Newbie - AHIP testing & study materials

No problem. But seriously, I would not waste my time with extra study materials. The AHIP site really is all you need.

What specifically about AHIP did not make sense to you?


If AHIP was a testing site - or learning site, or both. Which tests I need. I assume people don't just take a couple of medicare tests, I assume carriers want agents to be able to sell some other stuff to be with them. Maybe not. I don't know. LOL
 
If AHIP was a testing site - or learning site, or both. Which tests I need. I assume people don't just take a couple of medicare tests, I assume carriers want agents to be able to sell some other stuff to be with them. Maybe not. I don't know. LOL

https://www.ahipmedicaretraining.com is all you need to get started. It explains all three types of private medicare related insurance. MA/MAPD, PDP, MedSupps. It goes into a lot of detail on how all of these plans work as well. For example there are multiple types of MA/MAPD. It covers all of that. Then there is an exam at the end that grants you the certification you need for that plan year.

Carriers always want you to bundle stuff but that doesn't mean you have to. Do what is right for the client.
 
Thanks -- -- I am calling it a night! I think I am getting the idea and will study on it more. AHIP has study course, online I guess, then after you study they have a test for that course.
https://www.ahipmedicaretraining.com is all you need to get started. It explains all three types of private medicare related insurance. MA/MAPD, PDP, MedSupps. It goes into a lot of detail on how all of these plans work as well. For example there are multiple types of MA/MAPD. It covers all of that. Then there is an exam at the end that grants you the certification you need for that plan year.

Carriers always want you to bundle stuff but that doesn't mean you have to. Do what is right for the client.

Thanks! That seems pretty clear. I think I am getting the idea and will study on it more tomorrow. - AHIP has study courses, I study online, then after I study they have a test for each course. - I should start with the medicare course, since I want to present medicare products. I can take the courses on my own and then I'll get a certificate to present to the carriers. - This seems like my first step at this level. Thanks so very much! Don't know why this was hanging me up, some block I guess. Thanks! I am calling it a night!
 
Thanks -- -- I am calling it a night! I think I am getting the idea and will study on it more. AHIP has study course, online I guess, then after you study they have a test for that course.


Thanks! That seems pretty clear. I think I am getting the idea and will study on it more tomorrow. - AHIP has study courses, I study online, then after I study they have a test for each course. - I should start with the medicare course, since I want to present medicare products. I can take the courses on my own and then I'll get a certificate to present to the carriers. - This seems like my first step at this level. Thanks so very much! Don't know why this was hanging me up, some block I guess. Thanks! I am calling it a night!

FYI in case you didn't realize it: You don't have to have the AHIP Medicare certification to sell Medicare Supplements. You do have to have it to sell Medicare Advantage Plans and most PDPs. Silverscript and United Healthcare allow their PDPs to be sold without the AHIP Medicare certification.

Part of your confusion about AHIP was probably because agents have gotten into the habit of referring to the AHIP Medicare Certification as AHIP. AHIP stands for America's Health Insurance Plans, the organization which offers the Medicare certification as well as other certifications.
 
FYI in case you didn't realize it: You don't have to have the AHIP Medicare certification to sell Medicare Supplements.
This is also a good point. MedSupps are a good entry to the Senior Market. In fact, for many, it is their only avenue in the Senior Market. If you don't think you will sell a lot of MA/MAPD it's not really worth it to get the certification. It does have significant cost each year for cert/re-cert.
 
If I can offer you a few pieces of advice:

1) Don't worry about AHIP yet. You don't know enough about Medicare to actually help MA clients. You need a lot of consistency as you learn the Medicare Market. Med Supps are really all about consistency. MA is not.

2) Check out this website Medicare Agents - Welcome Home! - Medicare Training 101 (@Todd King where's my affiliate commission?) it's really a great starting point to learning Medicare on top of the Medicare and you book by CMS.

3) Getting a local IMO is fine. If they fit your needs, but as a new agent you really need to know that a lot of IMO's don't offer the level of support you would think they would. Some of them are actually sharks and will rip you off. I've associated with a lot of IMO's and I would really consider at least talking to Todd. They're very family based and really great. They can really help.

Just my .02
 
1) Don't worry about AHIP yet. You don't know enough about Medicare to actually help MA clients. You need a lot of consistency as you learn the Medicare Market. Med Supps are really all about consistency. MA is not.
This is a very good point. MA gets complicated and if you don't already understand basic medicare concepts you are going to be lost in the water with MA/MAPD.
 
This is also a good point. MedSupps are a good entry to the Senior Market. In fact, for many, it is their only avenue in the Senior Market. If you don't think you will sell a lot of MA/MAPD it's not really worth it to get the certification. It does have significant cost each year for cert/re-cert.
Right. Especially at first you may think you're being efficient, but doing everything at once without enough training could be messy. Like this woman demonstrates:

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