EP20 Advantage Growth is Slowing - Supplements and Annuities are Booming

Medicare Advantage still covers 35.2 million people in 2026, but enrollment growth has slowed to 3 percent. Most remaining gains came from Special Needs Plans, signaling a flatter market for the general Medicare Advantage products independent agents traditionally sell.Meanwhile, 2025 annuity sales reached a record $464.1 billion as millions of Americans approach retirement without pensions. Carrier filings also show Medicare Supplement enrollment rising while some Medicare Advantage footprints contract.This episode explains how agents can follow that movement, introduce guaranteed-income conversations, identify Medicare Supplement opportunities, and use annual reviews to protect and expand existing client relationships.🔑 Key Topics CoveredSlowing Medicare Advantage enrollmentRecord-breaking annuity demandMedicare Supplement enrollment growthGuaranteed-income cross-sell conversations🎯 What This Means for AgentsShift prospecting toward Supplements and annuitiesReview clients before plan changes occurIdentify guaranteed-issue opportunities earlyAdd retirement-income discussions to annual reviews🔗 SourcesKFF https://www.kff.org/medicare/medicare-advantage-in-2026-enrollment-update-and-key-trends/LIMRA https://www.limra.com/en/newsroom/news-releases/2026/limra-final-u.s.-retail-annuity-sales-set-new-sales-high-totaling-%24464.1-billion-in-2025/Retirement Income Institute https://www.limraconsumer.com/peak65/CSG Actuarial https://www.csgactuarial.com/news/elevance-health-announces-2nd-quarter-2026-results📌 GO-DO: Build Your Guarantee Gap ListReview your book and create two columns: clients with guaranteed income and clients without it. Flag anyone facing Medicare Advantage termination or major plan changes. Contact the top ten flagged clients within 48 hours and offer one annual review covering Medicare Supplement eligibility and retirement-income needs. Infographic: https://www.psmbrokerage.com/hubfs/The%20Insurance%20Producers%20Guild/IPG_EP20_Infographic.pngSlides: https://www.psmbrokerage.com/hubfs/The%20Insurance%20Producers%20Guild/IPG_Ep20_Slides.pdfThe Insurance Producers Guild Podcast delivers intelligence for insurance agents looking to stay ahead of industry trends.Follow the show and connect with PSM Brokerage to access tools, training, and support designed to help you grow your business.Learn more: https://www.psmbrokerage.com