Choosing an FMO: 12 Questions to Ask
Pay is capped by CMS and set by the carrier, so most FMOs look alike on paper. Contract terms, support and tools are where they differ. Use this checklist to compare them.
What an FMO Does for You
A field marketing organization (FMO) sits between the insurance carriers and independent agents. It handles your carrier contracting and appointments, passes along carrier training and materials, and supports you with tools, marketing and service. Carriers pay the FMO separately for that work. Your own commission is set by your contract with the carrier and, for Medicare Advantage and Part D, capped by CMS each year.
Because the carrier sets the commission, many FMOs can offer you the same top-level pay. The real differences are in the contract terms, the support and the tools. That's what the questions below are for.
12 Questions to Ask Any FMO
Ask every FMO you're considering, including us, and get the important answers in writing.
Who pays me, and how?
For each carrier, is your contract direct pay (the carrier pays you) or an assignment to the agency? Ask for the commission schedule in writing.
Is anything taken out of my check?
Carriers pay the FMO separately from you. Ask whether any fee, split or lead cost comes out of your commission.
Are my renewals vested?
From day one? What happens to renewals if you leave, if the contract ends for cause, or if you die? Who is your successor or beneficiary?
What is your release policy?
Will they sign a release when you ask, with no fee or conditions? Does it cover your downline? Get it in writing.
Who is the top of my hierarchy?
For each carrier, which organization sits at the top, and who earns overrides on your business?
What survives if I leave?
Chargebacks, offsets, lead debts, non-solicit and non-compete clauses. Read the scope and the length.
Who owns my client data?
Your CRM records, call recordings and notes. Can you export them? Recordings have to be kept six years.
How do you support compliance?
Scope of Appointment and call-recording tools, TPMO disclaimer scripts, marketing review and help with annual certification.
How fast is contracting?
How long does a typical carrier contract take, and which carriers and states can they get you into?
What tools do I get, and what do they cost?
CRM, quoting, enrollment, marketing. Which are included and which are paid add-ons?
Who answers when something breaks?
A stuck application, a missing commission, a client complaint during AEP. Who do you call, and how fast do they answer?
What training is there?
Is it live and ongoing, or a library you're left alone with? Is it about selling, or just product?
Slow Down If You Hear This
"We'll pay you more than the max."
CMS caps per-enrollment agent pay on Medicare Advantage and Part D every year. No FMO can lift that ceiling.
"Sign today, read later."
Any contract that controls your renewals or your release deserves a full read, and a lawyer if you're unsure.
"Releases? We don't really do those."
If an FMO won't explain how you'd leave, assume leaving will be hard.
Leads with strings attached
Lead programs that create debt you owe back, or that come off your commission, can follow you after you leave.
No compliance help
Recording, Scope of Appointment and disclaimer rules apply to every call. You need tools and people who know them.
Nobody picks up in October
Ask other agents how fast the FMO answered during last AEP.
How Brock Partners Stacks Up
Ask us all 12. Here are the ones we hear most.
Your commission
Carriers pay you directly at your contract level. Brock is paid separately by the carrier, and nothing is deducted from your check. See 2027 commission rates.
Your tools
GoGuruX for marketing, client records, calls, texts, quoting and enrollment. Brock Portal for contracting, commissions, compliance and production tracking.
Your training
Free live sessions with Justin Brock and the team Monday through Thursday, the Resource Hub library, and in-person bootcamps in Tupelo. See everything.
Agent Questions
What is the difference between an FMO and an IMO?
In Medicare, the names overlap. FMO (field marketing organization) and IMO (independent marketing organization) both describe an agency that contracts agents with carriers and supports them. Some are national, some regional. Compare them on contract terms, support and tools, not on the label.
Does joining an FMO lower my commission?
It shouldn't. Carriers pay the FMO separately, and many FMOs contract agents at the carrier's top level. Ask whether any fee, split or lead cost is taken out of your commission, and get the answer in writing.
Can I keep my renewals if I change FMOs?
It depends on your contracts. Many carriers keep paying renewals on existing business to the writing agent, but vesting and release terms vary. Read your current agreements and each carrier's transfer rules before you request a release.
How many FMOs should I work with?
Each carrier usually allows you in only one hierarchy at a time. Many agents keep all their Medicare contracts under one FMO so support, reporting and compliance tools are in one place.
Printable Version in the Resource Hub
Brock agents can download a PDF of this guide, plus our state playbooks and California guides, from the Resource Hub. Sign in with your NPN and email.
Put Us to
the Test
Ask us every question on this list. Our team will walk you through contracts, carriers and levels in your states.
Book a CallPrefer the phone? Call 662-844-3300.
For licensed insurance agents. General information as of October 18, 2026, drawn from federal and state sources; rules change, so confirm with CMS, the carrier or the state insurance department before advising a client. Not legal or tax advice. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. government or the federal Medicare program.