In this week's office meeting, we covered the Blue Shield (CA) household discount, Aetna Medicare Supplement prep for AEP and 1/1 effective dates, Manhattan Life's new $3,000 benefit option and more. See the video: To see more of our office…
In the news today, and confirmed by company officials, Mutual of Omaha has sold off its brand new Medicare Advantage program to the sister company of the one who was being paid to administer it for Mutual of Omaha.
See the news below…
The Accendo Medicare Supplement launch was: March 13, 2020 The Accendo Medicare Supplement is the latest carrier to hit the market. Here, we cover all of the details. Accendo is co-owned by Aetna/CVS. <[email protected]@> This means that if you replace…
February 2020: Had an invitation to participate in a Humana Agent Focus Group today and took away a few insights both from Humana and other agents who are doing everything face-to-face. Here were my observations: .llo_6io6b0os13a8253e{width:400px!important;height:224.99971875035158px!important;}.llos.vs_tl,.llos.vs_tr{top:20px!important;bottom:auto!important}.llos{position:fixed!important;z-index:9999999!important}.llos.vs_tl{left:20px!important;right:auto!important}.llos.vs_tr{right:20px!important;left:auto!important}.llos.vs_bl,.llos.vs_br{bottom:20px!important;top:auto!important}.llos.vs_bl{left:20px!important;right:auto!important}.llos.vs_br{right:20px!important;left:auto!important}.llos.vs_xs{width:200px!important}.llos.vs_s{width:300px!important}.llos.vs_m{width:400px!important}.llos.vs_l{width:500px!important}.llos.vs_xl{width:600px!important} void 0===window.lloAddClass&&(window.lloAddClass=function(l,e){-1===l.className.indexOf(e)&&(l.className+=”…
Updates from this week that we spent in Washington, DC and what to expect in Medicare for this AEP and beyond.. {“@context”: “http://schema.org”,”@type”: “VideoObject”,”name”: “DCTrip1″,”description”: “This video contains DCTrip1″,”thumbnailUrl”: “https://embed.vidello.com/71/uushnj3wj97ibahk/video/splash.jpg”,”uploadDate”: “2019-08-29T12:01:16.000Z”,”duration”: 1574.29} NAHU is working on several legislative initiatives….
Cigna was the #1 Medicare Supplement written by independent agents in the last 18 months. This webinar, from Cigna Supplemental Benefits, goes into their product offerings and how to do business with them. {“@context”: “http://schema.org”,”@type”: “VideoObject”,”name”: “Cigna JUL10″,”description”: “This video…
The Mutual of Omaha Sales Leaders trip for 2018 was awesome. We went to Milan, Italy the week before and then met the Mutual trip folks in Killarney, Ireland right after spending St. Patrick's Day in Dublin. What a trip…
After a meeting in Palm Springs with some top producers, I came away with some good news for those in the Medicare business.
On location in San Diego, here's my update on the industry and what's coming.
Remember, we can write a Medicare Supplement up to 6 months prior to their Part B start date.
Some notable exceptions to these include carriers that do not allow it (see your Agent Guides).
We know these to be Anthem, Humana, and Cigna (90 days).
What do you use when they have no Medicare card yet and you're writing a T65 application? See below!
See the video:
A few updates that you should be aware of, involving the CUL (now Manhattan) dental plan, Mutual of Omaha, Aetna, and Bankers Fidelity. Shortcuts to the Updates: Aetna Expansion Update Bankers Fidelity Update CUL Dental Update Mutual of Omaha Expansion…
The new Medicare cards are here. What do you do when you're writing a Turning 65 (T65) person and they do not have their new, cryptic, Medicare card number yet?
That is covered here: https://medicareagenttraining.com/march-2018-medicare-update/
CMS Reveals New Medicare Card Design
Removing Social Security numbers strengthens fraud protections for about 58 million Americans
Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) gave the public its first look at the newly designed Medicare card. The new Medicare card contains a unique, randomly-assigned number that replaces the current Social Security-based number.
CMS will begin mailing the new cards to people with Medicare benefits in April 2018 to meet the statutory deadline for replacing all existing Medicare cards by April 2019. In addition to today’s announcement, people with Medicare will also be able to see the design of the new Medicare card in the 2018 Medicare & You Handbook. The handbooks are being mailed and will arrive throughout September.
“The goal of the initiative to remove Social Security numbers from Medicare cards is to help prevent fraud, combat identify theft, and safeguard taxpayer dollars,” said CMS Administrator Seema Verma. “We’re very excited to share the new design.”
CMS has assigned all people with Medicare benefits a new, unique Medicare number, which contains a combination of numbers and uppercase letters. People with Medicare will receive a new Medicare card in the mail, and will be instructed to safely and securely destroy their current Medicare card and keep their new Medicare number confidential. Issuance of the new number will not change benefits that people with Medicare receive.
Healthcare providers and people with Medicare will be able to use secure look-up tools that will allow quick access to the new Medicare numbers when needed. There will also be a 21-month transition period where doctors, healthcare providers, and suppliers will be able to use either their current SSN-based Medicare Number or their new, unique Medicare number, to ease the transition.
This initiative takes important steps towards protecting the identities of people with Medicare. CMS is also working with healthcare providers to answer their questions and ensure that they have the information they need to make a successful transition to the new Medicare number. For more information, please visit: www.cms.gov/newcard
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Get CMS news at cms.gov/newsroom, sign up for CMS news via email and follow CMS on Twitter @CMSgovPress
Excerpt from https://www.salesgravy.com/sales-articles/automotive/five-lessons-i-learned-at-starbucks.html
“Lesson #1 – Make sure you ask for the business. I have just watched a beggar collect at least $5 worth of donations in the last half hour with a sign that says – “I am saving up for a hooker, weed, wine and a steak dinner.” Not one of the people bothered to read his sign and know what they were even donating for. Not the family man with his wife and children, not the group of older people probably in their 80s, not the business man in the suit, nobody. The beggar obviously learned the power of asking, no matter what.
Lesson #2 – It’s not the money. People pile into Starbucks one after another spending three and four bucks on of a cup coffee. Obviously you can get a cup of coffee at a diner down the street for a lot less money. But yet, people willingly spend a $100 per month or more at Starbucks. Why?
People are buying the experience and the perception of the brand. I am sitting here writing this article in a busy Starbucks and people watching when I could be in the quiet and seclusion of my nice hotel room. The person in the seat next to me is listening to music on an iPod when they could obviously do it for free in the Square with a less expensive cup of coffee. The gentleman in the big living room type chair is reading a novel. People want the experience. Understand your customer and the value they want and the money will become less important. The big three U.S. auto manufacturers give huge rebates, and imports are still kicking their butts. It’s not about the money.”
I'm always surprised with agents who are failing at business discover that it was because they were not asking for the business. They would present options and then just leave it, never politely suggesting that the client move forward with an application.
And, if you feel the product costs too much, it's too hard for them to sign up online with you, or it's crazy for you to ask for their personal information over the phone – so will they. YOUR objection will become their objection. It's true! You have to be convinced, first, that the sale is in their best interest. When you are convinced, get out of your own way – ask for the sale and deserve it and you'll have it.
Approximately 30% of Americans turning 65 are opting for a Medicare “Advantage” plan. In my experience, this most often happens for the following two reasons:
Sadly, there are many situations that we have seen where a Turning 65-senior has chosen one of these “free” Medicare Advantage plans only to have to experience the limitations and large hospital admission co-payments by having a serious illness that takes them into full usage of their chosen plan.
When they were first turning 65, they thought their great health would continue far into their senior years, only to discover that this is the time frame where most all medical claims are experienced in life. Sadly, when they signed up for a Medicare Advantage plan, particularly an HMO plan, they find that the restrictions now imposed on them, the trade off for little or no monthly premium, now can significantly and adversely not only affect their availability of specialty care (replaced with tight networks) but also expose them to more money spent for medical care than their non-“Advantage” plan senior counterparts.
On the contrary, the biggest proponents of Medigap (Medicare Supplement) plans are those who have had to use them with a serious illness. For example, those with a special kind of cancer who can now choose the best cancer treatment centers in America without consequence because their Medicare Supplement plan allows them to go anywhere. Those who would have otherwise been exposed to a $6,700 out-of-pocket cost with their Medicare Advantage plan for a series of hospital admissions who though, because on a SUPPLEMENT plan instead, pay $0 for their admissions and, more importantly, get to CHOOSE their hospital instead of only being able to go to the one that was the lowest bidder that joined the “Advantage” plan's restrictive network.
In an illuminating article by the non-profit Kaiser Family Foundation, the choice of a Medicare Advantage plan when a senior is turning 65 can prove disastrous for future healthcare choices for the rest of a senior's life. See the article here:
http://kff.org/medicare/perspective/traditional-medicare-disadvantaged/
It is very important that now-Medicare-eligible seniors have the full information on the good, the bad, and the possible devastating effects of picking their Medicare plan.
Chris Westfall is an independent Medicare agent and has been a licensed insurance agent for over 20 years.
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