U.S. Prosecutors Accuse Large Insurers of Paying Kickbacks for Private Medicare Plans

The Justice Department has formally accused three prominent health insurers—Aetna, Elevance Health, and Humana—of engaging in illegal kickback schemes from 2016 to 2021. These companies allegedly paid substantial sums to brokers who directed Medicare beneficiaries, including those with disabilities, toward their private Medicare plans. This practice not only raises ethical concerns but also implies discrimination against disabled individuals, as it was believed that providing coverage for this group would incur higher costs. Alongside this, brokers like eHealth, GoHealth, and SelectQuote are also implicated in the misconduct, which undermines trust in the Medicare enrollment process.

The Justice Department has accused three major health insurers of illegally paying kickbacks to brokers for steering Medicare beneficiaries into private plans, raising concerns over discrimination against disabled individuals.

Federal prosecutors claim that Aetna, Elevance Health, and Humana engaged in a scheme of kickbacks from 2016 to 2021, undermining the integrity of Medicare enrollment.

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