Any Luck Getting Exchange Credit for Florida Blue Business?

[DCooley]

I'm an independent agent appointed with most of the major health carriers. I'm not appointed with Florida Blue because to sell their individual major medical, you have to be a captive agent with them. Has anybody had success getting credit for clients looking to choose a Florida Blue policy through the Exchange? If so, please advise who I should contact/how you were able to set it up. Thanks in advance for any advice

 

[unic.consulting]

I have the same problem here in Massachusetts. BC/BS has huge name recognition, but no incentive for independent agents to give them customers. They have very competitive pricing, so it's hard to convince clients to go anywhere else.

 

[DCooley]

I'm sure this type of thing must be happening all over the country. It's frustrating helping people all the way through the process then to find out they might be picking a carrier we can't get credit from....just another item of the process that wasn't thought through well enough

 

[bluediamond]

You cannot receive credit from any company you are not appointed with.

 

[Yagents]

FL Blue has pretty much always been captive. I thought this law would have placed requirements for all carriers to open up to all independent brokers, so we can actually act as a true "broker". Guess I was wrong. A loss for FL consumers.

But that's all right....... Better networks, plans and prices available with other carriers in most larger FL counties.

 

[Bobster999]

Do you really think most Fl Blue agents are captive?
They can't police you.
They are not supplying your leads.
So for the honor and privilege of
selling their products, you must
sell only theirs? They are not that great of a company.

 

[Yagents]

Obviously there are agents that "sell away", but they won't contract independent agents, and if you can sell away, they require you to give BCBS first right of refusal and position BCBS first to the client, and they do have secret shoppers.

 

[DCooley]

I don't want to get in a pissing match pretending to be captive with BCBSFL, hopefully the state of Florida/insurance industry comes up with a better solution like making every insurer provide 'exchange business appointments' or something of that nature. Obama's always talking about 'common-sense' legislation...well agents being able to get credit for their work helping people get signed up on the Exchange regardless of insurer, is about as common sense as it gets

In the meantime I'm fine losing a few deals to Blue and still being able to sell all the other carriers

 

[Blue]

Florida Blue is the only carrier that is operating in all Florida counties on the exchange. They are the only option in about 34 counties. I am gladly captive for that kind of reach. And if you compare network and price you usually find Blue to be a good value.

 

[Yagents]

I don't sell in the everglades, so u can keep your monopolized counties. Care to explain your EPO, and how it is different from your PPO?