---
title: NAIFA’s Medicare Collective Stresses the Value of Agents in CMS Meeting
description: NAIFA’s Medicare Collective emphasizes the crucial role of agents in Medicare and advocates for better compensation to protect consumers, as discussed in their meeting with CMS officials.
---

[NAIFA's Advocacy in Action (AIA) Blog ](https://advocacy.naifa.org/news)

# [NAIFA’s Medicare Collective Stresses the Value of Agents in CMS Meeting](https://advocacy.naifa.org/news/naifas-medicare-collective-stresses-the-value-of-agents-in-cms-meeting)

 Written by [NAIFA](https://advocacy.naifa.org/news/author/naifa) | 11/13/25 8:17 PM

Representatives of NAIFA’s [Medicare Collective](https://lhc.naifa.org/medicare), an initiative of the Lifetime Healthcare Center, met with officials from the [Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services](https://www.cms.gov/) (CMS) to discuss the role of brokers and agents in providing vital guidance, services, and protections to consumers in the Medicare space. They presented the Collective’s plan to work with CMS and insurance carriers to ensure Medicare beneficiaries receive the best possible coverage and care in these challenging times. They also addressed rising concerns that the failure to adequately compensate agents for their work would harm consumers by leaving them vulnerable to misinformation or without competent, personalized assistance as they navigate complex coverage options, plans, and regulations.

In introductory remarks, [Dr. Darwin Hale](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-darwin-hale-836a4213/), CEO & Founder [Advocate Health Advisors](https://www.advocatehealthadvisors.com/), offered an overview of the Medicare Collective’s mission to support insurance and financial professionals specializing in Medicare solutions and help them enhance their expertise on the complexities of healthcare-related products and regulations. He also stressed that Medicare Collective members can serve as a valuable resource to CMS.

“Our members see firsthand which programs work and which do not,” said [Carroll Golden](https://www.linkedin.com/in/carrollgolden/), Executive Director for NAIFA’s Knowledge Centers and the Collective. “Together CMS and the NAIFA Medicare Collective can improve protections for beneficiaries in a way neither one can separately.”

Representing NAIFA at the meeting were Dr. Hale; [Stephen Kaplan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/skap5440/), Chief Legal, Compliance, Privacy & Policy Officer [HealthPlanOne](https://www.hpone.com/), LLC; [Chris Houlihan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/christophermhoulihan/), [AmeriLife](https://amerilife.com/) Chief of Staff; and [Craig Ritter](https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigritter/), CEO [Ritter Insurance Marketing](https://ritterim.com/), LLC, an Integrity Company; along with Golden, NAIFA Senior Vice President for Government Relations [Diane Boyle](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianerboyle/), and Senior Director for Government Relations [Michael Hedge](https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-hedge-jr-259b217/).

The [Medicare Collective Advisory Council ](https://lhc.naifa.org/mc-advisory-council)members closed the meeting by asking for future collaborations to assist CMS in executing the vision of CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz as unveiled in his recent speech to the Better Medicare Alliance.

[View full post](https://advocacy.naifa.org/news/naifas-medicare-collective-stresses-the-value-of-agents-in-cms-meeting)

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