What is the crucial differentiator between a SHINE Counselor and a Private Insurance Agent regarding advice?

SHINE counselors are unbiased because they do not sell products or receive commissions, unlike agents

The core value proposition of the SHINE service is its commitment to unbiased counseling, which is fundamentally supported by its compensation structure. Counselors operate without commissions or sales quotas because they are generally representatives of state or local agencies or partner organizations that do not sell insurance products. This neutrality ensures that the advice provided is rooted solely in the beneficiary’s assessed needs. In contrast, private insurance agents are commission-based on the products they sell (like Medicare Advantage or Medigap), which inherently introduces a bias toward plans that yield them compensation, potentially skewing recommendations away from the beneficiary's absolute best fit.