AEP Over - No Prescription Cards or Confirmation Letter

[insurance0707]

Now that AEP is over and people have made their changes on their prescription coverage what will all of you guys do next week when people start calling you needing to have prescriptions filled. I've already had a few calls on this.

The clients have not received their cards, they have not received a confirmation letter. These are on people that I faxed their applications in about 3 weeks ago.

It doesn't appear that the insurance companies had anyone working over the holidays or the weekend to try and get caught up.

I wrote a lot of the Coventry prescription plans. I'm hoping that tracking # on the bottom right hand corner of the application can help them out at the pharmacy. Has Coventry let anyone know what their policyholders should do that haven't received any kind of confirmation or cards?

 

[retread]

Now that AEP is over and people have made their changes on their prescription coverage what will all of you guys do next week when people start calling you needing to have prescriptions filled. I've already had a few calls on this.

The clients have not received their cards, they have not received a confirmation letter. These are on people that I faxed their applications in about 3 weeks ago.

It doesn't appear that the insurance companies had anyone working over the holidays or the weekend to try and get caught up.

I wrote a lot of the Coventry prescription plans. I'm hoping that tracking # on the bottom right hand corner of the application can help them out at the pharmacy. Has Coventry let anyone know what their policyholders should do that haven't received any kind of confirmation or cards?

The standard reply goes for all plans: "Use your copy of the application as proof of insurance until you receive your membership ID card.'

Everyone should know this. What do you expect for someone who signs up on 12/31? This is not new... this happens every year.

I have had a few pharmacists that have a problem with this, but it is just laziness on their part. They don't want to call in to confirm coverage. Poor guys. Life is so hard.

 

[Josh]

I don't work with Coventry but I do know that a lot of pharmacies can give out a week supply of a drug while they're waiting for the ID cards to get processed. Often times a pharmacy also has a better contact number with the plans than an agent, so they tend to be able to expedite things better.

 

[retread]

I don't work with Coventry but I do know that a lot of pharmacies can give out a week supply of a drug while they're waiting for the ID cards to get processed. Often times a pharmacy also has a better contact number with the plans than an agent, so they tend to be able to expedite things better.

It's the same number, just a different option.... and the CSRs on the other end field a wide range of problems for agents, whereas the questions pharmacies ask are few and simple.

 

[insurance0707]

The standard reply goes for all plans: "Use your copy of the application as proof of insurance until you receive your membership ID card.'

Everyone should know this. What do you expect for someone who signs up on 12/31? This is not new... this happens every year.

I have had a few pharmacists that have a problem with this, but it is just laziness on their part. They don't want to call in to confirm coverage. Poor guys. Life is so hard.

These people enrolled 3 weeks prior to 12/31/08 and still have nothing. They're not showing up in the Coventry App tracker either. I did tell them to use their copy of the application when they go into the pharmacy, I'm just concerned because they're not showing up in the app tracker either and these were sent in sometime ago.

 

[retread]

These people enrolled 3 weeks prior to 12/31/08 and still have nothing. They're not showing up in the Coventry App tracker either. I did tell them to use their copy of the application when they go into the pharmacy, I'm just concerned because they're not showing up in the app tracker either and these were sent in sometime ago.

The App Tracker is just becoming available to independents and Coventry is having some implementation problems. Don't look to it as official or complete info. Only the regional office has the official report of applications received. I have been paid on some applications that are not showing on the App Tracker, and yet many on the App Tracker are not being shown on my payment schedule.

It is a welcome tool, but is a work in progress.

Yes, I even have had bad info from the regional office on some clients. One had been terminated and I would not have known if the client had not called and asked me to check for her. She had mailed in her app on 11/15 and did not hear from Coventry and it was now in the latter part of December... Ended up I had to get another app submitted for her.... glad it was caught before the deadline because she had never had a MA plan prior. When I queried the HO about her app, they said they were missing the last page of the app! Everyone knows the Coventry apps are melded together, so someone at the office had to have separated the pages. They replied that it was "lost". Well, when I got to the client's home again, I asked to see her copy of the original app... she had signed but failed to date it. I think this may have been the start of the problem.

This type of problem will continue next year for the pre-enrollment period unless CMS makes some changes. Coventry now allows online enrollment, (didn't come until the last week of the AEP) but CMS rules do not provide for the pre-enrollment period anyway. Perhaps the online enrollment next year will reduce the overload, and allow problems like this to surface earlier in the AEP by agents utilizing the App Tracker.

Can you see why I am so pleased with the introduction of the App Tracker? I think you will see a better system in place next AEP.

 

[MedSuppPro]

How did you submit your applications? Did you mail them? Looks like you've got a lot of phone work next week.

The tracking number is just that. It goes with each page to ID each page while it is tracked through the various home office handlers. It is not an ID#, bin# or anything beyond an application tracking number.

 

[retread]

How did you submit your applications? Did you mail them? Looks like you've got a lot of phone work next week.

The tracking number is just that. It goes with each page to ID each page while it is tracked through the various home office handlers. It is not an ID#, bin# or anything beyond an application tracking number.

Had no choice but to have clients mail in apps done in pre-enrollment (prior to 11/15).

During AEP, faxed most... and I live just a couple of blocks from the RO. Occasionally I hand deliver, but only when I feel it necessary.

I will be trying out the online enrollment during OEP, but recognize the issue of not having a copy of the app. I need to work on this.

I would not do telephone enrollment unless it was the last possible choice. I keep a copy of the instructions in my Sales Notebook, but have never used it.

Have had great success with leaving app to be mailed in by client.... most follow thru. They just don't like pushy salesmen and I don't blame them. I trust them and they appreciate it. Those few that don't mail in their app, I call and ask if they forgot (usually not, just changed their mind... that's OK with me) ...I still have a copy of the unsigned app, which I will use for followup, either in the OEP or next AEP. I haven't calculated the exact close ratio, but my gut says 80% or better, and that includes some Not Qualified (NQ). (Can you believe it? I got some appointments made for me with people not even enrolled in Medicare!)

I use a typed out script (which I TRY to stick to). I make notes in the script and keep it, along with a copy of the app in my files. I have a LOT of information collected... good thing I have a good computer CRM program (YIO) to store it all! (Thanks again, Frank!)
----------------------------------------------------------------

BTW... I note the time on each page of my script to track how long each page takes.... my complete presentation takes 2 hours. Every one of my clients complements me on the presentation.... I am up front with the time I require. If they demand I shorten it, I know what part to skip. The shortest presentation I made was 55 minutes, and that was to someone who was formerly an insurance agent.

One presentation I made with a client on referral, I was suddenly confronted with someone from Social Security and he brought along someone from Humana! They were blown away!

I can't begin to tell you how important it is to document everything you say!

 

[Russ]

Now that AEP is over and people have made their changes on their prescription coverage what will all of you guys do next week when people start calling you needing to have prescriptions filled. I've already had a few calls on this.

The clients have not received their cards, they have not received a confirmation letter. These are on people that I faxed their applications in about 3 weeks ago.

It doesn't appear that the insurance companies had anyone working over the holidays or the weekend to try and get caught up.

I wrote a lot of the Coventry prescription plans. I'm hoping that tracking # on the bottom right hand corner of the application can help them out at the pharmacy. Has Coventry let anyone know what their policyholders should do that haven't received any kind of confirmation or cards?

I had a lady call me yesterday(Friday 01-02-09...that I had written a PDP plan on with Coventry on 12-15-2008), that went to her pharmacy and the copy of the application wouldn't work for her to get her prescriptions filled. I called the agent # with Coventry, 1-866-823-5177. Fortunately for me, a lady answered that knew what the heck to do. She gave me this number, 1-800-922-1557, for the pharmacy to call. She said all the pharmacy had to do was give the persons name and DOB and it would go through. I know it worked...I never heard back from the lady.

By the way, this ladies application had been approved for a 1-1-09 effective date.


Reading some of the other posts in this thread, I can honestly say I've never left an application with someone for them to mail in in my 24+ years in insurance. I'd rather mail it in myself.

 

[retread]

I had a lady call me yesterday(Friday 01-02-09...that I had written a PDP plan on with Coventry on 12-15-2008), that went to her pharmacy and the copy of the application wouldn't work for her to get her prescriptions filled. I called the agent # with Coventry, 1-866-823-5177. Fortunately for me, a lady answered that knew what the heck to do. She gave me this number, 1-800-922-1557, for the pharmacy to call. She said all the pharmacy had to do was give the persons name and DOB and it would go through. I know it worked...I never heard back from the lady.

By the way, this ladies application had been approved for a 1-1-09 effective date.


Reading some of the other posts in this thread, I can honestly say I've never left an application with someone for them to mail in in my 24+ years in insurance. I'd rather mail it in myself.

Good for you! My style is low key... I don't push. If the client wants time to think on it overnite, so what... they realize that I am not there to shove something off on them, and the next day they mail it in. They like to feel they are in control.... they want to buy, they don't want to be sold.

Besides, Missouri is known to be the "Show Me" state.... that speaks volumes for the skepticism inherent in the population.

Thanks for the alternate phone #.... the one given in the client brochure is 1-866-823-4646... and of course the number for Caremark is obsolete because of the change to Medco. BTW Medco's CSR # is 866-544-7081...