As Medicare commissions continue to tighten and Medicare Supplement rate increases remain a growing concern, many agents are searching for ways to better protect both their clients and their business. One strategy rapidly gaining traction is ancillary cross-selling — not simply as an additional revenue stream, but as a meaningful way to help clients address coverage gaps they may not even realize exist.
At EMG, we continue to see more successful Medicare agents integrating ancillary products into their overall client strategy. During a recent Medicarians presentation, Joanne Giardini-Russell of Giardini Medicare shared how her agency transformed its approach to ancillary products after experiencing firsthand how quickly a client’s health situation can change.
What began as a missed opportunity became a complete shift in mindset around offering cancer, hospital indemnity, recovery care, and heart attack/stroke coverage.
A Real-Life Reminder
Joanne shared a story that completely reshaped her agency’s process.
An agent submitted a cancer plan application for a client. The very next day, the client went to the emergency room feeling dizzy and left with a glioblastoma diagnosis. Because the policy included a 30-day waiting period, the coverage would not pay out.
Her agency had already been working with the client for months while preparing for his Medicare transition. Looking back, Joanne realized the ancillary conversation should have started much earlier.
Her takeaway was simple:
Ancillary products are not just about commissions — they are often the right thing to do for the client.
Medicare Doesn’t Cover Everything
Many Medicare beneficiaries, especially those enrolling in Plan G or Plan N, assume they are fully covered. However, experienced agents know that significant financial exposure can still exist.
Joanne emphasized that ancillary conversations should focus less on “selling products” and more on educating clients about real-world risks, including:
- Travel expenses during treatment
- Lost income for caregivers
- In-home recovery needs
- Hospital deductibles
- Non-medical costs tied to serious illness
She also pointed out that many clients are simply unaware that products like cancer coverage or short-term recovery care even exist.
Four Core Ancillary Products to Consider
Joanne shared that her agency consistently focuses on four key ancillary categories:
- Cancer plans
- Heart attack and stroke coverage
- Hospital indemnity plans
- Recovery care/short-term care
Recovery care coverage, in particular, continues to gain attention as more families seek alternatives to personally providing care for aging loved ones. These products can help clients pay for in-home assistance following a health event that impacts activities of daily living.
As America’s population continues to age, this need is only expected to grow.
Pairing High-Deductible Plan G with Ancillary Coverage
Another major topic discussed was combining High-Deductible Plan G with ancillary products.
Joanne explained that many consumers misunderstand how High-Deductible Plan G works, often believing clients receive no benefits until the deductible is met. In reality, Original Medicare still pays its share, while the deductible acts as a financial backstop.
Her agency now pairs High-Deductible Plan G with ancillary solutions such as:
- Hospital indemnity coverage to help offset the Part A deductible
- Cancer coverage for major diagnoses
- Recovery care for in-home support
- Heart attack/stroke plans for additional lump-sum protection
According to Joanne, clients have responded positively to this strategy because the overall package can often cost less than a traditional Plan N while helping reduce long-term exposure to Med Supp rate increases.
Ancillary Products Can Help Offset Revenue Pressure
For Medicare agents facing declining commissions and changing Medicare economics, ancillary products are becoming an increasingly important opportunity.
Joanne admitted her agency previously wrote very little ancillary business. In 2024, they sold only 37 ancillary policies through one carrier.
After intentionally building ancillary conversations into their process, production increased significantly:
- 141 plans in 2025
- 156 plans already year-to-date in 2026
She estimated the agency could generate an additional $150,000–$200,000 in commissions from ancillary products this year from one carrier alone.
More importantly, ancillary products helped create stronger, “stickier” client relationships because clients now held multiple policies through the agency.
Make Ancillary Part of the Process
One of Joanne’s strongest messages was that ancillary sales improve when agents simply make them part of their everyday process.
Successful agents consistently:
- Build ancillary into their scripts
- Discuss coverage gaps during needs analysis
- Bring ancillary conversations to still-working 65-year-olds
- Share real-life stories clients can relate to
- Educate clients before health issues arise
Her agency found that once agents became comfortable discussing ancillary products consistently, sales naturally followed.
Final Thoughts
Ancillary cross-selling is quickly becoming more than just an optional add-on for Medicare agents. As commissions tighten and Med Supp rate increases continue, these products can help create new revenue opportunities while also delivering meaningful financial protection for clients.
The biggest takeaway from Joanne’s presentation was clear:
Agents who confidently educate clients about coverage gaps before a health crisis occur position themselves as trusted long-term advisors, not simply plan enrollers.
At EMG, we believe ancillary products play an important role in helping agents better serve their clients while strengthening their business for the future.
We invite you to watch Joanne’s full presentation and explore how ancillary solutions can become part of your Medicare strategy.
Contact our EMG Ancillary Specialist to learn about the Ancillary package recommendations EMG recommends.
