The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against three of the nation's largest Medicare Advantage insurers, CVS Health's Aetna, Elevance Health and Humana, accusing them of paying illegal kickbacks to boost plan enrollments and expand their market share. The complaint, unsealed Thursday, alleges that from 2016 to 2021, the companies paid hundreds of millions of dollars to insurance brokers to steer Medicare beneficiaries toward their plans. DOJ sues Aetna, Humana and Elevance for breaking federal law "Health care companies that attempt to profit from kickbacks will be held accountable," said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Michael Granston of the Justice Department's Civil Division. Medicare Advantage is a federally funded program that allows beneficiaries to choose health plans through private insurers of their choice. Many use brokers to help them select a plan based on their individual health needs.