Are Call-In Centers ramming clients?

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ok...anyone have any idea how those phone enrollments work for MA's?

Client sees ad on tv and the 800 #, so he calls in to get more information. At this point, what happens?

reason I ask, a new Med Supp client of mine called yesterday. He had just received an Advantra card. He had no recollection of enrolling on the phone, he has no computer so online is out, and no agent came by.

We called Coventry...long story short...he was enrolled by their phone call-in service, named Dial-America. Not what he wanted. He also never received any brochures in the mail. In his area there are 2 plan choices. A zero-premium and a $98/mo plan. They enrolled him in the premium plan.

Q?...Are they getting sensitive info upfront, like SS/Medi #. DOB, name and address and automatically enrolling without clients' knowledge? (I know, I know, I should call in and see for myself. May just do that, curiosity is killing me)...The point is...if they are doing that, maybe that's the real complaint by the public, and us agents being discriminated against.

Thoughts, anyone?
 
ok...anyone have any idea how those phone enrollments work for MA's?

Client sees ad on tv and the 800 #, so he calls in to get more information. At this point, what happens?

reason I ask, a new Med Supp client of mine called yesterday. He had just received an Advantra card. He had no recollection of enrolling on the phone, he has no computer so online is out, and no agent came by.

We called Coventry...long story short...he was enrolled by their phone call-in service, named Dial-America. Not what he wanted. He also never received any brochures in the mail. In his area there are 2 plan choices. A zero-premium and a $98/mo plan. They enrolled him in the premium plan.

Q?...Are they getting sensitive info upfront, like SS/Medi #. DOB, name and address and automatically enrolling without clients' knowledge? (I know, I know, I should call in and see for myself. May just do that, curiosity is killing me)...The point is...if they are doing that, maybe that's the real complaint by the public, and us agents being discriminated against.

Thoughts, anyone?

I can't imagine someone being enrolled through a call center without their approval. These phone conversations are recorded and can be reviewed by CMS. I'd have the client contact Coventry and ask to hear the recorded conversation where he agreed to the enrollment. I'd also have him contact Medicare and explain that was not his intention. Just another reason we now have a moratorium.
 
The Dial America Center is here in Charleston, SC. I was going to work there until they told me how much they wanted to pay me as an agent. I passed. Although I did have some floor time to listen to calls. Seniors call in when they see a ad on TV. It's completely in-bound, there are no outgoing calls. Your Senior would have called and given information.
 
Yes he did give them information. I'm just wondering if he did that blissfully ignorant of what was going on, or intending to sign up and now suffering from SEVERE Senior Moments.

I still haven't called those centers.
 
Prior to the PFFS shut down, my understanding is that Humana always tried to set an appointment for an agent to come out, but would enroll them if they insisted.

If people have a hard time understanding something in person, how in the $%&# are they going to understand it over the phone?
 
I can't imagine someone being enrolled through a call center without their approval. These phone conversations are recorded and can be reviewed by CMS. I'd have the client contact Coventry and ask to hear the recorded conversation where he agreed to the enrollment. I'd also have him contact Medicare and explain that was not his intention. Just another reason we now have a moratorium.

Yes the calls are monitored and some of the companies have verification, but my understanding is that one of the CMS/AHIP initiatives is to have verification done by some kind of independent third party.
 
ok...anyone have any idea how those phone enrollments work for MA's?

Client sees ad on tv and the 800 #, so he calls in to get more information. At this point, what happens?

reason I ask, a new Med Supp client of mine called yesterday. He had just received an Advantra card. He had no recollection of enrolling on the phone, he has no computer so online is out, and no agent came by.

We called Coventry...long story short...he was enrolled by their phone call-in service, named Dial-America. Not what he wanted. He also never received any brochures in the mail. In his area there are 2 plan choices. A zero-premium and a $98/mo plan. They enrolled him in the premium plan.

Q?...Are they getting sensitive info upfront, like SS/Medi #. DOB, name and address and automatically enrolling without clients' knowledge? (I know, I know, I should call in and see for myself. May just do that, curiosity is killing me)...The point is...if they are doing that, maybe that's the real complaint by the public, and us agents being discriminated against.

Thoughts, anyone?


I have wondered about this too, especially after encountering a woman who claimed not to know that her and her husband had been enrolled in Pyramid. She said an agent came by and talked but that she did not enroll and that her husband was not even there. I had just happened to see the welcome kit on her counter. But somehow they must have gotten their SS/Medicare #, DOB, etc. to process the enrollment.
 
I went to this MA mtg today, and learned a

few things. They said over 8 million people have signed up for MA's to date. And that the reason most of those 2700 complaints originated came from seniors who were enrolled while calling for information.

He said some of the changes we will see is: no more phone enrollment centers, no mailing of enrollment kits...instead, referrals will be given to active agents for home appts. Agent must see them in person.

Phone verifications will be made after faxed and mailed in apps are received. A list of current providers used by client m,ust be filled out by agent while there so co can call these offices and verify/sign up these medical providers. This should cut down on the confusion and declines.

No online certification.....must attend class. blah, blah....

get ready....changes in the wind WHOOOSH
 
How is AARP going to get into the MA business if there is going to be no more mail or phone enrollment?

If the member demands an enrollment kit or phone enrollment because they cannot get an agent to come see them (i.e. lives in a remote area), I don't see how CMS is going to outlaw that.

My understanding was that Humana would only enroll someone in a MA over the phone if they insisted and would always push for the appointment. Don't know about other companies.
 
Good Question? Wish I had thought of that while there...I love to annoy those know-it-alls who don't know at all.

Since AARP/UHC are running this thru an association, are the rules different? Kind of like group insurance?

Maybe it was just a sales story....the shlemeil.....
 
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