How are brokers paid for level-funded plans? Is it a percentage of the maximum amount (the level-funded amount) or the actual costs?

Neither really. Most carriers pay PEPM and allow the broker to choose the PEPM amount.

Answer from Mark Bellman (specific to UHC): UHC starts off at $30 PEPM, but the broker may want a higher amount if there are a lot of dependents. Brokers can get paid what the market will allow.

Some brokers load the PEPM commission way up to tie the total payment for everything they do to the health insurance if they aren’t getting paid on other stuff. Some get paid 90. Whatever they choose, the client has to sign off on it.