PFFS Plans Vs. Med Supps

The client that prompted me to ask about the pffs plans will only be able to get a med sup during a guaranteed issue period, do to serious condition. She has been a client of mine for a few years, as well as other family members.

She has a friend from up North, same age as her, that sells pffs who encouraged her to get one through him, but then she called to ask me what I though about it, after she bought into it.

From reading your posts, it sounds like he offered her what has been good for him 7 states away, but not necessarily for her.

I don't doubt his sincerity, but anyway, she can always change next year.


She can change now during OEP.
 
I guess the biggest problem I have with all of the Part C plans is CMS's involvement and the way they are handling it. It appears to me that the whole system is specifically designed to prevent the senior from gathering the information they need to make an intelligent, well-informed decision regarding their health care.

Prior to the PFFS plans agents were able to help a prospect decide which kind of plan would best suit their needs. They could compare an HMO to a Med Supp during the appointment. I still do that today if they ask me about a PFFS plan or an HMO and want it compared to a Med Supp. However, everyone I contact, I contact originally about a Med Supp.

I have had many seniors call me about a PFFS plan and I will compare them to a Med Supp for them. Although I have been certified to sell MA plans until this year, I don't sell them. If they really want an MA plan I refer them to another agent.

I believe rub comes when a senior contacts an agent about an MA plan and the agent who is selling them is prohibited from doing an in-depth comparison of all the options available for the prospect. (NO, I don't believe that the customer is always right.) I can't sell insurance that way and still feel that I am acting in the best interest of my prospect.

If all seniors were knowledgeable enough about all the options available there would be no need for agents to explain the differences to them. All they would have to do is go to the "gettin place" and order the one they want. They need our guidance and CMS is preventing us from doing our job, or at least trying to prevent me from doing what I feel is my responsibility.

Seniors are making the decision to contact an agent about an MA plan based on price, not based on what is going to be the best option for them. They don't fully understand the different options available and CMS prohibits or makes it extremely difficult for them to find out.

That ain't right!
 
The client that prompted me to ask about the pffs plans will only be able to get a med sup during a guaranteed issue period, do to serious condition. She has been a client of mine for a few years, as well as other family members.

She has a friend from up North, same age as her, that sells pffs who encouraged her to get one through him, but then she called to ask me what I though about it, after she bought into it.

From reading your posts, it sounds like he offered her what has been good for him 7 states away, but not necessarily for her.

I don't doubt his sincerity, but anyway, she can always change next year.

Get her contract number. It is on the bottom right corner of her id card. Something like H3456-543. Look that up online and do a line comparison. I've done that time and time again and ended up with a supp application.
 
Get her contract number. It is on the bottom right corner of her id card. Something like H3456-543. Look that up online and do a line comparison. I've done that time and time again and ended up with a supp application.

Thank you, but I really don't want to get that much into it. I told her that she wasn't "locked in" at this point, and that we could look at other options, and she rather softly said that she wanted to give it a year to see if it suited her.

As I've said before, I'm just in the Senior business as an accomodation to those that "insist" on working with me. 99.8% are my health clients ageing into medicare and I am familiar with their meds, conditions, claims, etc. and it makes for a very comfortable working relationship.

To Frank: I'd rather be kicked in the head by a mule while suffering a Sunday Morning Hangover than be in the Medicare business.
 
To Frank: I'd rather be kicked in the head by a mule while suffering a Sunday Morning Hangover than be in the Medicare business.

That is music to my ears, If only all Med Supp agents in Missouri felt that way.

Every time I think of selling health insurance again I go to the junk yard barefooted and kick broken bottles and bricks to remind me why I stopped doing it. Oh, with my Med Supp renewals I go there in style. :D
 
I just talked to a lady who had some kind of pffs plan with coventry.....it was a stack of papers approx. 3 inches thick. She asked if I could explain what she had because she was sent a letter saying they were dropping her diabetes coverage.....I told her she needed to call the person who sold her the coventry plan..she then went off on me about the "fast talking salesman" that sold her the plan.....I told her I would ask my manager then get back with her. I tried to sell her a plan D but she couldnt' afford the 124 per month......Is this the kind of prospect you forget about or was there something I could have sold her? I don't like walking out of a home without a signed app!
 
Yep...walk away. If they can't afford the premium then what's the point of trying with her. Some other fast talking salesman will take care of her needs.
 
I just talked to a lady who had some kind of pffs plan with coventry.....it was a stack of papers approx. 3 inches thick. She asked if I could explain what she had because she was sent a letter saying they were dropping her diabetes coverage.....I told her she needed to call the person who sold her the coventry plan..she then went off on me about the "fast talking salesman" that sold her the plan.....I told her I would ask my manager then get back with her. I tried to sell her a plan D but she couldnt' afford the 124 per month......Is this the kind of prospect you forget about or was there something I could have sold her? I don't like walking out of a home without a signed app!



Coventry dropped their PFFS plans as of Dec. 31, 2009. She may have the disenrollment letter which gives her a GI right to buy a med sup. If she was in a PPO/HMO with Coventry, she may still have that.

If you are going to deal with her further, you must find out what she has or doesn't have.
 
If MA Plans go away, as most of you desire, what is to become of those that cannot afford $180 to $260 per month? What about those that understand they pay as you go? What is to become of them.

Disclaimer: I sell both Med Supps and Medicare Advantage PPO and HMO products.
 
"If MA Plans go away, as most of you desire, what is to become of those that cannot afford $180 to $260 per month?"
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Er uh they can get in line at the local welfare office and apply for assistance just like anyone else has to do when they are poor! Theres lots of tight ass people on those MA plans that could afford supplements. Im going to guestimate that more then half of those people on those MA plans could afford a supplement. And lets not never forget that selling those MA plans could get someone killed did I say that yet?:1eek:
 
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