It’s anyone’s guess the extent to which the end of a five-year ban on contingent commissions for the nation’s largest insurance brokers will affect sales in the worksite market.

But one scenario is clear: It will not be business as usual at a time when the push for transparent pricing has eclipsed fees used to entice producers to place a carrier’s coverage based on volume or profitability.

Two of the top three industry players, Aon Corp. and Willis Group Holdings Inc., have indicated they will not resume this controversial practice, despite a green light from regulators in New York, Connecticut and Illinois to do so and the temptation to restore a lost revenue stream.

Marsh & McLennan Companies spokeswoman Christine Walton recently was quoted as saying that the firm “is committed to integrity and transparency and serving our clients’ best interests.”

While each of those brokerage houses, as well as Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., were prohibited from accepting these fees since Jan. 1, 2005, the rule did not apply to middle-market and smaller brokers.

Big brokers cried foul, arguing that they should have applied to the entire industry, and critics saw the potential for conflicts of interest tied to high-end commissions at the expense of quality assurance.

Still, contingency compensation hasn’t been a driving factor among members of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America in Washington, D.C., known as the “Big I,” reports Dave Evans, the group’s senior vice president. He cites product offerings, leveraging technology for ease of doing business and assistance with enrollments as more important “assuming that compensation was very similar among carriers.”

Officials who lifted the ban in their respective states believe the time is right to level the playing field for all brokers, regardless of their size. As part of these settlements, big brokers will be required to disclose any back-end payment arrangements with insurers.

Gallagher resumed accepting contingent income last October under an agreement with Illinois regulators, and as a result, expects to generate about $10 million a year by 2011.

But Willis halted the practice in 2004 to focusing on building client trust and Aon hasn’t missed the old model, noting that revenues grew 13% to $7.6 billion from $6.7 billion between fiscal years 2006 and 2009. Marsh reportedly collected $845 million in contingent fees in 2003, representing 12% of brokerage revenue, and another $420 million midway through the following year.

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