The 3 Biggest Lies in the ICHRA Industry

Don't buy the lie. Learn how third-party platforms use misinformation to steal your Agent of Record (AOR).

Lie #1: ICHRA is Too Complicated for Brokers

ICHRA is being intentionally framed as operationally overwhelming by tech platforms looking to replace you. It is presented as something that requires layers of intermediaries to execute. In reality, ICHRA is a structured, logical process. When broken into the right steps—contribution strategy, class design, quoting, and payment integration—it becomes highly efficient. Complexity is not the barrier; a lack of transparent software is.

Lie #2: You Must Give Up Your Agent of Record (AOR)

This is one of the most dangerous ideas in the market today. There is absolutely nothing inherent in the ICHRA regulations that requires a broker to give up their AOR. Giving up AOR is a structural requirement made by predatory platforms and TPAs, not the IRS. When you give up AOR, you lose control of the client relationship, the renewal cycle, and the long-term enterprise value of your agency.

Lie #3: Your Income Will Shrink

Many brokers are being shown a "new model" that replaces their standard commissions with meager referral fees or per-member-per-month (PMPM) payouts. That only happens when control shifts away from the broker to a third-party platform. When you use an agent-first platform like ICHRA Masters, you retain your AOR, maintain your full commission streams, and keep 100% of what you earn.