Naturalstateofmind
New Member
- 4
I've been a captive agent to a company for about 3 years now (2 AEP seasons and worked only AEP not year around) so I have approx. 400 clients enrolled on plans with that company who live in the 5 counties around me. Recently the only hospital within those five counties has decided that they are no longer going to accept any of that companies plans after the end of 2015, therefore I have moved my contracting with this company from captive to independent state. I'm in the process of getting appointed with all the other carriers through an FMO so that I will be able to service all my existing book of business and move them to plans that will contain providers in our area. Busy AEP to say the least. I almost wish this had been a plan exit just so I could have switched many of my clients to a guaranteed issue med sup but for now that is not the situation we are looking at.
Here's where I am now. I've spent the past week working on contracting with other carriers and that seems to be going well. I've started a calling campaign to all my current clients just to reassure them that the benefits they have still work with the local providers until the end of the year, and that we do have AEP coming up to where we can consider plan changes. Most of these clients are just glad to hear from me and are so thankful that I am making the move to where I can still service them. Some are confused but all have been very receptive to the fact that they do have options and that I'm positioning myself to continue to be their agent. (Failed to mention that the Hospital has sent out letters and mailers to all patients advising them that they will no longer accept this particular insurance carrier after this year, so I felt the need to start the calling campaign and most are already scheduling appointments for October. I have 58 clients scheduled for the first 7 days during pre AEP)
*I'm finding that some clients have changed their phone numbers from the ones that I have on record so I'm looking for solutions for that, Some I've done white page searches and found, but I'm considering mailing letters to ones I haven't located just asking them to call me. (Do these letters have to be CMS approved since I'm mailing current clients?) Any help or ideas here would be great.
*I'm trying to think of ways to use my time wisely and not spend most of it driving during AEP just so I come out even (hopefully). This network pullout by the hospital affects at least 1500 people in the County where the Hospital is located not to mention the other 4 counties that this facility services, so there is a lot of room for growing my book of business this year if I work it properly.
Please let me know if you have any ideas that I may not have thought of! My mind is running constantly to the point I can't sleep. Nervous yet Anxious because I'm being forced from my comfort zone!
Oh! I'm also sorting thru my list to find any possible SEP's I may have (lis, mov, chronic, etc..) those people I could change over before aep.
Here's where I am now. I've spent the past week working on contracting with other carriers and that seems to be going well. I've started a calling campaign to all my current clients just to reassure them that the benefits they have still work with the local providers until the end of the year, and that we do have AEP coming up to where we can consider plan changes. Most of these clients are just glad to hear from me and are so thankful that I am making the move to where I can still service them. Some are confused but all have been very receptive to the fact that they do have options and that I'm positioning myself to continue to be their agent. (Failed to mention that the Hospital has sent out letters and mailers to all patients advising them that they will no longer accept this particular insurance carrier after this year, so I felt the need to start the calling campaign and most are already scheduling appointments for October. I have 58 clients scheduled for the first 7 days during pre AEP)
*I'm finding that some clients have changed their phone numbers from the ones that I have on record so I'm looking for solutions for that, Some I've done white page searches and found, but I'm considering mailing letters to ones I haven't located just asking them to call me. (Do these letters have to be CMS approved since I'm mailing current clients?) Any help or ideas here would be great.
*I'm trying to think of ways to use my time wisely and not spend most of it driving during AEP just so I come out even (hopefully). This network pullout by the hospital affects at least 1500 people in the County where the Hospital is located not to mention the other 4 counties that this facility services, so there is a lot of room for growing my book of business this year if I work it properly.
Please let me know if you have any ideas that I may not have thought of! My mind is running constantly to the point I can't sleep. Nervous yet Anxious because I'm being forced from my comfort zone!
Oh! I'm also sorting thru my list to find any possible SEP's I may have (lis, mov, chronic, etc..) those people I could change over before aep.
