selfgen
Super Genius
Any Aetna member that had agreed to receive their documents digitally instead of through the regular postal service was recently sent an email stating that their ANOC for 2025 would soon be sent via EMAIL ONLY.
I don't think this is a good idea; not at all. It should be required that important documents such as ANOC be sent through regular mail.
In the past, plans mailed the ANOC booklet in clear plastic and it was very noticeable and it stood out from the rest of the mail that people are sent.
This year it's more important than ever before that members are aware of the changes their plan is making for 2025. people are going to overlook the email, I know it's going to happen. I am sure that in a lot of cases, the agent, not the member, may have requested digital documents. Remember, nowadays it's often that people are not even aware their plan has been switched. Personally, I have spent a lot of time this year getting my clients back on their original plan because some telemarketer switched them. But not all of these telemarketing victims have an agent.
So, a lot of people are not going to see their ANOC; they are not going to know that their stand alone PDP is having a substantial premium increase, or that it won't be covering one of their medications, etc. The deadline will pass and in January they will find out that it's too late to change their PDP.
It should be a requirement that ANOCs are mailed out to all members, regardless of what their communication preferences are.
This just might save a few catastrophes from happening. It won't solve all problems, but people who may have otherwise ignored or overlooked an email, might see that booklet in the mail and open it up and read it and understand what they need to do.
Emails just don't warrant the same attention that a booklet wrapped in clear plastic arriving in the mail does. Members are much more likely to read this booklet than they are to see the email and try to download some pdf version of the booklet and then attempt to read it on their cell phone or something.
Trust me, this is not good. So many people don't have an agent; especially when it's just for a stand alone PDP. I can promise you that thousands of Medicare beneficiaries are going to get burned; The government should make it mandatory that ANOCs are mailed out to members each year. I am shocked that Aetna is being allowed to do this. I am shocked that Aetna would think this is a good idea.
I don't think this is a good idea; not at all. It should be required that important documents such as ANOC be sent through regular mail.
In the past, plans mailed the ANOC booklet in clear plastic and it was very noticeable and it stood out from the rest of the mail that people are sent.
This year it's more important than ever before that members are aware of the changes their plan is making for 2025. people are going to overlook the email, I know it's going to happen. I am sure that in a lot of cases, the agent, not the member, may have requested digital documents. Remember, nowadays it's often that people are not even aware their plan has been switched. Personally, I have spent a lot of time this year getting my clients back on their original plan because some telemarketer switched them. But not all of these telemarketing victims have an agent.
So, a lot of people are not going to see their ANOC; they are not going to know that their stand alone PDP is having a substantial premium increase, or that it won't be covering one of their medications, etc. The deadline will pass and in January they will find out that it's too late to change their PDP.
It should be a requirement that ANOCs are mailed out to all members, regardless of what their communication preferences are.
This just might save a few catastrophes from happening. It won't solve all problems, but people who may have otherwise ignored or overlooked an email, might see that booklet in the mail and open it up and read it and understand what they need to do.
Emails just don't warrant the same attention that a booklet wrapped in clear plastic arriving in the mail does. Members are much more likely to read this booklet than they are to see the email and try to download some pdf version of the booklet and then attempt to read it on their cell phone or something.
Trust me, this is not good. So many people don't have an agent; especially when it's just for a stand alone PDP. I can promise you that thousands of Medicare beneficiaries are going to get burned; The government should make it mandatory that ANOCs are mailed out to members each year. I am shocked that Aetna is being allowed to do this. I am shocked that Aetna would think this is a good idea.
