Medicare Advantage plans

[Guest]

Assume you take 3 or 4 prescriptions which is about the norm.

Do you see Medicare Advantage PFFS plans doing better than the HMOs did in the 90s?

 

[Guest]

There are some very nice MA plans out there. In CA Blue Cross has a zero premium plan with a good drug forumulary built in which is popular. It's not as good as a J plan but it's close(er) and obviously less expensive.

Al

 

[fla2cali]

There are some very nice MA plans out there. In CA Blue Cross has a zero premium plan with a good drug forumulary built in which is popular. It's not as good as a J plan but it's close(er) and obviously less expensive.

Al

Al, do you sell BC MA plan? Which others do you sell?

 

[midwestbroker]

The PFFS vs. the HMO/PPO really boils down to network. If all your Docs are in the HMO network, the hospital is in netowrk, and you do not travel, why pay more (if the PFFS is more).

We sell mostly HMO and PPO here in KC for that reason.

 

[Guest]

There are some very nice MA plans out there. In CA Blue Cross has a zero premium plan with a good drug forumulary built in which is popular. It's not as good as a J plan but it's close(er) and obviously less expensive.

Al

Al, do you sell BC MA plan? Which others do you sell?

I write for BC, BS (they compete in CA), Aetna, and Assurant. These are the major players in the Sacramento area. Of these, only Blue Cross (Freedom Blue PPO) has an MA plan in this area... and it is quite good for zero premium.) I know United Healthcare has one and I believe Humana has one too, but I'm not appointed with UH and no one on the planet can figure out how to get appointed with Humana. It's a some kind of state secret which is not on their website. :-)

Blue Shield has a good MA plan, but they don't sell it in Sacramento county for some reason.

Al

 

[midwestbroker]

Humana (in the Kansas City market) lets brokers sell the PFFS plans. The captive agents are the ones who sell the HMO's and PPO's. They did in this market let a select few independent agents sell the HMO and PPO since there was a shorter time period.

They do have a referral bonus program where you can refer a client to a captive agent and then get paid when they get a MA.

 

[Guest]

I am appointed with Humana, American Progressive, GTL, Wellcare, Unicare for Medicare products only. I mainly write Unicare, AmerProg MA plans and GTL Medigap. Humana Gold plan in Delaware is $199/mo! Don't anticipate doing much of that.

 

[midwestbroker]

$199 a month! That is over the top, unless everything else out there is just as expensive.

Have you done any GTL products? I am assuming that is the tie-in plan for inpatient co-pay.

 

[Guest]

$199 is quite insulting to the agent and the client. I'll bet they do not sell a single one here.

I have done a lot of GTL Medigap business, and will probably does some Advantage Plus plans with them this year too.

 

[sman]

$199 is quite insulting to the agent and the client. I'll bet they do not sell a single one here.

I have done a lot of GTL Medigap business, and will probably does some Advantage Plus plans with them this year too.

All of those who sell Medicare Supplement coverage with GTL, do you have the rates for Georgia? If so, what's a plan F run for male and female age 65? Also, do they medically underwrite if outside the guarantee issue time frame?

Thanks.