Santa Clara County, CA Medicare Supplement Market

[CALTCAgent]

You do realize you are comparing an apple to an orange?
For a med supp quote,
What is the age of the prospect? Smoker? Zip code?

1. It is a MA versus a Med Supp in this case. Looking once again for best investment of premium dollar for a "senior health plan", whether it be an apple, orange or banana,lol. (MA or Med Supp).

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I hope you are selling Medicare Advantage plans as Medicare Supplements. That's a BIG no-no with CMS. As DS4 stated, you are comparing apples and oranges.

I never said anything about selling advantage plans as supplements. Not sure where you imply this. Guess you are being proactive just in case.

If you want to compare Medicare Advantage plans, Medicare has this neat little tool on their website whereby you can compare all MA plans in a specific area. If you are going to operate in this market I suggest you learn to use it and also learn the difference between a Medicare Advantage plan and a Med Supp.

The medicare site doesn't compare medicare supp plans to the Kaiser MA plan.

I am pretty familiar with differences between MA and medicare supplement, unless you feel otherwise for some particular reason?


Thanks again!

 

[DS4]

1. It is a MA versus a Med Supp in this case. Looking once again for best investment of premium dollar for a "senior health plan", whether it be an apple, orange or banana,lol. (MA or Med Supp).

2. Santa Clara county. 95129.

3. Ages 67 to 74, non smoker. Since Kaiser is $74 dollars any age, I'd imagine they would be tough at "older ages" to beat compared to med supp's.

Yes, when comparing price, Kaiser is tough to bet.

For the 67 yr old, Plan F, Anthem Blue Cross is $127.74/mo.
For the 74 yr old, Plan F, UHC/AARP is $156.50/ mo.
As for a Part D Rx card, as I do not know what meds they are taking, I will guess, UHC/AARP Preferred, $37.60/mo.

Your prospects/clients currently have a MAPD-HMO w/ Kaiser. If price is the primary determining factor,
I would have them consider a MAPD-PPO, the better choice would be Freedom Blue Plan I, zero premium, includes Rx. Better network.

 

[CALTCAgent]

Yes, when comparing price, Kaiser is tough to bet.

For the 67 yr old, Plan F, Anthem Blue Cross is $127.74/mo.
For the 74 yr old, Plan F, UHC/AARP is $156.50/ mo.
As for a Part D Rx card, as I do not know what meds they are taking, I will guess, UHC/AARP Preferred, $37.60/mo.

Your prospects/clients currently have a MAPD-HMO w/ Kaiser. If price is the primary determining factor,
I would have them consider a MAPD-PPO, the better choice would be Freedom Blue Plan I, zero premium, includes Rx. Better network.

Thanks for that info!

 

[Dave020]

Price is seldom the issue with Kaiser. Back when it was Medicare+Choice, KP was running $110 a month for the HMO and Plan F supplement was like $115 with Blue Cross CA.

You have to consider that MOST people who have Kaiser want Kaiser, not a less costly plan. Kaiser people are Kaiser people and love Kaiser for all of the things they deem favorable about the KP medical system.

You can show most of them a $10 premium F plan with a zero premium Part D drug plan and they still won't switch.

Kaiser is a medical/healthcare delivery system. Insurance is just access. I have been in Santa Clara county for 21 years, and I can't count how many times I have heard, and still hear "I love my Kaiser plan".

Most people who have Kaiser LOVE Kaiser. They have no interest in moving into a program with private physicians and medical practices and medical groups and billing and assignment and all of that nonsense (to them). They want the simplicity of what KP offers them, one stop medical care with better front-end preventive care than any private medical group in CA. Plus KP gives you like 100 day drug supply for the normal 30-day private insurance co-pay.

BTW, more than 50% of seniors in Santa Clara County do not have Kaiser. Those are prospects.

 

[CALTCAgent]

Price is seldom the issue with Kaiser. Back when it was Medicare+Choice, KP was running $110 a month for the HMO and Plan F supplement was like $115 with Blue Cross CA.

You have to consider that MOST people who have Kaiser want Kaiser, not a less costly plan. Kaiser people are Kaiser people and love Kaiser for all of the things they deem favorable about the KP medical system.

You can show most of them a $10 premium F plan with a zero premium Part D drug plan and they still won't switch.

Kaiser is a medical/healthcare delivery system. Insurance is just access. I have been in Santa Clara county for 21 years, and I can't count how many times I have heard, and still hear "I love my Kaiser plan".

Most people who have Kaiser LOVE Kaiser. They have no interest in moving into a program with private physicians and medical practices and medical groups and billing and assignment and all of that nonsense (to them). They want the simplicity of what KP offers them, one stop medical care with better front-end preventive care than any private medical group in CA. Plus KP gives you like 100 day drug supply for the normal 30-day private insurance co-pay.

Thanks, very informative info Dave!

1. Would a direct mail approach for Med Supp. since such a high percentage have Kaiser and probably won't change? (my thinking is that it won't because you can't target the non kaiser people specifically and the receptive audience is too small for a good ROI)

2. Is there enough non-kaiser people that want to switch to still make a direct mail campaign successful?

3. Is it better to hit surrounding "non-kaiser" areas?

If you'd like to share in private please e-mail me. I'd really be interested in discussing this.

 

[sman]

I'm not Dave, but I'll chime in. Based on my experience in the Med Supp market, direct mailers haven't worked too well (not a great ROI in my experience). Of course, I've never done a mail campaign in your specific county, but I don't see seniors being any different in your part of the country.

Med Supps as a door opener is great. Most every person on Medicare or going on Medicare is willing to have that conversation. And if you provide value to them, you may very well be able to place the other products. Additionally, satisfied seniors are a great source for referrals.

Thanks, very informative info Dave!

I was thinking about med supp. direct mail as a door opener to annuities, LTC, life. Not too interested in selling med supp. alone but was told its good "door opener" for cross selling.

1. Would a direct mail approach for Med Supp. work in Santa Clara county since such a high percentage have Kaiser and probably won't change? (my thinking is that it won't because you can't target the non kaiser people specifically and the receptive audience is too small for a good ROI)

2. Is there enough non-kaiser people that want to switch to still make a direct mail campaign successful?

3. Is it better to hit surrounding "non-kaiser" areas?

If you'd like to share in private please e-mail me. I'd really be interested in discussing this.

 

[Dave020]

Sure.

[email protected]

 

[CALTCAgent]

I'm not Dave, but I'll chime in. Based on my experience in the Med Supp market, direct mailers haven't worked too well (not a great ROI in my experience). Of course, I've never done a mail campaign in your specific county, but I don't see seniors being any different in your part of the country.

Med Supps as a door opener is great. Most every person on Medicare or going on Medicare is willing to have that conversation. And if you provide value to them, you may very well be able to place the other products. Additionally, satisfied seniors are a great source for referrals.

Thanks for the response!

1. What do they usually consider "providing value" to them in the medicare appointment?

In other words is it a certain educational talk about medicare, or just saving them money on a plan.

Thanks again!

 

[DS4]

And if you provide value to them...

"value", can be, Educating the senior on Medicare, explaining the various letter plans with Medicare supplements, or, like last week, I helped a senior get a heavy box off the top shelf in a closet.

Additionally, satisfied seniors are a great source for referrals.

X2
100% of my senior sales are referrals.

Once the Med supp is in place, it's an easy lead in to LTC or FE, or, ?.

 

[CALTCAgent]

"value", can be, Educating the senior on Medicare, explaining the various letter plans with Medicare supplements, or, like last week, I helped a senior get a heavy box off the top shelf in a closet.



X2
100% of my senior sales are referrals.

Once the Med supp is in place, it's an easy lead in to LTC or FE, or, ?.

Thanks for the info!