Response from Chevell L. Thomas with CMS Regarding Initial MA Payments

[kristin]

wow!! That is good news. I have been telling the companies that I write for to email. A few have, we can't let this happen. We need everyone to get involved in this. Listen to Craig, he know what he is talking about. Thanks to everyone who is working to fix this big mistake!!

 

[stormtracker]

This just does not pass the smell test.Given that no agent or FMO that I know of was under the impression that a prior PDP would disqualify for full commission means one of two things - Either:

1. CMS and/or the carriers are so inept and out of touch with agent's expectations that they innocently were not aware of the consensus among agents and FMOs that prior PDP's would be paid as full commission.


2.CMS and/or the carrier's were fully aware that agents didn't have a clue about this but conspired not to disclose it until seven months later because many enrollments would not have happened if agents knew up front they were getting only $ 200.00

If there was failure to disclose such a fact, we are dealing with a powder keg.

 

[gxamno]

Good news from CMS--looks like you can fight city hall. This came out from CMS at the end of last week:

"Independent agents and brokers enrolling a beneficiary with Original Medicare and a PDP into an MA plan or MA-PD, and vice versa, should be paid an initial compensation for any such enrollments with effective dates in 2009. We will provide further details regarding the correction of CMS reports that will be necessary for organizations and sponsors to correctly identify the enrollment transactions where agents/brokers should be paid an initial compensation. We urge organizations and sponsors to notify their contracted agents/brokers about this policy change as soon as possible."