CO| Colorado Insurance Division Bulletin B-4.157 clarifies that it is an unfair trade practice under Colorado law for Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement carriers to manipulate market access or producer behavior—such as by hiding applications, discouraging sales, or changing producer commissions midyear—in ways that limit Medicare-eligible consumers’ access to approved products; carriers must keep enrollment applications readily available through all normal channels and honor filed compensation schedules as long as a plan remains approved and offered, while producers must continue to act in the consumer’s best interest when recommending coverage.
Key Points:
- Applies to all carriers and producers offering Medicare health plans (MA and Med Supp) to Colorado Medicare-eligible consumers.
- Prohibits restricting access, discouraging sales, or reducing/eliminating producer commissions midyear except as allowed by filed, approved compensation schedules.
- Requires continued reasonable enrollment access and adherence to approved compensation while a product remains on the market, with potential enforcement for violations.