Medicare Advantage Plan

[James]

Funny thing, the new Medicare part C is the new kid on the block? I do believe they were around long before Part D.

Yet I don't like if selling MA PPO mixing in the Part D, I suggested they go to their pharmacy and sign up. Why risk your Part C and other products at risk for a 50 dollar or about commission? If you combine them and they decide they don't like the Part D Plan (for various of reasons) and cancell you lose everything tied into the Part D. At least when working with Sterling that was the underlying thought about Part D and the mishaps of it. If you are doing PPO HMO's its a different deal, so pick your company right.

 

[Guest]

Funny thing, the new Medicare part C is the new kid on the block? I do believe they were around long before Part D.

Yet I don't like if selling MA PPO mixing in the Part D, I suggested they go to their pharmacy and sign up. Why risk your Part C and other products at risk for a 50 dollar or about commission? If you combine them and they decide they don't like the Part D Plan (for various of reasons) and cancell you lose everything tied into the Part D. At least when working with Sterling that was the underlying thought about Part D and the mishaps of it. If you are doing PPO HMO's its a different deal, so pick your company right.

I wholeheartedly agree!

 

[midwestbroker]

I do not know about signing up at their local pharmacy. I talked to numerous pharmacies (marketed at several) and they did not understand the part D, or how the coverage gap worked (total drug cost vs. total out of pocket).

Just so you all know, if they only have a Part D plan (stand alone), they only have Nov 15th to Dec 31 to change one time. After Jan 1st the Open Enrollment Period is only for medical changes. If your part D is tied in you can make a change (MAPD plan). If it is a stand alone PDP, you are stuck til next November.

Also, the gap is getting bigger (from $3600 to $3850) and the deductible is going from $250 to $265 (for plans that have them).

Hope this helps!

 

[midwestbroker]

Additional Info:

If you have a stand alone PDP plan after Jan 1 - March 31st you can upgrade to a MAPD, but that is the only move they can make with the Part D side of it (cannot go from one stand alone PDP to another stand alone PDP).

Clear as mud.

 

[James]

Unless DC does the smart thing and eliminate the Shut Out, Shut In whatever you want to call it. Just leave it open and let the Seniors do what is right for them.

 

[Guest]

I do not know about signing up at their local pharmacy. I talked to numerous pharmacies (marketed at several) and they did not understand the part D, or how the coverage gap worked (total drug cost vs. total out of pocket).

Just so you all know, if they only have a Part D plan (stand alone), they only have Nov 15th to Dec 31 to change one time. After Jan 1st the Open Enrollment Period is only for medical changes. If your part D is tied in you can make a change (MAPD plan). If it is a stand alone PDP, you are stuck til next November.

Also, the gap is getting bigger (from $3600 to $3850) and the deductible is going from $250 to $265 (for plans that have them).

Hope this helps!

Thanks for the updates...I did not know these figures changed.

 

[midwestbroker]

No prob!!!!

I hope the lock in goes away as well. That would make it better for everyone but MEdicare (if you ever had an app pending with them, you know that it is a nightmare!!!)

 

[James]

I have but I'm not going to be pushing MA's in November due to several reasons. First off, Medicare just makes it too hard, first I have to be appointed with carriers that offer them. Find, I am! Yet though I have to take their training courses, one with Humana, Cariten and Secure Horizons or PC, now do to this I have to carve out a week here two weeks there so on and so on.

You really don't have to carve out a week or two for each carrier. Most will allow you to do their certification online. Takes 30 minutes.

I use it as a door opener. I got about $500k in investment dollars from MA plans this past year. And that was just working it half-heartedly. I plan to make a big push this year for November and December. I think it's just leaving money on the table if you don't go after it.

I guess so! A day after I posted that one of my contacts called me up and offered up three contracts, one with Coventry, Horizon and Wellness Point, all online training and free leads from the companies or selected companies. Yet if you take the company lead you loose about half of the commission. Oh well, I guess in November I'll be spending time down at the Veterans Administration! Easy money though, so I guess I'll go ahead and do it for a couple of months.

 

[AgentPipeline]

Oh how far we've come....

 

[midwestbroker]

So much for the lock in going away...