Benelynk and UHC

[MedicareAgent]

UHC has done it again. They have teamed up with Benelynk and are sending all of the snp customers a letter stating that benelynk can help them get all the medicaid benefits they deserve. The phone number on the bottom of the benelynk letter is to UHC !!!

 

[GoPokes]

The last couple years it has seemed like AEP is a time to grow our book, while the carriers grow their by taking our existing members. Humana has definitely improved with respect to their pledge to respect the AOR. UHC is more difficult to track, since we cannot actually see who is active, and who is future active.

 

[Millwood]

I'm having Aetna MS clients calling Aetna about rate increases and getting moved inhouse to Aetna Medicare Advantage.

 

[GoPokes]

I'm having Aetna MS clients calling Aetna about rate increases and getting moved inhouse to Aetna Medicare Advantage.

I have been wondering if these large increases on medigap are a way to indirectly encourage mapd enrollments... would not surprise me

I'd be interested to know if the risk pool in medigap gets worse, as more people (healthy) sign up for mapd, and thus more increases.

 

[somarco]

I'm having Aetna MS clients calling Aetna about rate increases and getting moved inhouse to Aetna Medicare Advantage.

I used to have that same problem with them when I worked U65 health insurance.

Also, they would forget to bill the new clients until . . 3 month . . . 4 months . . . 5 months after the effective date. Then they took all the back premium plus next months. I had some ANGRY clients over that.

And . . . they would honor your AOR letter but still pay the original writing agent.

What a great carrier to work with

 

[Travis Price]

I don't write UHC, period.

Same for BCBSMI.

It sucks, but I try my best to train clients to reach out to me when they have an issue or question. I live in their community, I know their issues, and I pick up and answer questions for them.

If they opt to go to carrier.. then that's their call. When they reach out, I direct them to the carrier.

 

[DonP]

UHC has done it again. They have teamed up with Benelynk and are sending all of the snp customers a letter stating that benelynk can help them get all the medicaid benefits they deserve. The phone number on the bottom of the benelynk letter is to UHC !!!

I’m confused . Are you saying UHC is taking the agent of record away from us the agents if they get the client to switch plans? In the agent contract it says if a call center upgrades an agents client it doesn’t affect the agents commission ? If so screw that. These naive snp clients will switch in a second if they think the CO’s upgrading them

 

[GoPokes]

I’m confused . Are you saying UHC is taking the agent of record away from us the agents if they get the client to switch plans? In the agent contract it says if a call center upgrades an agents client it doesn’t affect the agents commission ? If so screw that. These naive snp clients will switch in a second if they think the CO’s upgrading them

Yes, that is what he is implying. In the past, this was the way things went. The broker did not have any help when the call center sold the client a new plan. Now, they say they will keep the broker as the AOR when the client calls in with a question and is sold a new plan. However, the internal UHC agent still get to call the PDP lists for a chance to sell an MAPD, without respect for the Independent broker who sold that PDP to them, with a UHC medsupp.

The internal agents and call centers agents are hunger for a bonus, and working somewhere else in a few years. This same thing comes from Humana. Thats why brokers wont put the phone number on the PDP application. At the end of the day, just build relationships, and keep building your business.

 

[DonP]

I know the call center agent gets a $75 bonus to upgrade a plan . I don’t care about that as the agent still keeps the commish . Ok I see what your saying . The call center is calling the pdp list to switch them to a mapd from your bed supp so you lose your med supp . But if you only sell mapd you it seems they can only upgrade them and you won’t lose your commish . It’s hard to build loyalty with dual customers .

 

[Rossat]

UHC has an AOR protection pledge, so what’s the issue? I highly doubt if a member is on DSNP telesales would find them a “better” plan. But even if they did, you’d remain the AOR for plan changes....

I’m not seeing the issue here.