United Health Care Cuts Agents Throats

[Joe H]

Just got commission schedule for 2010.....United Health Care has made the MAPD non commissionable in the entire state of Massachusetts as well as a very few other counties around the country. Coventry is gone... this leaves the fixed budget seniors with nothing....but supps which 80 % of my clients can't afford. They got rid of the chronic illness plan too so I have 60 or so people calling me to schedule appointments to switch to something else.....what do I tell them? ....beside UNH sucks
I know only a handful will be able to go with a med supp too...what a shame.......

 

[kennethbroyles]

I just read my 2010 contract also.. and was wondering about those places like your NJ not paying commissions. Is there a state law now making them do this? I have found the company wants to pay commissions for the enrollments. Most of the places I saw in the contract not paying commissions are very liberal states. I's sorry for your loss. I know it hurts.

 

[Chazm]

What about FL? are we ok?

 

[Russ]

What about FL? are we ok?

Non-commissionable counties in Florida...

Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach.

 

[Joe H]

Its not the states...but it could be areas with very large senior populations or probably were they have large in-house sale forces.....

 

[HealthGuy]

AL3 "could" be right: The companies are looking for ways to cut our commissions out of the equation while still paying 7 figure salaries to their CEOs?

 

[Chazm]

Non-commissionable counties in Florida...

Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach.

all of south FL, weird. Not me, thank god

 

[Russ]

all of south FL, weird. Not me, thank god

Me neither. I don't write much MA, but I'll write it.

 

[Guest]

AL3 "could" be right: The companies are looking for ways to cut our commissions out of the equation while still paying 7 figure salaries to their CEOs?

The "commission" bus is starting to roll. We'll all be thrown under it before too long. If the past is prologue, it's inevitable. If the carriers can sell with $8/hr. tele-clerks in large phone centers, or by the web or by snail-mail... they will.

It's called for-profit capitalism. I'm for it. You're for it. All of us are in biz for ourselves (well... sort of... since we are usually statutory employees of the carriers... 1099's are sent, etc.) so we are all for it... and we should understand the motives of the carriers and not "be down" on them for it. THEY ARE GOING TO DO WHAT IS IN THEIR BEST INTEREST FIRST, WHAT IS IN THE CLIENT'S BEST INTEREST SECOND.. and you and I and everyone else comes third.

Get out of health. I envy you non-CA agents because you can easily step into the DI world. CA is an SDI state so it is much harder.

Look at the bright side. If we get some kind of reform that will save people some money on healthcare, they will spend some of it on other forms family protection... life, DI, LTC, etc.

The health train is leaving the station.

And the three men I admire most
The Father, Son and the Holy Ghost
They caught the last train for the coast
The day, the music died
-Don McLean

Al

 

[Joe H]

I dont think it has to with Capitalism. I think their getting rid of Medicare Advantage programs and pushing people to their Med supps, even if they can't afford it.

With Capitalism you want to expand your reach and working with the independent sales force gives you a great resource with no overhead. You gain more sales than just with in-house employees.....

But we have to remember we are not dealing with the old school management/ for profit quality type running these companies. I was told the person running the New england sales division was a Nutrionalist who moved up in the company with no sales experianxce and she wanted to Ax the broker/commsions last year. Penny Wise Pound Foolish.

What's next get rid of commisions for DI, LTC etc...why not?