I Missed the Boat with UnitedHealthcare

[Medicare bro]

Any smart agent is not posing it that way. if UHC comes up as the most suitable plan then the vast majority of people are happy to have that aarp name on their plan,many people will say oh i don't like aarp politics but will still take it if it's the best for their pocket book and then there is a very small percentage that will flat out not take it even if it is the best option.

I would say that the aarp branded plans have the most loyalty out of any other plan out there.I can count on one hand and two feet how many people out of the thousands of aarp med supps i have written in florida have switched to another med supp for lower premiums.

The only reason any of my clients will not switch from UHC supp is because of the renew active. They cannot care less about the AARP brand. Now Blue Cross on the other hand is like a cult. People are always very hesitant to leave them.

 

[MedicareWAA]

If you want money from them, you have to talk to the local broker manager for EDC agents. I have talked to them about it, they do give marketing support, but they follow the rules about it. I haven't asked for it, because I don't market in a way that they would pay. Such as a booth at a fair. They will share the cost with you.

What rules do they follow? Maybe better phrase to use is what rules do they apply?

 

[Ronnie Carter]

Been selling aarp supps and ma in deep red florida from the beginning and I may have lost 25 cases where uhc was their best option but they refused to buy because of the aarp name out of the many thousands I have enrolled in aarp branded plans
What are you telling your prospects to have such a problem making the sale.are you also expressing your hatred for people on the other side making it awkward for them buy a plan that may be most suitable?

I never said I had lost any sales over this, and don't have any "hatred for people on the other side," whatever that means. I don't bring up politics with my clients. But one cannot hide the AARP name plastered all over the MA materials, and as you know, the beneficiary must join AARP for a year to enroll in UHC's Med supp. They often ask questions about that and I tell 'em it's just a marketing strategy, and we need to do what is best for you.

You've lost 25 more cases than I have over this issue. I merely said most around here don't like AARP.

 

[somarco]

I have lost two prospects to AARP/UHC this year. Must be doing something wrong.

My usual loss count for the year is 0 - 1.

And FWIW, I have clients that are long time AARP members but they get Medicare plans from me and it won't be a UHC plan.

 

[Newby]

The original AARP Med Sups were through Colonial Penn. and they lived through that bad publicity blowing up on 60-Minutes. They will make it through this one too.

 

[Special Agent]

The original AARP Med Sups were through Colonial Penn. and they lived through that bad publicity blowing up on 60-Minutes. They will make it through this one too.

they were through Prudential from at least 1992 until 1997 when UHC got the endorsement never knew they were Colonial previous.

 

[Newby]

they were through Prudential from at least 1992 until 1997 when UHC got the endorsement never knew they were Colonial previous.

Colonial Penn was who actually started AARP in the beginning.

 

[annon123]

Colonial Penn was who actually started AARP in the beginning.

Via the obituary of one of the founders: AARP was founded in 1958 by an educator and later joined, as a co founder, by an insurance broker who went on, with his wife, to found Colonial Penn in 1963 (so Colonial Penn did not start AARP although the two men met in 1955 and worked together). Colonial Penn was founded to give AARP members insurance but initially was not the sole provider of insurance for them (and Colonial Penn was sold in 1984). The Colonial Penn founder also started the gerontology dept at U of Southern CA, the first in the country. The two founders were key in the passage of Medicare

Leonard Davis; Helped Start AARP and Gerontology Programs at USC

Leonard Davis, who pioneered insurance plans for elderly people, helped establish the AARP and through his philanthropy made USC the nation's leading university in gerontology studies and care, has died.

www.latimes.com

 

[somarco]

From Google AI . . .


The National Retired Teachers Association (NRTA), founded in 1947 by Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus, was a predecessor to AARP. AARP itself was formally established in 1958, building upon the NRTA's work and expanding its scope to include all Americans aged 55 and older.

Here's a more detailed look:
NRTA's Purpose:
Dr. Andrus established the NRTA in 1947 to address the economic challenges and health insurance needs of retired teachers. She believed that teachers, like other retirees, deserved access to affordable health insurance and other benefits.

AARP's Evolution:
In 1958, AARP was incorporated as the American Association of Retired Persons, expanding on the NRTA's work by offering membership to all Americans aged 55 and over.

The NRTA and AARP Merger:
In 1982, the NRTA merged with AARP at the national level, with the NRTA becoming a division of AARP.

Key Difference:
While the NRTA focused primarily on retired teachers, AARP's mission was broader, aiming to represent and advocate for the interests of all older Americans, according to AARP.

 

[Newby]

Via the obituary of one of the founders: AARP was founded in 1958 by an educator and later joined, as a co founder, by an insurance broker who went on, with his wife, to found Colonial Penn in 1963 (so Colonial Penn did not start AARP although the two men met in 1955 and worked together). Colonial Penn was founded to give AARP members insurance but initially was not the sole provider of insurance for them (and Colonial Penn was sold in 1984). The Colonial Penn founder also started the gerontology dept at U of Southern CA, the first in the country. The two founders were key in the passage of Medicare

Leonard Davis; Helped Start AARP and Gerontology Programs at USC

Leonard Davis, who pioneered insurance plans for elderly people, helped establish the AARP and through his philanthropy made USC the nation's leading university in gerontology studies and care, has died.

www.latimes.com

According to Andy Rooney of 60-Minutes, that is the version of the story they WANT people to believe. The version 60-minutes investigated was much different and the government did get involved after the 60-Minutes story blew up and required AARP to separate from Colonial Penn and to never do business together again.

I wasn't there. So I don't know for sure. But it was a huge story back in the day.

But the whole point of my post on the thread is that they do a fantastic job of keeping AARP's name out of any negative news. But always having their name involved when it's positive news. When it's always the same company either way.