Thinning the Herd

[Non-golfing Agent]

Great thread! I enjoy reading about the struggles of others and the joy other folks get from it! Makes me feel like a winner!!

 

[Todd King]

Scope of Appointment letter can be signed right at the appt now, if you can't get it back before hand. CMS changed the rule last week on that one. You just tell them to check everything just in case. If you also didn't know you can add LTC and Dental to your scope of appt letter.

I would love to see where you found that ruling. This would be the 1st piece of literature that you can just change on your own without CMS approval. Since when did they come up with the idea that's it's ok to talk about LTC and Dental but not other things like Final Expense? I've been trying my best to keep up with all the changes, I guess this is one that I missed....a HUGE one at that!

 

[jdeasy]

At least 1 1/2 hours? That has to be including drive time and phone time to set up the appointment right? If you're spending that kind of time in a household just switching from one MA to another I would say you are probably doing overkill. If I couldn't switch someone from one to the other in 30-45 minutes maximum, I think I would re-evaluate my presentation techniques.
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That's time in the home. I've driven over 800 miles so far this week, so, that's additional time. These cl;ients have never been shown the Medicare and You booklet about MA plans. Of course, the enrollment call takes about 20 mins.

Out of over 500 MA PFFS plans, I've had 9 disenrollments. I think taking additional time is worth it. I've never had even one complaint that the enrollee didn't understand what they enrolled in. Sometimes I call the enrollees Dr. to ensure acceptance. I don't see how the plans can be properly explained in 25 mins. If you can, more power to you.

 

[Todd King]

... Of course, the enrollment call takes about 20 mins.

And that's why I never do enrollments over the phone. I fill out paperwork and fax it. That takes about 5 minutes total.

 

[retread]

Scope of Appointment letter can be signed right at the appt now, if you can't get it back before hand. CMS changed the rule last week on that one. You just tell them to check everything just in case. If you also didn't know you can add LTC and Dental to your scope of appt letter.

UHC email today provided a generic SOA and said destroy the others. Most carriers now say it is acceptable to hand out the SOA at the beginning of your appointment, just make sure it is signed before you start your presentation.

 

[jdeasy]

... Of course, the enrollment call takes about 20 mins.

And that's why I never do enrollments over the phone. I fill out paperwork and fax it. That takes about 5 minutes total.

I don't have that option with Wellcare. You must do the teleapp with them or you don't even paid your half.

 

[Tina]

Scope of Appointment letter can be signed right at the appt now, if you can't get it back before hand. CMS changed the rule last week on that one. You just tell them to check everything just in case. If you also didn't know you can add LTC and Dental to your scope of appt letter.

Humana's SOA includes Med Supps instead of LTC...might be the only good thing they did with this whole mess

 

[blaze1x]

My appointments are running me about 45 minutes each. I am loving this year... agents are getting out of this niche left and right.

DOnt get me wrong... its been harder no doubt, and my income will be greatly reduced this year... but with the new renewal structure Ill be making more money than I ever have by year 3...

Thats not to say that Ill probably be on Medicaid by year 6 LOL!

It's probably equally hard for newbies who try to get a leg in while the government's "thinning" the heard. Especially when inexplicably a veteran offers to assist a newbie and then, quite literally, that veteran falls off the face of the earth. I guess it just creates more opportunity for the vets.

 

[scottfree]

Why would anyone think it is much less work to move someone into a better plan than it is to see a "virgin" to Medicare Advantage? If you do your job right, you have to compare at least 2 different plans - their current one and the one you recommend. When you see someone not in MA plans, you only have to show one plan which hopefully is the one that fits that person the best.

To receive a renewal commission for all that work is unfair. At least with Med Supps, the new and renewal commissions are identical with most carriers. We are paid for our work and don't have to put up with all the extra bullshit that is required by CMS.

I am busting my ass to help my clients be sure they have the proper PDP plan and for all that work I increase my commission from $10 to $20. I still do it because I owe it to my clients but I don't know how much longer I can afford to work for free.

Anyone who can defend the scope of appointment form, the 48 hour rule and all the other crap obviously has it too easy. I already work hard to help my clients and adding unnecessary hardships is helping no one.

Rick

Rick, I'm right with you. I am still running into people that think that Medicare still picks up some of the payment and it takes time to give them options. It's not just moving them from a Humana plan to another, it's giving them the different options. You also have to make sure they get the best one for their meds which is now a nightmare. I have been using the Medicare.gov site to compare plans and ran into a couple of situations the last week where the Med.gov site is totally wrong. I ran the meds and got a $2000 difference with a couple of plans and the .gov site said that a drug was not on formulary and went to that plans site and it was. Then the lowest plan for the same person on the .gov site said total cost for the year was $1800 and when I went to the actual site it was $2600.

Another thing is we may be getting renewals that are better for 5 years, but who said that these plans will even be around next year? Also if it goes all PPO in 2011 we will have to do this all again and do it with probably a new commission structure and then do we only get paid for 2 more years since they have been our client for 3 or 4 years already?

Finally I find it VERY offensive that some on this board are amused at this whole situation that agents such as us that are helping people are getting **cked and having to drop out.

It looks like to me as they are just looking after their pocketbook and not their clients and are enjoying the BS that we have to go through to HELP people and go broke doing it.

Scott

Doing what's right for each senior I meet with everytime!


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[thereaper]

I would love to see where you found that ruling. This would be the 1st piece of literature that you can just change on your own without CMS approval. Since when did they come up with the idea that's it's ok to talk about LTC and Dental but not other things like Final Expense? I've been trying my best to keep up with all the changes, I guess this is one that I missed....a HUGE one at that!

Last call letter and verfied by CMS regional in Atlanta 2 weeks ago. You can only talk about medicare and health products which encompass ltc and dental. If it is not possible to get the scope of appt letter back before the appointmnet you can have it signed just before you talk about medicare and have them check off what you're going to talk about. If they don't check off, let's say PFFS but during the presentation stray to it they have to sign a 2nd letter. FE is definitely forbidden. Now all this was in the past two weeks it's not to say they haven't already changed their mind.