Recent Findings from Brown University Provides New Insights into Managed Care (Use of Brokers In Medicare Advantage and Standalone Part D Plans): Managed Care

2026 OCT 20 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Health Policy and Law Daily -- Research findings on Managed Care are discussed in a new report. According to news reporting out of Providence, Rhode Island, by NewsRx editors, research stated, “To compare the use of brokers in Medicare Advantage plans and standalone Part D plans.Study Setting and Design We used plan-level broker enrollment data from 2014 to 2023 to compare the rates of broker use in Medicare Advantage and standalone Part D plans.Data Sources and Analytic Sample We used broker enrollment data obtained from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services through a Freedom of Information Act request and data from the Medicare Master Beneficiary Summary File.”

Financial support for this research came from Arnold Ventures.

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from Brown University, “Our sample included 47,862 plan-years from 2014 to 2023.Principal Findings In 2023, new enrollees in Medicare Advantage plans were more likely to be enrolled by a broker than those in standalone part D plans (35.6% compared to 27.1%). These results were generally consistent over time, within insurers, and across states.Conclusions Broker use is more common in Medicare Advantage plans than in standalone Part D plans.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Given that brokers are often paid more to enroll beneficiaries in Medicare Advantage plans than in standalone Part D plans, these results suggest that brokers may play a key role in driving Medicare Advantage enrollment growth.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Use of Brokers In Medicare Advantage and Standalone Part D Plans. Health Services Research, 2026;61(5). Health Services Research can be contacted at: Wiley, 111 River St, Hoboken 07030-5774, NJ, USA. (Wiley-Blackwell - http://www.wiley.com/; Health Services Research - http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1475-6773)

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Jeffrey Marr, Brown University, School of Public Health, Dept. of Health Services Policy and Practice, Providence, RI 02912, United States. Additional authors for this research include Jay Shroff, Em Balkan, Andrew M. Ryan, Amal N. Trivedi and David J. Meyers.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-6773.70169. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

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