Well it's Trash Day again tomorrow....

[policy doctor]

Looks like those trash bins will be filled up with my PFFS apps, enrollment kits, literature, and anything else daring to utter that profane word: PFFS!!

Secure Horizons informed me to dump everything with PFFS direct, and delete pdf files also. HMMM>>>>sounds like they're not coming back anytime soon....whaddyyya think?

Believe Pyramid issued the same directive. So folks, if the big guns are laying low till next enrollment, could the lil' guns be far behind? Will there be another enrollment push this Nov-Dec for 2008? Maybe this fizzled out for the agents, and it will be phone enrollments only?

And as far as the duals.....all is ok till they stop the show, right?

BTW...On the Mutual website, they're referencing the halt as an opportune time to sell their Med supps. Which I agree with.

 

[senior-advisor-indiana]

They are probably dumping all of the materials because they are not compliant. I don't care if they come back or not. If they do comeback I have alot of people to switch between MA's between nov and jan.

 

[policy doctor]

Well a lot of my current MA clients are people who had no insurance, or leads given to me . I may start my campaign for "real insurance" in Sept, so they're prepped for a change during enrollment.

One article I read said that Medicare doctors numbers are dwindling. If that is so, then they will get more picky about how they're paid and how soon.

Utah Doctors Worried About a Crisis in the Medicare System

June 12th, 2007 @ 6:04pm
Richard Piatt Reporting
ksl.com

Utah doctors are worried about a crisis in the Medicare system over the next few years. Cuts in federal funds could leave patients unable to find a doctor and may lead some doctors to drop out of medicine completely.


The future looks bleak as far as these doctors are concerned. The cuts are supposed to start next January and keep going for eight years. That will create what doctors call a real emergency. President of the American Medical Association Dr. William Plested says, "The AMA is doing a house call to Utah today. And we're here with a warning."

It's a warning that could affect more than 300,000 Utah senior citizens, disabled and military families. But it will affect their doctors first. It's a flawed Medicare reimbursement funding formula thhttp://media.bonnint.net/slc/145/14523/1452303.jpgat continues year after year because Congress hasn't fixed it. If it continues, the amount doctors get reimbursed from Medicare will continue to drop at the same time costs go up and Baby Boomers enter the program.

The obvious gap could lead to a gap in care for at least 200,000 eligible Utahns. In other words, doctors simply won't be able to afford to keep them as patients. Former President of the Utah Medical Association Dr. Catherine Wheeler says, "It's a real difficult decision. We'll see doctors limping along for long periods of time until they realize they can't keep their practice open in that way anymore, unless they cut out the ones that don't pay their expenses."

Solutions have been proposed but are bogged down in politics and competition with other reimbursements.

The AMA is hoping affected citizens will pressure their Congressman and Senators to break through the clutter. Plested says, "We have a government that reacts to crises. And we feel this is too important to let it get to the crisis stage before we do something. "

If Congress doesn't act, and Medicare patients can't see their doctors, they'll resort to emergency room treatment: The most expensive type of health care there is.

 

[deda15]

PFFS Trash Day

I've been in the med sup market over 20 years now. When the MA plans started being pushed I had already decided I didn't want to sell them.
I did certify with 5 0r 6 companies, mainly for Part D.

According to CMS the problems were very small, but I think agents don't understand how seniors think. Medicare beneficiaries want something simple, their bills to be paid and peace of mind that when they go to the doctor or hospital they won't have a big bill.

So many of them still don't understand what medicare assignment means. They will ask for a hospital bill not understanding that medicare pays all but the initial deductible, unless they have a private room. I have had two or three talk about this in the past month.

Deanna Carlisle
www.greatrelationshipmarketing.com

 

[policy doctor]

Nice cards, Deanna. Is that your part-time endeavor?

I agree about the misunderstanding of Medicare by seniors, but bridge that over to other insurance products. Most people don't understand the inner workings so they need us brokers. Plain term life and accident policies is about as simple as it gets.

 

[Frank Stastny]

I've been in the med sup market over 20 years now. When the MA plans started being pushed I had already decided I didn't want to sell them.
I did certify with 5 0r 6 companies, mainly for Part D.

According to CMS the problems were very small, but I think agents don't understand how seniors think. Medicare beneficiaries want something simple, their bills to be paid and peace of mind that when they go to the doctor or hospital they won't have a big bill.

So many of them still don't understand what medicare assignment means. They will ask for a hospital bill not understanding that medicare pays all but the initial deductible, unless they have a private room. I have had two or three talk about this in the past month.

I came to the same decision for the same reasons. I do not like the PFFS plans.

However, I think a lot of the problems were caused because agents DO understand how seniors think. They, for the most part, only think if terms of MONEY.

All one has to tell them is that it is "free" or only one-fourth of what they are currently paying for their Med Supp and they are picking up their pen to sign. If the agent also adds, "you get the same coverage you now have with Medicare and your Medicare Supplement policy and you still get to go to the doctor of your choice", it makes it totally a no-brainer to make a sale.

Actually, there isn't any selling to it, it is order taking. I have a feeling that there are more agents than we think who are using that as their "dog and pony show". They are not spending the time to really explain the things that seniors need to carefully consider before taking a PFFS plan.

I'm afraid that a lot of seniors, especially those living in rural areas and those who travel extensively, are going to be in for a rude awakening when they need serious medical care.

 

[tommyk]

I heard today that Sterling will be selling their PFFS plans again come this Monday 07-09-07.

 

[Cenla Agent]

Looks like those trash bins will be filled up with my PFFS apps, enrollment kits, literature, and anything else daring to utter that profane word: PFFS!!

Secure Horizons informed me to dump everything with PFFS direct, and delete pdf files also. HMMM>>>>sounds like they're not coming back anytime soon....whaddyyya think?

Believe Pyramid issued the same directive. So folks, if the big guns are laying low till next enrollment, could the lil' guns be far behind? Will there be another enrollment push this Nov-Dec for 2008? Maybe this fizzled out for the agents, and it will be phone enrollments only?

And as far as the duals.....all is ok till they stop the show, right?

BTW...On the Mutual website, they're referencing the halt as an opportune time to sell their Med supps. Which I agree with.

Humana issued the same directive to destroy any marketing material that makes reference to PFFS and issued a new MA proposal that doesn't mention PFFS at all.

Mutual always has something highlighting supps vs. MA, focusing on the uncertainty of MA's future viability and not being able to build a residual income with it.