CMS Advocating.Churning ?

Hank

Expert
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OK..... I was on the website, www.medicare.gov, tonight and right there near the bottom is this little ad that tells about annual open enrollment and it says,

"Plans change. People change.
Shop and Compare now."​

I kid you not... check it out. They want people to compare.​


I just found this a little ironic...... don't you ?? :err:
 
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Re: CMS Advocating..... churning ?????

OK..... I was on the website, www.medicare.gov, tonight and right there near the bottom is this little ad that tells about annual open enrollment and it says,

"Plans change. People change.
Shop and Compare now."​

I kid you not... check it out. They want people to compare.​



I just found this a little ironic...... don't you ?? :err:



On the other side of that i learned today from MIPPA training that if you call an existing client that you had enrolled in another MA plan it is non-complaint to call that beneficiary with the motivation of any financial gain.

So CMS wants to promote the many choices people have in trying to select the least crappy , convoluted and confusing Advantage Plan ( whatever the hell Advantage is suppose to mean ) while the agents are on call to help explain and interpret the plan they want to shop that day.

I thought that's what they have Elder Affairs and Shine for.​
 
Re: CMS Advocating..... churning ?????

This is where the gray area comes in.

Are you calling them to change plans? Or are you calling them for a review that you are now doing every year with your clients? Hmm...
 
Re: CMS Advocating..... churning ?????

This is where the gray area comes in.

Are you calling them to change plans? Or are you calling them for a review that you are now doing every year with your clients? Hmm...


Well what the the purpose of the annual review calls before MIPPA. To service your clients,to keep them happy - to keep them on the books ! I smell financial incentive there too.
 
True, but as the Medicare and You 2008 book states on page 2 (on the inside front cover):

With more Medicare choices than ever, it’s important that you look at your coverage every year. Plan costs and benefits change, and so can your health. The coverage that worked for you this year might still meet your needs in 2008. Or, there might be a better option. This handbook has information on your Medicare health and prescription drug plan choices, tips on what to consider when comparing plans, and resources where you can get detailed information and personalized help.

So, you are just assisting your client in following what they were told to do by Medicare.
 
I do show them the inside of the Medicare book with that statement and also page 31 which tells them about the search tools "compare health plans" and drug plans. 32 also can help clear up how a Medicare Supp and a Medicare Advantage work.

One thing CMS or maybe it's the companies wording that we are not supposed to compare products. I had even been told by some companies that you can only talk about one plan at an appointment. In the beginning I would give my clients a pad of paper and a pencil and have them write down the benefits so they could see a side by side comparison and make a determination of which plan they preferred. What I have been doing now is printing off a comparison from the Medicare website that they can see how they compare with each other in what I would consider a CMS approved document. I don't leave it with them, saying that anyone can go to medicare.gov and print there own personalized copy themselves. I also have a laptop connect card so if they have questions about a plan I don't sell, I can show they the comparison online. I don't mess with the plans like Cigna and Secure Horizons in why area, they just don't compete and I am more than happy to compare those to any I carry.

Bottom line is the heads of CMS have no idea what they are talking about, and we just have to deal with it in a ethical way that helps our clients.
 
I do show them the inside of the Medicare book with that statement and also page 31 which tells them about the search tools "compare health plans" and drug plans. 32 also can help clear up how a Medicare Supp and a Medicare Advantage work.

One thing CMS or maybe it's the companies wording that we are not supposed to compare products. I had even been told by some companies that you can only talk about one plan at an appointment. In the beginning I would give my clients a pad of paper and a pencil and have them write down the benefits so they could see a side by side comparison and make a determination of which plan they preferred. What I have been doing now is printing off a comparison from the Medicare website that they can see how they compare with each other in what I would consider a CMS approved document. I don't leave it with them, saying that anyone can go to medicare.gov and print there own personalized copy themselves. I also have a laptop connect card so if they have questions about a plan I don't sell, I can show they the comparison online. I don't mess with the plans like Cigna and Secure Horizons in why area, they just don't compete and I am more than happy to compare those to any I carry.

Bottom line is the heads of CMS have no idea what they are talking about, and we just have to deal with it in a ethical way that helps our clients.


Those are all very good ideas and many I already use. But, this is not just about CMS. They are being played as the heavy here by the companies. CMS does overstep it's bounds, but, they do not operate in a vacuum. They are being led by the captive companies, Pyramid, Humana, etc. in these new rules. Now, maybe those companies bit off more than they can chew. Still doesn't change the fact of who is driving the bus.
 
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