SMS Acquires Fair Square, Betting on AI to Simplify Medicare

OMAHA, Neb. – January 30, 2026 – In a significant move poised to reshape the senior healthcare landscape, insurance marketing powerhouse Senior Market Sales® (SMS) has acquired Fair Square Medicare, a technology-driven brokerage known for its innovative approach to simplifying the Medicare experience. The acquisition signals a strategic pivot for SMS and its parent company, Alliant Insurance Services, toward a future where advanced technology and personalized advocacy are at the forefront of serving America's seniors.

The deal integrates Fair Square’s sophisticated software and high-touch “care navigator” model into SMS’s vast national distribution network, creating a formidable entity that aims to set a new standard for how seniors select and manage their health benefits.

A New Digital Frontier for Medicare Navigation

At the heart of the acquisition is Fair Square Medicare’s proprietary technology, which has earned the company a reputation for both innovation and exceptional customer loyalty. The company boasts a customer retention rate exceeding 90% and a Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 95—a figure that dramatically outpaces the insurance industry average.

This success is built on a platform that goes far beyond simple plan comparison. Fair Square employs a “care navigator” model, using advanced algorithms to help seniors and agents pinpoint the most suitable and cost-effective coverage. Seniors interact with the system through a dedicated portal where they can review benefit information, contact agents, and undergo automated annual reviews to ensure their plan remains optimal as their health needs evolve.

More recently, Fair Square has pushed the technological envelope with the launch of "Vox," a generative AI platform built on GPT-4. Vox is designed to revolutionize the customer journey through three core components:

• AI Voice Agents: An AI agent named "Sophia" currently screens and qualifies potential customers, matching human conversion rates during business hours and quadrupling conversions on after-hours calls at a lower cost. The company plans to expand this to include AI agents for enrollment scripts and health risk assessments.
• Generative AI-Driven Insights: A tool called "Insight" transcribes and audits all customer calls, allowing company leaders to query the data for critical intelligence on everything from customer frustrations to competitor mentions.
• AI-Powered Coaching: The platform analyzes call metrics to provide real-time feedback and coaching to human agents, helping them improve their performance and better address customer needs.

This blend of technology and service is precisely what attracted SMS. “Fair Square Medicare has successfully built a model that combines the efficiency of technology with the empathy of personal service,” said John Haver, President of SMS, in a statement. “Their digital platform is not just about enrollment but also about lifelong engagement and advocacy. We are excited to welcome Daniel Petkevich and his team to the SMS family as we continue to innovate and elevate the standard of service in the Medicare market.”

The Strategic Play Behind the Partnership

For industry analysts, the acquisition is a shrewd strategic move by SMS and parent company Alliant Insurance Services. It represents a clear effort to consolidate power in the highly competitive senior insurance market by integrating a disruptive, tech-forward model. Alliant, which acquired SMS in 2020, has a well-established history of strategic acquisitions designed to absorb specialized expertise and technology.

The partnership is mutually beneficial. SMS gains a proven, best-in-class digital platform that can be offered to its extensive network of independent agents across all 50 states, giving them a significant competitive edge. In return, Fair Square Medicare gains access to the immense scale and resources of SMS and Alliant, including a broader network of insurance carriers and the operational backbone needed to expand its platform nationally.

The move is also a response to a clear market trend. As the Medicare-eligible population grows and becomes more digitally savvy, the demand for transparent, easy-to-use tools is skyrocketing. Traditional brokerage models are being challenged by tech-enabled platforms that promise unbiased advice and a superior customer experience. By acquiring Fair Square, SMS is not just participating in this trend but positioning itself to lead it.

“We started Fair Square with a mission to build a comprehensive care navigator that seniors can trust for the rest of their lives,” said Daniel Petkevich, Founder and CEO of Fair Square Medicare. “Joining SMS and Alliant allows us to supercharge that mission. We now have the backing of these industry leaders to accelerate our product development and reach more seniors with the transparent, technology-backed guidance they deserve.”

Beyond Enrollment: The Promise of Lifelong Advocacy

What truly sets Fair Square’s model apart is its foundational philosophy, which shifts the focus from a one-time sales transaction to a long-term advocacy relationship. The company was founded by Petkevich after he witnessed his own parents struggle to navigate the confusing maze of Medicare options. His goal was to build a brokerage that prioritizes the client’s best interests, even if it means recommending a plan with a lower commission.

This principle is embedded in the company’s algorithms, which sort and present plans based on a senior’s unique budget, health needs, and doctor preferences, rather than on broker compensation. It addresses a common criticism of the industry, where seniors can be steered toward plans that are more lucrative for the agent than beneficial for the member.

This commitment extends far beyond the initial enrollment. The platform’s promise of “lifelong engagement” is delivered through continuous support and proactive annual plan reviews. Each year, the system automatically re-evaluates a member's coverage against new market offerings and their evolving health profile to prevent them from overpaying or being stuck in a suboptimal plan—a common issue for the millions of seniors who find the review process too overwhelming to undertake on their own.

By integrating this consumer-centric and technology-powered model, the combined SMS and Fair Square entity is poised to offer a new level of service. The acquisition is more than a business deal; it represents a fusion of scale and innovation aimed directly at solving one of the biggest challenges in senior healthcare: providing clear, trustworthy, and continuous guidance through the complexities of Medicare.