ObamaCare: What Do Agents & Brokers Think Now?

AllenChicago

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August 12, 2015

For the first time, Kaiser has conducted a poll of Agents and Brokers to determine our level of satisfaction & dissatisfaction with ObamaCare enrollment, commissions, etc..

Highlights: Survey: How Health Insurance Brokers, Navigators Perform Under Obamacare

Actual Survey: 2015 Survey of Health Insurance Marketplace Assister Programs and Brokers | The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation

I think its safe to say that most of those surveyed are not members of this forum...and don't use ACA Express or Health Sherpa.
ac
 
That second article fails to explain how much work we put in after the client signs up such as when a client has claims issue or a lack of understanding about the policy because they forgot what they signed up for compared to the assister programs
 
Maybe we should do the same survey with forum members. It would be interesting to see the difference. I know I didn't spend 1-2 hours signing up an exchange client. I was upset when it took more than 15 minutes! (The Sherp saved my buns last year!) Clearly they are surveying the wrong demographic. . .
 
Maybe we should do the same survey with forum members. It would be interesting to see the difference. I know I didn't spend 1-2 hours signing up an exchange client. I was upset when it took more than 15 minutes! (The Sherp saved my buns last year!) Clearly they are surveying the wrong demographic. . .

If you are signing someone up in 15 minutes, you are only counting the time of actually filling in the app, not the time discussing policies, options and much less, the time spent marketing.

I think the 1-2 hours is based on total time spent on all activities for enrollment divided by the number of applications submitted. My guess would be, if you accounted for everything, you will be in the same range of time.


Dan
 
I know I spent more time explaining benefits and evaluating networks than I did actually typing into the app.
 
I know I spent more time explaining benefits and evaluating networks than I did actually typing into the app.

And let's not forget the time spent trying to help those who lost subsidies or when our NPN was removed from an app. Also, the time dealing with carriers on applications and commission issues.

I know with Coventry last year (during OE) I didn't have a phone call that lasted less than one hour and 15 minutes (that was just the hold time). And that was trying to get them to process an off-exchange application. Unless Coventry is just drastically cheaper than everyone else this year, I won't be writing them. They were a cause of great frustration last open enrollment.
 
If you are signing someone up in 15 minutes, you are only counting the time of actually filling in the app, not the time discussing policies, options and much less, the time spent marketing.

I think the 1-2 hours is based on total time spent on all activities for enrollment divided by the number of applications submitted. My guess would be, if you accounted for everything, you will be in the same range of time.


Dan

hahahahah... thats funny

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And let's not forget the time spent trying to help those who lost subsidies or when our NPN was removed from an app. Also, the time dealing with carriers on applications and commission issues.

I know with Coventry last year (during OE) I didn't have a phone call that lasted less than one hour and 15 minutes (that was just the hold time). And that was trying to get them to process an off-exchange application. Unless Coventry is just drastically cheaper than everyone else this year, I won't be writing them. They were a cause of great frustration last open enrollment.

now thats not funny.... and so damn true
 
In order to do a thorough, complete job for a client it has to take a minimum of an 2-3 hours per client including follow up with the insurance company, Marketplace, answering client questions, etc, etc, etc

We aren't hourly employees and most of us are self employed, we spend enormous amounts of time and money marketing our services, maintaining licensing, being compliant, and generally being a professional.

While I don't work 2,080 hours a year on health insurance it is a substantial number (probably 800-1,000 hours during OEP, a lesser amount the rest of the year. If I take all of the risk and expense, is making $80 an hour (including personal non-client work during the year) unreasonable for this profession? If anything it is low given the risks involved (both regulatory and marketwise).
 
What's ironic under ObamaCare is that health insurance carriers really don't want Marketplace/FFM/Exchange customers.

This came to mind while chatting with an agent who was mad at a local Illinois health insurer, and was going to "punish" this carrier by not sending them any more 2016 business. I had to explain to Mike how he'd be doing them a big favor!
 
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