My personal experience with Aflac

[Guest]

For everyone else, Colonial has a very nice gap plan that works great with HDHP and HSA's. Employer funded in most cases because you saved them a boat load of dough by reducing the health plan costs and keeping the employees happy.

Interesting that you bring this up today because we all got the following email blast from Anthem (Blue Cross of CA):


"If Anthem Blue Cross determines that a group is providing a self-funded or a third party Health Reimbursement Account arrangement for any portion of the member's obligation under any plan, the agent of record will not receive a commission for the medical portion of that account. For further clarity, Health Savings Account Compatible plans can only be sold as standalone, high-deductible plans, or when appropriate, in conjunction with a Health Savings Account. Any deviation from this policy may also result in the termination of your agent agreement with Anthem Blue Cross."

Here is the full text of the message. All the carriers have a policy like this but I've never seen it enforced. However, Anthem seems to be making the most noise about it so I can only assume they are cranking up their audit-cops to see if they can find some of these cases.

There does not seem to be an issue if the deduct (gap) plan is funded by the employee, but if the boss does it and client is audited, you will lose your commish... at least according to how I read it. I personally don't understand why. If I'm correct in my interpretation perhaps someone can explain why Anthem goes postal of the boss pays, but not if the employee pays.

As for Colonial or Aflac doing your major medical enrollment, I never met any Colonial or Aflac person in my area who knew beans about group health plans and major med in particular.

Also, I would fear that the enroller would convince the client to load up on VBs at the cost of a good major med (assuming a choice was offered.)

As for myself, I'd have no problem offering Colonial or Aflac benefits to any of my groups but no way would it be on the day/week/month I enroll for core benefits. I've seen how aggressive Colonial and Aflac enrollers can be... and that's fine so long as what is purchased does not come at the expense of the client getting the best major med for their age, medical history, family status, and of course, payment.

Once the core benefits are carved in stone that's when you can let the voluntary benefit folks in the door. Don't do it before... don't do it during.

Al
Preserve your memories

 

[stuy119]

Interesting that you bring this up today because we all got the following email blast from Anthem (Blue Cross of CA):


"If Anthem Blue Cross determines that a group is providing a self-funded or a third party Health Reimbursement Account arrangement for any portion of the member's obligation under any plan, the agent of record will not receive a commission for the medical portion of that account. For further clarity, Health Savings Account Compatible plans can only be sold as standalone, high-deductible plans, or when appropriate, in conjunction with a Health Savings Account. Any deviation from this policy may also result in the termination of your agent agreement with Anthem Blue Cross."

Here is the full text[/URL] of the message. All the carriers have a policy like this but I've never seen it enforced. However, Anthem seems to be making the most noise about it so I can only assume they are cranking up their audit-cops to see if they can find some of these cases.

There does not seem to be an issue if the deduct (gap) plan is funded by the employee, but if the boss does it and client is audited, you will lose your commish... at least according to how I read it. I personally don't understand why. If I'm correct in my interpretation perhaps someone can explain why Anthem goes postal of the boss pays, but not if the employee pays.

As for Colonial or Aflac doing your major medical enrollment, I never met any Colonial or Aflac person in my area who knew beans about group health plans and major med in particular.

Also, I would fear that the enroller would convince the client to load up on VBs at the cost of a good major med (assuming a choice was offered.)

As for myself, I'd have no problem offering Colonial or Aflac benefits to any of my groups but no way would it be on the day/week/month I enroll for core benefits. I've seen how aggressive Colonial and Aflac enrollers can be... and that's fine so long as what is purchased does not come at the expense of the client getting the best major med for their age, medical history, family status, and of course, payment.

Once the core benefits are carved in stone that's when you can let the voluntary benefit folks in the door. Don't do it before... don't do it during.

Al
Preserve your memories[/url]

How can they deny an HRA when it is provided by the employer? That makes no sense at all.

On a separate issue, at least here in IL, the Colonial Medical Bridge plan has an HSA-compatible plan.

It seems that Anthem is trying to push the new BCBS banking option rather than leaving the door open to different solutions.

 

[johncm]

Interesting that you bring this up today because we all got the following email blast from Anthem (Blue Cross of CA):


"If Anthem Blue Cross determines that a group is providing a self-funded or a third party Health Reimbursement Account arrangement for any portion of the member's obligation under any plan, the agent of record will not receive a commission for the medical portion of that account. For further clarity, Health Savings Account Compatible plans can only be sold as standalone, high-deductible plans, or when appropriate, in conjunction with a Health Savings Account. Any deviation from this policy may also result in the termination of your agent agreement with Anthem Blue Cross."

Here is the full text of the message. All the carriers have a policy like this but I've never seen it enforced. However, Anthem seems to be making the most noise about it so I can only assume they are cranking up their audit-cops to see if they can find some of these cases.

There does not seem to be an issue if the deduct (gap) plan is funded by the employee, but if the boss does it and client is audited, you will lose your commish... at least according to how I read it. I personally don't understand why. If I'm correct in my interpretation perhaps someone can explain why Anthem goes postal of the boss pays, but not if the employee pays.

As for Colonial or Aflac doing your major medical enrollment, I never met any Colonial or Aflac person in my area who knew beans about group health plans and major med in particular.

Also, I would fear that the enroller would convince the client to load up on VBs at the cost of a good major med (assuming a choice was offered.)

As for myself, I'd have no problem offering Colonial or Aflac benefits to any of my groups but no way would it be on the day/week/month I enroll for core benefits. I've seen how aggressive Colonial and Aflac enrollers can be... and that's fine so long as what is purchased does not come at the expense of the client getting the best major med for their age, medical history, family status, and of course, payment.

Once the core benefits are carved in stone that's when you can let the voluntary benefit folks in the door. Don't do it before... don't do it during.

Al
Preserve your memories

They are specificly targeting RAP plan and not GAP plans such as the MB3000. Plan 1 is HSA compliant in all cases. further, in a letter from Anthem to Colonial, the language states that thier intention is not VB offered by the employer. Rather, such policy is intended for group sponsored products that may undermine the pricing of Anthem BC products offered to the group.

That said, I would argue about the statement that you made about Colonial and aflac people know beans about major medical. True, not all Colonial and most likely even less aflac know major med. But than agian, they are not the enrollers you use. I don't know how long you were with Colonial or how long you have been gone, but the national enrollment team is trained in core benefits. This is not saying that they know the products like you do, but they can explain to the client what you should have already gone over in a presentation or litature. There job is to enroll your benefits as well as offer VB. This seems to work well for all our broker partners. Sounds like you did not have this same experiecne and that very unfortunate. But you seem intelligent enough to know that one bad experience is not indictive of a culture. We are partners or we have no relationship.
it all comes down to doing what is right by the client. I offered to meet with you and talk. That offer is always open.
lastly, I don't want to punch aflac completely in the eye, but when it comes to service and customer support, the Colonial people are just better at it. Heck, home office is hands down one of the best insurance HO's of any type of insurance I have dealt with. If more companies were run like home office, not just insurance companies either, life would be good.
By the way, I know beans about major med. Take me up on the Coffee offer.

 

[pistol_saf]

I'm from Massachusetts, which I've been told has a low market penetration from Aflac. I've only got an Associates Degree, so I think my options might be a little more limited than with a Bachelor's.

When my only options seem to be Bankers, MEGA(they're called Healthmarkets here in Mass.) and AIL other than Aflac, how should I approach this if I want to concentrate on Health Insurance and Disability Insurance when I take my exams and pass them?

 

[max77]

Aflac

Has anyone worked for aflac before. I need to know the ends and out of how this works. I believe I have a district sales coordinator who is a con artist? Someone please fill me in??????????

 

[xrac]

Re: Aflac

Has anyone worked for aflac before. I need to know the ends and out of how this works. I believe I have a district sales coordinator who is a con artist? Someone please fill me in??????????

There are a jillion posts on here about AFLAC and a million agents who have tried it. Most do not speak well of AFLAC. Just do a search.

 

[Pat Wilkus]

Re: Aflac

Has anyone worked for aflac before. I need to know the ends and out of how this works. I believe I have a district sales coordinator who is a con artist? Someone please fill me in??????????

I don't know who your DSC is, but Aflac is a great company. But, with that said, insurance sales is a very tough business in the beginning. Until you build up a solid referral network and really pound the streets, it will be hard to make it without some sort of cash reserves. What you have to do is really WORK like it's a w-2 job. You have to put in a lot of hours and work smart. Write your financial goals down on paper and find out what activities you have to do to reach those goals. Then do it.

I'm sorry if you were told something else by your DSC. I've been there myself, but I stuck it out and it's starting to work.

Good luck.

 

[Angelp]

Re: Aflac

Not bad if you like to "enroll" people like you would any other type of group. At least with health if you close the account/company, my GA will take care of the enrollments so I can keep selling.

With AFLAC, you have to waiste time, in my opinion, enrolling employees that earn you a very small commission per enrollment.

Also, their life and disability arn't the greatest products out there.

 

[jballard]

Re: Aflac

With Aflac, the first 2 years you get 52% commission for cancer/accident enrollments.
How is that very little?

 

[STIBROKER]

Man....the Aflac shills are out today....