Carrier Sniping

Lee, I know what you are saying. And yes, carriers view policyholders as THEIR clients and agents are just another cost item.

Where I have a problem is when the carrier pitches a plan that SOUNDS too good to be true without telling them the downside to switching.

You may not be able to keep your doctor

Your new plan may REQUIRE you to use only HMO providers

Your OOP cost may be higher than with your current plan

You may not be able to return to your old plan if you cannot pass underwriting

Maybe POACHING is a more accurate term.

Poaching has been defined as the illegal hunting or capturing of wild animals, usually associated with land use rights.[1]

According to Encyclopædia Britannica, poaching was performed by impoverished peasants for subsistence purposes and a supplement for meager diets.[2] Poaching was as well set against the hunting privileges of nobility and territorial rulers.[3] By contrast, stealing domestic animals (as in cattle raiding, for example) classifies as theft, not as poaching.[4]
 
Lee, I know what you are saying. And yes, carriers view policyholders as THEIR clients and agents are just another cost item.

Where I have a problem is when the carrier pitches a plan that SOUNDS too good to be true without telling them the downside to switching.

You may not be able to keep your doctor

Your new plan may REQUIRE you to use only HMO providers

Your OOP cost may be higher than with your current plan

You may not be able to return to your old plan if you cannot pass underwriting

Maybe POACHING is a more accurate term.

Poaching has been defined as the illegal hunting or capturing of wild animals, usually associated with land use rights.[1]

According to Encyclopædia Britannica, poaching was performed by impoverished peasants for subsistence purposes and a supplement for meager diets.[2] Poaching was as well set against the hunting privileges of nobility and territorial rulers.[3] By contrast, stealing domestic animals (as in cattle raiding, for example) classifies as theft, not as poaching.[4]

I do not disagree with you one bit, in fact you have seen my similar posts in the benefits forum. The purpose of my post was for others, I realize you are aware of this. Take care my friend.
 
Mutual of Omaha is a bit underhanded as well. Their tactic, which I've personally experienced is to send option for an existing Living Promises client to purchase more insurance at a discounted rate. Well, that rate was not available through the agent, only direct. I am the agent on that client's Living Promises plan. The client called me when they got the letter. When I called MOO, they informed me, that yes, I'm cut out of the deal. (but thanks for sending us the business)

Many of these companies undercut the agents.
I would have told them, "Enjoy.. It is the last you will get from me. And if I find a way to roll this one, I will."
 
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Maybe POACHING is a more accurate term..]

Let's make it plain. It's theft because it violates the reasonable expectations we had when we signed the contract.

Fortunately, I've only had clients stolen by my upline in one situation. The culprit was the ACA market place. They stopped this practice, but for about 2 years, if a client called in to change their address (or anything else) they were routed to an in-house broker who took the business.

Other agents, however, often misrepresent how Medicare works in my state.

In Connecticut, MAPD is often better but other agents read from the same script they use for the rest of the country.

We have some unique regs here.

Even some Connecticut agents are unaware of them or choose to sell Medigap even when it's not in their client's best interest. (It's a lot less service work for the agent, so I can see why.)

All supplements are GI. (So, no denials. And no pre-ex unless you've had a lapse in coverage.)

All supplements are community rated. (So, 65 and 95 pay the same rate.)

Virtually everyone has been in a 5-star SEP 12 months of the year for the last three years. (So, my Connecticut residents can move from MAPD to PDP 12 months of the year.)

So you're only at risk for what can happen to you one month at a time until and unless there are no 5 star plans or they change the state regs. They just announced Blue Cross will have a 5 star PDP for 2019.

There is one easy to overlook problem with MAPD. It isn't portable. Each year, I have to make sure I ask my clients if they plan to leave the state . I can switch them to a Medigap plan just before they move if they tell me.

Any other states have similar regulations?
 
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I hate this too, They def don't abide by the rules either, I had another situation I wrote an MA plan for Husb and wife that moved outside the service are of previous MA plan.

I have seen it on every test you cannot contact clients who have disenrolled from plan to sign them up again

However previous MA plan had multiple people contact my client even though there was no plan for them to sell after about 2 months they finally got it there is no plan for them to sell

However in 2019 they have a new plan in the area and they have been hounding him since 10/01 about the new plan, I will sign him into it but they still keep calling although he told them to stop, any times

Hey Bob if need be you can use the trial right for GI on plan F or previous plan and carrier, If they disenrolled from Medsupp to MA for the first time and in the first year, the Only issue is commission, unfortunately, Nothing worse then resigning a client was previously getting paid on for no pay to fix someone else's mistake.
 
Another reason why its impossible to coast on residuals.

I have a small book and still have 22 clients facing terminated plans from UHC (NYC) this year.

I had a strong year so far with the LIS/DUAL market but still going to have to hustle to increase my residuals for 2019
 
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