Thinning the Herd

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:mad: and having to drop out.
Couldn't agree with you more. These plans will generally be history after 2009. With the cuts planned for Medicare which will never go through, the congress will have to tap the capitation for MA plans.

We're pretty much history.

Rick
 
It will be interesting to see what will happen over the next few years. Your rural market MA agents may fall to the way side. The metro areas will go on as they were with less PFFS plans and zero cost MA plans may go away, but in market where they were around before Part D I think it will be business as usual.
 
It will be interesting to see what will happen over the next few years. Your rural market MA agents may fall to the way side. The metro areas will go on as they were with less PFFS plans and zero cost MA plans may go away, but in market where they were around before Part D I think it will be business as usual.
My guess is that things will be similar to what they were when the BBA was passed. Rural areas will lose their plans and HMO's will be the only plans available in large cities.

I don't even know if the PPOs will last because the network costs will likely increase to make up for the lack of an increase in Medicare payments.

What I can't figure out is why HMOs thrived on 95% of Medicare even without the current additional payment for Part D. Now they even receive higher capitation for patients that are high utilizers.

Something has to give and maybe agents will be one of the factors that will be eliminated.

Rick
 
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