Secret Shopped by Wellcare

[Chazm]

What BS.

I get a call from a lady today who say's I met with a client on Dec 7, 2012. I don't recall the name and she said it was in regards to her mother for medicare but obviously I was secret shopped by her daughter but they don't know the mother's name. She said she was from WellCare and that she needed a copy of the scope of appt that was signed. I let her know I'll go through my files when I get back to the office.

I asked if I did anything wrong and she said that I said she should go with PUP and not Wellcare and that I said going with PUP is better than Medicare. The client claimed I had her sign a scope but it was done at the appt.

On my way home, I'm freaking out because I don't tend to pay too much attention to scopes from clients that I don't sell but I had an idea of where it might be. I also start recalling the appt and how it was set. On the night of Dec 6 I get a call from a lady telling me that her mother is in desperate need to get into a MAPD plan because she's on just A&B and its too expensive. I let her know I'll be there first thing in the morning to get it situated and that Dec. 7 is the last day to pick up a plan.

Now normally I do go to appts that can't recall how they got my number or if they get my number from a company but I'm thinking, hey this lady needs to get this done, so I'm trying to be helpful on Dec 7!
I meet with her in the morning and let her know that I only represent PUP until Dec 8 so if she wanted to see Wellcare, I would be able to send out another agent for her and I had her sign the scope right then and there. She claims to love the PUP plan for her mother and had to leave to go pick her up at the airport in a couple of hours.

Fast forward 5 hours later, I'm still out that way (about 30 mins from my home) and she doesn't answer her phone. 5 mins later I get a text from her that the plane is running late and she really needs to get this done, I tell her, "no problem I'll wait out this way until you get close". She say's, "ok, I'll call you later".
Two hours later, I don't hear from her and I run my last appt for the night at 6pm and I'm out of there by 7:15, I even run by my parents house just to say hi and give the lady a little extra time.
No call back ever...

Now I find out she was a secret shopper! WTH. Why couldn't she just tell me no thanks?!?

Anyways, I get back to my office today and find the scope and fax it to wellcare. I know I never use absolutes, I always say, "In my opinion" but it's just my word vs hers.

I've learned my lesson, if you don't know how you got my number I will NEVER go out to see you.

 

[sman]

I've learned my lesson, if you don't know how you got my number I will NEVER go out to see you.

Yep. I was secret shopped by WellCare back in the early days of MAPD plans (probably in late 2006). I didn't realize it until after the fact. And it was before there was much talk about secret shoppers.

My first clue should have been the fact that the guy called my home phone and not my business phone. The second clue should have been that he said he got my number from WellCare. I set up the appointment and met him at a restaurant for breakfast. This was before SOA's had to be signed. I reviewed the WellCare information with him and we also discussed Medicare Supplements in general terms, nothing specific.

He said he was going to look at other plans and get back to me. I never heard from the guy. The lesson I learned that day was if they get my number from the company, I won't have time to meet with them. I work by referral only these days so if they didn't get my name and number from an existing client, I won't be meeting with them.

What pisses me off most about carriers doing crap like this is that we have a limited amount of time during AEP to get stuff done and they knowingly waste two hours of our time. I understand why they secret shop, but they can do it with some other agent as far as I'm concerned. My time is too valuable to waste.

 

[Newby]

I get a couple of them a month because I do informational seminars at the local hospital auditorium. There is usually around 50- people there and the front row will have at least 2 secret shoppers and they often want to meet.

Usually they are jerks that just want to waste your time. Some are OK. You just have to be compliant with everyone and not worry about them. I do mail the scopes out and if someone shows up for an appointment that hasn't mailed it back, I just reschedule them.

We probably blow a few good appointments that way but we sell plenty and sleep well at night. We don't do any MAPD at anyone's home unless they are a long-time client. And we NEVER sign on as the agent on RX plans. Just show them how to enroll directly.

 

[BobbyMcGee]

The "is this better than Medicare" trap always gets me bcuz IT IS better. I would love to stand in front of a Judge/Jury and have them ask that question.
I'm sure I was ss'd @ a Walmart with the guy coming at me with that as the First question. Second question was specific item from S/B on a plan. I gave him one and showed him where it he could read about it.
Left mumbling something.

 

[yogooglethis]

What BS.

I get a call from a lady today who say's I met with a client on Dec 7, 2012. I don't recall the name and she said it was in regards to her mother for medicare but obviously I was secret shopped by her daughter but they don't know the mother's name. She said she was from WellCare and that she needed a copy of the scope of appt that was signed. I let her know I'll go through my files when I get back to the office.

I asked if I did anything wrong and she said that I said she should go with PUP and not Wellcare and that I said going with PUP is better than Medicare. The client claimed I had her sign a scope but it was done at the appt.

On my way home, I'm freaking out because I don't tend to pay too much attention to scopes from clients that I don't sell but I had an idea of where it might be. I also start recalling the appt and how it was set. On the night of Dec 6 I get a call from a lady telling me that her mother is in desperate need to get into a MAPD plan because she's on just A&B and its too expensive. I let her know I'll be there first thing in the morning to get it situated and that Dec. 7 is the last day to pick up a plan.

Now normally I do go to appts that can't recall how they got my number or if they get my number from a company but I'm thinking, hey this lady needs to get this done, so I'm trying to be helpful on Dec 7!
I meet with her in the morning and let her know that I only represent PUP until Dec 8 so if she wanted to see Wellcare, I would be able to send out another agent for her and I had her sign the scope right then and there. She claims to love the PUP plan for her mother and had to leave to go pick her up at the airport in a couple of hours.

Fast forward 5 hours later, I'm still out that way (about 30 mins from my home) and she doesn't answer her phone. 5 mins later I get a text from her that the plane is running late and she really needs to get this done, I tell her, "no problem I'll wait out this way until you get close". She say's, "ok, I'll call you later".
Two hours later, I don't hear from her and I run my last appt for the night at 6pm and I'm out of there by 7:15, I even run by my parents house just to say hi and give the lady a little extra time.
No call back ever...

Now I find out she was a secret shopper! WTH. Why couldn't she just tell me no thanks?!?

Anyways, I get back to my office today and find the scope and fax it to wellcare. I know I never use absolutes, I always say, "In my opinion" but it's just my word vs hers.

I've learned my lesson, if you don't know how you got my number I will NEVER go out to see you.

Can you clarify, where you certified to sell PUP only on day of appointment and the client/shopper called specificaly requested an appointment to see a Wellcare plan?If so why would Wellcare even secret shop you.Are you sure it wasn't a CMS secret shopper?
You might have a problem with the " better than medicare " line especially if you where discluding Wellcare because you couldn't write an application for them that day.I have done seminars for UHC and there is slide in the approved presentation that says something to the effect of -............ and that is the reason we are able to offer a plan that give you more benefits than original Medicare. Go figure.

 

[YouGotMyMoney]

sounds like another reason to sell over the phone n not in person

 

[Chazm]

Can you clarify, where you certified to sell PUP only on day of appointment and the client/shopper called specificaly requested an appointment to see a Wellcare plan?If so why would Wellcare even secret shop you.Are you sure it wasn't a CMS secret shopper?
You might have a problem with the " better than medicare " line especially if you where discluding Wellcare because you couldn't write an application for them that day.I have done seminars for UHC and there is slide in the approved presentation that says something to the effect of -............ and that is the reason we are able to offer a plan that give you more benefits than original Medicare. Go figure.

I'm an Indy agent but during this past AEP I was contracted to exclusively sell pup. I was contracted with WellCare at the same time but I told pup I would only offer them for MAPD plans in their area.
It was definitely a shopper for WellCare. I let the client know if they wanted WellCare I could call an agent to come sign them up

 

[0b1kanobee]

I'm an Indy agent but during this past AEP I was contracted to exclusively sell pup. I was contracted with WellCare at the same time but I told pup I would only offer them for MAPD plans in their area.
It was definitely a shopper for WellCare. I let the client know if they wanted WellCare I could call an agent to come sign them up

Which is what you were going to do. Remember you called me and told me that if the lady wanted Wellcare that you would have them call me. We talked about this on the phone and you were a little stressed because time was running out for them and you had pretty much packed it in for AEP.

On a side note, I got secret shopped at a Wellcare seminar by CMS. I got the star rating of the plan wrong and in my own opinion, I personally wasn't gonna go crazy with star ratings like she told me Humana did because they can change and they are made up of categories. Overall I got a positive write-up except for the star rating but that rating was not in my presentation materials. (apparently I had an old set)

I did tell her how and gave her CMS approved literature on how she can find the star rating and many other things as well as the number to Wellcare she could call, a number for me if she wanted to call me shortly to get the star number, my two supervisors numbers too who weren't answering their phones while she was with me and I was trying to get the star number lol.

I think she tried to set me up for asking medical questions too because she claimed to have been very FAT but had Gastro Bypass something or another done. I couldn't help but sit there and tell her how wonderful she looked. I'm pretty sure she had a fake cane (she didn't normally use) and some kinda brace on her hand. I think that was part of her disguise and perhaps to entice me into asking about her health conditions or medications.

 

[Guest]

What BS.

I get a call from a lady today who say's I met with a client on Dec 7, 2012. I don't recall the name and she said it was in regards to her mother for medicare but obviously I was secret shopped by her daughter but they don't know the mother's name. She said she was from WellCare and that she needed a copy of the scope of appt that was signed. I let her know I'll go through my files when I get back to the office.

I asked if I did anything wrong and she said that I said she should go with PUP and not Wellcare and that I said going with PUP is better than Medicare. The client claimed I had her sign a scope but it was done at the appt.

On my way home, I'm freaking out because I don't tend to pay too much attention to scopes from clients that I don't sell but I had an idea of where it might be. I also start recalling the appt and how it was set. On the night of Dec 6 I get a call from a lady telling me that her mother is in desperate need to get into a MAPD plan because she's on just A&B and its too expensive. I let her know I'll be there first thing in the morning to get it situated and that Dec. 7 is the last day to pick up a plan.

Now normally I do go to appts that can't recall how they got my number or if they get my number from a company but I'm thinking, hey this lady needs to get this done, so I'm trying to be helpful on Dec 7!
I meet with her in the morning and let her know that I only represent PUP until Dec 8 so if she wanted to see Wellcare, I would be able to send out another agent for her and I had her sign the scope right then and there. She claims to love the PUP plan for her mother and had to leave to go pick her up at the airport in a couple of hours.

Fast forward 5 hours later, I'm still out that way (about 30 mins from my home) and she doesn't answer her phone. 5 mins later I get a text from her that the plane is running late and she really needs to get this done, I tell her, "no problem I'll wait out this way until you get close". She say's, "ok, I'll call you later".
Two hours later, I don't hear from her and I run my last appt for the night at 6pm and I'm out of there by 7:15, I even run by my parents house just to say hi and give the lady a little extra time.
No call back ever...

Now I find out she was a secret shopper! WTH. Why couldn't she just tell me no thanks?!?

Anyways, I get back to my office today and find the scope and fax it to wellcare. I know I never use absolutes, I always say, "In my opinion" but it's just my word vs hers.

I've learned my lesson, if you don't know how you got my number I will NEVER go out to see you.

Just curious... But what would happen if you didn't have the SOA or you were non-compliant in some way? Do they just terminate your appointment or are there repercussions from CMS?

 

[hammerken]

Secret Shoppers like to pick on people who they think use absolute's like "better than." They key on it. I had an Anthem BC booth this year and 3 different secret shoppers took a run at me. They tried to bait me each time with the 'Is this better than?" ruse. Better luck next time chumps.