There are any number of reasons why a client will not call their agent . . . apathy, because the client does not understand there is a better way that doesn't require pre-authorization, referrals or checking to see if a provider is in network or not.
Or maybe they think the agent is clueless about the problems and has no idea how to help.
Could be they have asked the agent for help in prior situations and the agent failed to offer help.
Some clients don't know who their agent is, or how to contact them.
But I do know this.
Clients never hesitate to contact me when they have a question or comment. They know I will handle things that they can't, or don't know the answer.
I get referrals all the time because of my understanding of how Medicare works, especially on the claim side . . . and I almost never get complaints saying their claim was not paid. When the claim is not paid, I can track it back to the Medicare denial, why it was denied, and how to correct the problem. Many times the claim was not paid because the deductible had not yet been met. Sometimes, rarely, but sometimes it is because the bill was for a service not covered by Medicare. The MSN always reveals the truth.
Too many agents have no clue how Medicare works. All they know is "If you do this I will save you X amount of premium". The solution to problems, perceived or otherwise, is not always to enroll in a plan with a lower premium.
A communication path must exist between the client and agent before the client will consider calling the agent vs the home office. Plus there must be a level of confidence in the ability of that agent to handle issues.
All my clients are told repeatedly to call me before calling the home office, and most of them do it that way. But sometimes they can't fix the problem and then they call me. Most of the time it is a simple explanation and they are happy they called.
Some clients call, but most send an email because they know they will get their answer in 24 hours or less, the answer will be detailed, and will solve their problems if the issue can be fixed.
It's called personal service . . . something that is missing in today's world.
Or maybe they think the agent is clueless about the problems and has no idea how to help.
Could be they have asked the agent for help in prior situations and the agent failed to offer help.
Some clients don't know who their agent is, or how to contact them.
But I do know this.
Clients never hesitate to contact me when they have a question or comment. They know I will handle things that they can't, or don't know the answer.
I get referrals all the time because of my understanding of how Medicare works, especially on the claim side . . . and I almost never get complaints saying their claim was not paid. When the claim is not paid, I can track it back to the Medicare denial, why it was denied, and how to correct the problem. Many times the claim was not paid because the deductible had not yet been met. Sometimes, rarely, but sometimes it is because the bill was for a service not covered by Medicare. The MSN always reveals the truth.
Too many agents have no clue how Medicare works. All they know is "If you do this I will save you X amount of premium". The solution to problems, perceived or otherwise, is not always to enroll in a plan with a lower premium.
A communication path must exist between the client and agent before the client will consider calling the agent vs the home office. Plus there must be a level of confidence in the ability of that agent to handle issues.
All my clients are told repeatedly to call me before calling the home office, and most of them do it that way. But sometimes they can't fix the problem and then they call me. Most of the time it is a simple explanation and they are happy they called.
Some clients call, but most send an email because they know they will get their answer in 24 hours or less, the answer will be detailed, and will solve their problems if the issue can be fixed.
It's called personal service . . . something that is missing in today's world.
