Coming to a Market Near You- Aetna Pays $10 to Attend a Meeting

[GreenSky]

How do you "by" a gift card? Down here in the south east we use the word "buy" when speaking of purchasing something. Must be different in California.

It's a contraction. Just like y'all or sweet tea sucks.

Rick

 

[TDFnCali]

Maybe it wasn't on the AHIP.... But I'm 100% certain that buying gift cards, ANY type of gift cards, was strictly forbidden on the UHC Event training certification.

I was on the impression they were definitely forbidden!

 

[senior-advisor-indiana]

How do you "by" a gift card? Down here in the south east we use the word "buy" when speaking of purchasing something. Must be different in California.

I think in CA it is spelled "bi"....

 

[smokin goose]

I think in CA it is spelled "bi"....

Lmao. Good stuff right there.

 

[sman]

I think in CA it is spelled "bi"....

I think you are correct.

 

[MedicareAgent]

They are an invite to seminars. I've written four of those seminars so far, more to go. I am independent, but have a great record with Aetna so I was asked to do four that are close to my office.

I have had 11 at my office with ZERO attendance. Bummed.

 

[G.Gordon]

Last year I agreed to eight or nine, three different cities. The advertising was worthless, a post card here and there, no newspaper, nothing. I was on my fourth seminar, included seven hours by the time you counted drive to and from and required attendance time. At the fourth seminar I had averaged less than one per and invested all the time... I told them to cancel the rest or do them with someone else. This year I only wanted four, two of them are at the restaurant next door to my office so that makes those easy the other two are 30 min. away.

So far I've had 11 attendees, we get a bunch of ineligibles, federal retirees, others that have signed up via an AON type exchange and want more information understanding, etc.

So far I'm right at their goal of 50% closing ratio if I only counted the ones that could enroll if they chose.

 

[midwestbroker]

You can give away gift cards, as mentioned, as long as they are not convertible to cash and remain in the CMS limits ($15 per attendee).

The twist this year is if you have an expected amount of attendees, you can do a combined prize. Example, if you are expecting 10 people to show up, you can have a $150 door prize (10 people x $15 limit per person)

All this is covered under the Medicare Marketing Guidelines Section 70.1.1. Nominal Gifts

 

[wehotex]

Last year I agreed to eight or nine, three different cities. The advertising was worthless, a post card here and there, no newspaper, nothing. I was on my fourth seminar, included seven hours by the time you counted drive to and from and required attendance time. At the fourth seminar I had averaged less than one per and invested all the time... I told them to cancel the rest or do them with someone else. This year I only wanted four, two of them are at the restaurant next door to my office so that makes those easy the other two are 30 min. away.

So far I've had 11 attendees, we get a bunch of ineligibles, federal retirees, others that have signed up via an AON type exchange and want more information understanding, etc.

So far I'm right at their goal of 50% closing ratio if I only counted the ones that could enroll if they chose.

Do any actual Aetna members come to these meetings? Some of my members have received these postcard invitations.

 

[G.Gordon]

Yep, every year, I even had two of my clients that I wrote from last years seminars at the one last week. I took them off CIP. One lady left early, saying she already had it, just wanted the $10. One other was there with a newly interested friend. So at a min. out of the 9 attendees, four were already members. Sadly, some agents will use this as a AOR transfer opportunity even though the area managers warn against it and ask us to respect other's books of business. I do that. The lady that brought a friend was a direct enrollee, fair game for AOR capture.