Humana MA has changed its AOR change policy

[wehotex]

I just received this e-mail which states that the new policy is effective on Dec 14:

Purpose

The purpose of this document is to describe Humana Marketpoint's policy regarding Agent of Record change requests. The Agent of Record (AOR) is defined as the agent or agency who receives the commission for the policy. This policy does not apply to Vested Commission Policies, as defined in the Humana Producer Contract.

Policy and Procedure

As of the date of this policy, Humana Marketpoint will no longer process the following AOR change requests:

AOR change requests received from a member (e.g. handwritten letter or email)

AOR change requests received from an agent (other than through the Agent BusinessTransferal Form)

Humana Marketpoint will continue to process the following AOR change requests

Agent Business Transferal Form submissions

Monitoring and Oversight

The Agent Support Unit will ensure that AOR requests received are processed in accordance with this policy.

I used this AOR change request sparingly and am sad to see it go. I lost several (about 4-5) MEMBERS at the beginning of last year due to their employer retiree group forcibly enrolling them into a Humana Retiree plan from their Humana Gold Plus HMO plan. I was able to use the AOR change request to get some of them back. There were other cases too where I used this AOR change request to my advantage. The Business Transferral From that they reference is one where the 2nd agent would sign the member over to the 1st agent (probably only works when selling a Book of Business?) I could tell that use of the AOR request was becoming more widespread. Humana probably got tired of complaints from agents with larger books of business.

 

[Newby]

Yes that was a bad rule to have. Any agent getting into a home could easily flip your business. There were agents that got more Humana customers by flipping than they ever legitimately sold.

Kudos to Humana for finally waking up and protecting the selling agent.

 

[Franki52]

I personally liked the old
AOR policy because a lot of people did not know about Humana benefits such as OTC, eye glasses (these are available in AZ) and we could help them. Some can't reach their agent or they do not know who their agents are? You can still change their Humana plan if there's a better option and you become AOR (AZ does this still)

 

[Corpuschristi]

The Humana AOR policy was one part in our FE/MA campaign. Will need to readjust our plan.

 

[fun2drum]

This is a topic that strikes a nerve with me and I couldn't be happier with Humana's decision. It's about time. I have had rogue agents go into my clients' homes and tell them I've moved out of state now so they need to write an AOR change letter to have access to an agent. I've had to contact them and let them know they were lied to, and that they had to write yet another letter requesting that I continue being their agent unless they don't want me. Every single one of them have said they were mislead. I know from other agents that I'm not the only one who's lost clients to scum like that. These are clients I've been in touch with helping with customer service a couple of times a year and they wouldn't have written that AOR change letter if they hadn't been lied to. Some of them didn't even write the letter - it was done for them and they had no idea. Those were very upset, and two of them have asked me to get back with them at the first of the year to help them write a complaint to CMS. These bottom feeders couldn't sell a cup of water to a man on fire, so they instead get their book of business by stealing AOR's. Thank you Humana for finally ending that policy.

 

[vic120]

I personally liked the old
AOR policy because a lot of people did not know about Humana benefits such as OTC, eye glasses (these are available in AZ) and we could help them. Some can't reach their agent or they do not know who their agents are? You can still change their Humana plan if there's a better option and you become AOR (AZ does this still)

On a rare occasion, I might run into someone who didn't know there plan included eyeglasses, Who cares do I deserve AOR? , The thought never crossed my mind to even ask in those cases

I mean I have clients that don't remember benefits I went over with them so what, Does that mean I did a bad job? People forget stuff

In those cases, If I can offer something better great if not have a good day. That's all.

If someone complains they cannot reach an agent for CS issues I would be less hard on it, Although unless I did something special I would not pursue AOR.

I have had to do this with 2 people in my career and even then I didn't feel right about it. Apart from really going above and beyond for someone, my thought is to sell a plan and earn AOR or move on

 

[Chazm]

Figures. I've only lost one to an aor change and I was supposed to change one last week. But I told him I'd come see him next week to do an AOR change. It was going to be my first one and it's my old client that called to sign up with Humana but has zero idea who his agent is.

Now I'm outta luck. I snooze I lose

 

[wehotex]

Figures. I've only lost one to an aor change and I was supposed to change one last week. But I told him I'd come see him next week to do an AOR change. It was going to be my first one and it's my old client that called to sign up with Humana but has zero idea who his agent is.

Now I'm outta luck. I snooze I lose

your case might be different since they were enrolled by TeleSales. I'd still try it if I were you.

 

[wehotex]

The Humana AOR policy was one part in our FE/MA campaign. Will need to readjust our plan.

That might be part of the problem right there. I have an acquaintance who writes mainly all FE and merely dabbles in MA only (knows NOTHING about it) because he knows that he can get commish by completing an AOR letter. It seems unfair to take those away from agents who dedicate themselves to learning and servicing the MA products.

 

[fishfortwo]

That might be part of the problem right there. I have an acquaintance who writes mainly all FE and merely dabbles in MA only (knows NOTHING about it) because he knows that he can get commish by completing an AOR letter. It seems unfair to take those away from agents who dedicate themselves to learning and servicing the MA products.

That is a part of the problem. There are a lot of agents doing this to build their book. This has been going on for a long time. I have had this happen quite often and I touch my clients a minimum of 5 times a year. My clients have been lied to that we are working together, sign here and I will work with your agent to get you extra benefits, he has asked me to take over for him, he is no longer in the business etc. Several did not even write anything just signed a written document.
I have always been able to get them back every time but it is a pain to run around to reclaim your own business. Meanwhile the lying sleazy agents continue to do this.
I had two clients recently that this happened to that are neighbors. Sign here and I am going to get with your agent to get you extra benefits. They were pissed they were lied to. I got the card of the guy and called him and asked him when he wanted to get together for our meeting to discuss the extra benefits for my clients. He was very indigent at first but as we talked his demeanor changed.
He just got his license May 2018 and was so proud that he had "touched over 1000 doorknobs" selling FE and he had done over 30 AOR with Humana. I exclaimed S**T, I have not done 3 since Humana started here in 2006 and you have done over 30 since May!
The playing field is even now. Those that signed themselves up on tele sales or online can not have an Agent if you run into them, but a least the scumbags cant poach your business.