Med Advantage carrier is calling its members nonstop daily to enroll them into “new” benefit plan

[wehotex]

This is beyond ridiculous! This MA carrier has introduced a "new and improved" MA plan that it is trying to get all of the existing membership base enrolled into. I have switched some of my members to other carriers. Even after the switching, they are STILL harassing them to no end. I'm scratching my head as to how CMS allows this? The new SEP for FEMA disaster didn't help any, since it created yet another opportunity for switching.

 

[Fisher]

Is there a good reason you're being cryptic with the company name and geographic locales being targeted?

 

[wehotex]

Is there a good reason you're being cryptic with the company name and geographic locales being targeted?

Is there a good reason you're being cryptic with the company name and geographic locales being targeted?

Lol. It’s the Anthem plans in Texas, but I believe that the same is happening in several states.

 

[DonP]

It’s a way of life for agents who sell Ma . There going to be harassed my the ins company , call centers and agents door knocking dsnp clients with fe leads like I do . I did tons of company to company switches when the plans sold were inferior. I’m rethinking how much time I want to spend selling dsnps as most of the people I sold have switched multiple times over the yrs .A great salesman can easily move any dsnp client as he can play up his benefits over yours and bs the lower educated clients . My friend a killer in the dsnp mkt says you’ll lose 20% a yr .

 

[GoPokes]

As far as I can tell, Humana has honored the pledge they took to respect agent of record. I wish the others would do the same. I havent sold anthem, but I know UHC has some tactics like the one you mentioned.

 

[wehotex]

As far as I can tell, Humana has honored the pledge they took to respect agent of record. I wish the others would do the same. I havent sold anthem, but I know UHC has some tactics like the one you mentioned.

Anthem is "supposedly" honoring the AOR, but they did NOT put it in writing in the day that the other carriers have. It's just done very sloppily. I still don't know if they will honor the AOR in a case where the switched member chooses to return to the Anthem product due to answering a phone call and being sweet-talked into returning to Anthem for the 1-1-21 effective date. Most of my membership base is pretty loyal, but a lot of them are Dual and subject to being easily persuaded no matter how much servicing that I have done for them in the past. It doesn't help that they are telling the prospect that the current AOR (their wonderful selling agent) would remain the Agent of Record. In normal times before all of this, Anthem honored the previous AOR even in cases where another broker re-wrote a person (putting them back into the Anthem product) if less than 4 months had transpired since the last term date.
It pisses me off that they have not even bothered to put anything in writing like the others and that they have played fast and loose with the definition of the member contacting them to get information about the new and improved plan.
A friend of mine who writes primarily UHC had told me that UHC still keeps her as AOR when the company people (Tele-Sales) rewrite the policy. I'm unsure if it's true.

 

[GoPokes]

Anthem is "supposedly" honoring the AOR, but they did NOT put it in writing in the day that the other carriers have. It's just done very sloppily. I still don't know if they will honor the AOR in a case where the switched member chooses to return to the Anthem product due to answering a phone call and being sweet-talked into returning to Anthem for the 1-1-21 effective date. Most of my membership base is pretty loyal, but a lot of them are Dual and subject to being easily persuaded no matter how much servicing that I have done for them in the past. It doesn't help that they are telling the prospect that the current AOR (their wonderful selling agent) would remain the Agent of Record. In normal times before all of this, Anthem honored the previous AOR even in cases where another broker re-wrote a person (putting them back into the Anthem product) if less than 4 months had transpired since the last term date.
It pisses me off that they have not even bothered to put anything in writing like the others and that they have played fast and loose with the definition of the member contacting them to get information about the new and improved plan.
A friend of mine who writes primarily UHC had told me that UHC still keeps her as AOR when the company people (Tele-Sales) rewrite the policy. I'm unsure if it's true.

Well, I lost a MS client last year to an ehealth rep (this was a high maintenance client, so not a big loss), and I noticed that the other rep changed the contact info for the client on the company being replaced, to his office phone and address. Kinda sneaky. As you can presume, the carrier being replaced would not be able to call/reach the outgoing member anymore. I could see the address had changed, so I thought the member moved to CA. But, then I did a reverse phone search on the new number and it said it was an ehealth office.

I think there may be a few options you could use to keep yourself as AOR, probably easier discussed in a more private setting

 

[wehotex]

Well, I lost a MS client last year to an ehealth rep (this was a high maintenance client, so not a big loss), and I noticed that the other rep changed the contact info for the client on the company being replaced, to his office phone and address. Kinda sneaky. As you can presume, the carrier being replaced would not be able to call/reach the outgoing member anymore. I could see the address had changed, so I thought the member moved to CA. But, then I did a reverse phone search on the new number and it said it was an ehealth office.

thats a good one!! Thankfully, I had 1 Anthem member that had 1 digit off (illegible), so Anthem is unable to reach that one. I wish that I had more like that!!!

 

[DonP]

I no longer put the clients phone number down ( it’s optional ) . Humana and United will switch aor to new agent if it’s a plan change ( ppo H 214-002 to ppo H 214-004) . I did several this yr to put them in a better position . Anthem in my friends state allows Aor changes with a simple hand written letter from the client . He does 50 a yr . WellCare allows them in every state . When your working duals it’s a cut throat game . Much of my presentation is beating in their head I’m their agent for life and I sell every company and I’m watching out for you . I warn 10 times about sharks on the phone from call centers that will either pretend to be with the Company or try to switch your play . Face to face agents have huge advantage with duals as their uneducated abd naive . You must beat loyalty in their brains multiple times . By the way Humana mapd is paying full first yr comp on mapd’s if the client never had Humana

 

[wehotex]

I no longer put the clients phone number down ( it’s optional ) . Humana and United will switch aor to new agent if it’s a plan change ( ppo H 214-002 to ppo H 214-004) . I did several this yr to put them in a better position . Anthem in my friends state allows Aor changes with a simple hand written letter from the client . He does 50 a yr . WellCare allows them in every state . When your working duals it’s a cut throat game . Much of my presentation is beating in their head I’m their agent for life and I sell every company and I’m watching out for you . I warn 10 times about sharks on the phone from call centers that will either pretend to be with the Company or try to switch your play . Face to face agents have huge advantage with duals as their uneducated abd naive . You must beat loyalty in their brains multiple times . By the way Humana mapd is paying full first yr comp on mapd’s if the client never had Humana

Yes. I know about Anthem's easy AOR switcheroo. That has been halted for the AEP period + the OEP period due to this unprecedented campaign to switch the existing membership to a "new and improved" plan. I'm not really sure what Anthem will do with its AOR policy once the OEP is over? If they decide to discontinue it, there will be some unhappy agents (and FE agents). The agents with large books of business would be stuck with the unpleasant tasks of having to save their members from being poached by others with the AOR letters. An AEP and OEP might not be enough time for them to get to their members, especially since so many changing there phone # all of the time (Dual people).

Some agents are leaving their members alone this AEP and letting Anthem convert them, Some have no choice, but to babysit their membership because of the risk of another writing agent who would write them with a more stable MA carrier. But, each agent has switched at least some of their Anthem members to other carriers.

I didn't know that Wellcare allows AOR changes. DO SHARE!

When you say that Humana MAPD will pay first FULL YEAR's commission if they never had Humana, do you mean the street level commission PLUS true-up? I have never heard of that. do you have an e-mail that announced it?