Local volunteers recommending an insurance company?

[americansenior]

So there is a program here in the state of ks referred to as "schick" thay claim to be volunteers (not licensed agents) here at the local extension office and help seniors with their medicare open enrollment. They claim not to be bias yet they only recommend blue cross blue shield, which is not the cheapest here. It's actually more expensive and the plans are standardized where all plans are identical in benefits. The only difference is price. Since they are not licensed, how can they possibly discuss insurance products and make recommendations? It's very frustrating because i have clients constantly stating they want to talk to them, yet the only company they have ever recommended is bcbs and people end up over paying. Any advice is appreciated. I have tried getting an appt to speak with them to get some answers and it's impossible.

 

[somarco]

Pretty sure you are referring to SHIP, not Schick.

You just have to be better than the volunteers.

 

[xrac]

The volunteers probably just don't know much and BCBS is who they think if fir health insurance.

 

[LostDollar]

The Kansas acronym for its ship program is shick.

Senior Health Insurance Counseling for Kansas (SHICK) - KDADS

They hand out a paper copy of this with their counseling:
Kansas Insurance Department

When I talked with them, the primary focuses I remember were to consider Plan G rather than a Medicare Advantage plan and that Blue Cross had a select plan which could save me some money.

I think the conversation focus was on a select plan saving money if you were willing to accept network restrictions, Blue Cross being then mentioned as having a decent network in our area.
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The volunteers probably just don't know much and BCBS is who they think of for health insurance.

Note second to last paragraph in this document:

SHIP Volunteers | Senior Solutions

I think this is a federal requirement, presumably tied to the federal portion of funding for the program.

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(Note to op: I am not an agent. I came looking for Medicare information, have continued because I have given some consideration to becoming an agent.)

You just have to be better than the volunteers.

If my own experience is any indication, I think your often repeated marketing statement is the real key here; in understanding: the behavior of the consumers, the failure of the agents and the crafting of appropriate sales scripts.

I just don't have the 30 years of sales experience to have the words, body language, voice intonations etc pop into my head to respond with.

You have often told us: people buy on emotion, not logic.

So I would submit that many potential medicare supplement buyers are suffering from fear, uncertainty and confusion about the product, as well as the fear of "being sold" by an insurance agent.

If this can be addressed, then I would think the consumers would have less desire to go to SHIP/SHICK. If they still want to go there, I think the presentation should include some kind of information that the SHICK program cannot sell insurance and I (agent) can talk with you in more detail about the companies and products listed in the Shopper's Guide which they will give you.

I also know there are sales presentation approaches where an objection can be addressed in advance, partially defusing its power. I would try to find a way to do that specifically with blue cross as a higher priced competitor in my market. I would look for old somarco posts on the emotion selling, justin's closing list and question my upline for approaches on how to deal with this.

Both of these are also excellent discussion topics if one does a ridealong with an experienced agent.

 

[Midlevel]

Our local office is telling everyone to go with the G Plan no matter what because the F plan will no longer be available after 2020. I have let them know it will still be available to people already on the plans just not anyone new to Medicare after that date. They don't seem to want to listen and continue to give out false information. Of course there are many agents doing the exact same thing to scare people into switching to them or sending out lead cards suggesting the same thing.

 

[Newby]

Our local office is telling everyone to go with the G Plan no matter what because the F plan will no longer be available after 2020. I have let them know it will still be available to people already on the plans just not anyone new to Medicare after that date. They don't seem to want to listen and continue to give out false information. Of course there are many agents doing the exact same thing to scare people into switching to them or sending out lead cards suggesting the same thing.

Why don't you roll with it and sell G?

Plan F has never been a good choice anyway. If people are meeting with you who are preseold on G, how hard would it be to write the app?

 

[Chazm]

Why don't you roll with it and sell G?

Plan F may not be the best choice anyway. If people are meeting with you who are preseold on G, how hard would it be to write the app?

Fixed it!

 

[LostDollar]

Our local office is telling everyone to go with the G Plan no matter what because the F plan will no longer be available after 2020. I have let them know it will still be available to people already on the plans just not anyone new to Medicare after that date. They don't seem to want to listen and continue to give out false information. Of course there are many agents doing the exact same thing to scare people into switching to them or sending out lead cards suggesting the same thing.

You are getting your blood pressure up over something you can not change. You are talking about an organization funded by a combination of federal and state money. It probably has only one-three paid employees in a given office-the rest are volunteers, some probably have been helping seniors with their drug plans longer than some agents have been selling insurance-others may be on their first year. And you want to make that entire group of people function precisely the way you want your own personal insurance office to function. Ain't gonna happen.

 

[Midlevel]

I don't hate the G but get tired of agents and SHIP making up stories to get clients to change plans. In my area G plan not that much difference in premiums to take the chance of the Part B deductible going way up like there has been talk of. I have written the G if that is what the client is set on though.

 

[Ron Van D]

I don't hate the G but get tired of agents and SHIP making up stories to get clients to change plans. In my area G plan not that much difference in premiums to take the chance of the Part B deductible going way up like there has been talk of. I have written the G if that is what the client is set on though.

I have to believe if the part B deductible goes way up, the Plan F premium will follow suit rapidly.