allocate resources.

Which means:

• Co-op variability will continue
• Funding will become more     performance-driven
• Access will favor structured,     well-supported agencies

The agencies that adapt will maintainmomentum.

The ones that don’t will feel theslowdown quickly.

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The Carepoint Approach

At Carepoint, co-op has never been thestrategy.

It’s the supplement.

We work with agency partners to build sustainablemarketing funding systems — not one-off reimbursements.

That means:

• Identifying all available funding     sources
• Structuring agreements that align     with performance
• Creating a plan that extends     beyond any single carrier

Because when one source contracts:

There should already be another inplace.

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What This Looks Like in Practice

Carepoint’s marketing support is nottheoretical.

It’s structured, negotiated, andactively managed.

Our approach includes:

• Agency Marketing Reimbursement     Agreement (AMRA) structuring
• Carrier Market Development Fund     (MDF) identification and access
• Multi-carrier co-op stacking     across 38+ partnerships
• Performance-based funding tied to     enrollment milestones
• Transparent documentation and     compliance reporting
• Annual funding plan reviews with     agency leadership

This is not about chasing dollars.

It’s about building a system thatproduces them consistently.

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Beyond Pass-Through

Most organizations treat co-op as apass-through.

We don’t.

We sit down with every agency partnerto:

• Map the full funding landscape     across carriers
• Align funding with growth targets    
• Build a plan that sustains     marketing through the full year

And most importantly:

You always know where every dollarcomes from — and what it’s tied to.

Transparency is not optional.

It’s foundational.

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For Agents

When co-op shrinks, most agents findout too late.

The check doesn’t arrive.
The budget disappears.

At Carepoint, our agency partnersoperate differently.

• Marketing funding is planned before     AEP begins
• Expectations are clear
• Opportunities are defined in     advance

Because in a competitive market:

Uncertainty is a disadvantage.

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For Agencies

Marketing capacity is not just aboutbudget.

It’s about structure.

Agencies that continue to grow in thisenvironment are those that:

• Diversify funding sources
• Align marketing with performance
• Operate with visibility and     control

With 38+ carrier relationships,Carepoint provides access to funding pathways that many agencies never tapinto.

Not because they don’t exist —
but because they aren’t being actively structured.

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The Bottom Line

Co-op is no longer something you canrely on.

But marketing growth still is.

The agencies that win will not bethose waiting for funding.

They will be the ones who:

• Plan for it
• Structure it
• Control it

Because in today’s market:

Marketing is not just spend.
It’s infrastructure.