I can see where if you have a plan leave the area, you will be doing some major scrambling! Absent a major change like that, people like to leave things alone.
Medicare Advantage Training?/Transfer Program?
I can see where if you have a plan leave the area, you will be doing some major scrambling! Absent a major change like that, people like to leave things alone.
AllyriaRedbird
Expert
- 71
I'm proud to say we absolutely serve the best interest of our clients. By ONLY working with people who want Med Supps.
Smart people don't walk into an Aston Martin dealership to buy a new car and want to see Ford Fiestas too.
No scare tactics needed. Sell the best, and only work with people who know it's the best.
And being in business for yourself allows you to have any opinion you want. I'm leery of someone who starts any sentence with "Isn't there some CMS rule about using..."
So true Bevo! Med Supps are simply the best. Some are able to recognize the benefit of paying up front for better coverage, and some feel their bet with fate is going to hold out. Go figure!
Technique: show them in dollars and cents that the cost of the $0 plans is astronomical compared to the med supp premium (and Part B deductible) for the next five years-ie:$6,700.00/$10,000.00 out of network.
Ask: Are you going to be healthy for the next five years?
I wonder if all those we talked to that went with a MAPD have hindsight=20/20 when their health does decline...if so, we told em so.
Just wrote a Medigap today on a T65. Currently has an Obamacare plan and hates it. When the calendar turned over on Jan 1 the cardiologist near his home was no longer in network.
The man is paying $800/month for a plan with a $4,000 deductible and driving to the other side of Atlanta once a month to see a new cardiologist. Over an hour commute, each way.
His Medicare begins 8/1. Part B premium is $120, plan G is $130, drug plan $25.
He saves over $500/mo and get's to go back to his former cardio that is 5 miles from his home.
He wanted no part of a network plan.
Price and affordability never entered the discussion.
"Scare tactics" not required.
The man is paying $800/month for a plan with a $4,000 deductible and driving to the other side of Atlanta once a month to see a new cardiologist. Over an hour commute, each way.
His Medicare begins 8/1. Part B premium is $120, plan G is $130, drug plan $25.
He saves over $500/mo and get's to go back to his former cardio that is 5 miles from his home.
He wanted no part of a network plan.
Price and affordability never entered the discussion.
"Scare tactics" not required.
- 2,177
My experience, too. Other than having to move 30 or so people during AEP three years ago when their carrier pulled out of one county, I do almost nothing with my MA clients. They tend to stay put. Because I choose to assist my med sup clients with drug plan reviews, nearly all my AEP service work is with them, and I have a lot more of them. Managing that is my challenge.
Me neither, YAK!! Ive talked with tons of MA agents who tell me it is very very labor intensive, more so than P&C service work.
- 2,177
I can see that happening to agents whose focus is MA to the extent that they steer every prospect toward MA, and I have med sup clients who tell me they have met agents like that. Those they should have put in a med sup instead could likely be difficult clients. I've found a good assessment of the prospect's needs and preferences and an explanation of how both plan types work results in getting everyone in the right plan for them and little service work for clients of both types of plans.
I have the exact same approach as yours-I have both sides (although I only offer MAPD plans from the large, national companies), review needs with my clients when they enter Medicare, explain the differences between MAPD and Med Supplements, and unless there is a major network or plan change (it doesn't happen every year, more like every 2 to 3 years for one plan) there is little to no service work and very high persistency (at least 95% for MAPD and close to 100% for Med Supplements).
I had two long time clients call me yesterday who moved from one county to another, called the MAPD company, and were told they had to change from a plan with $0 premium to $49 a month. They were upset and emailed me-we spoke on the phone and, after explaining why plans were different in each county and reviewing doctors and networks were able to put one of them on a $0 PPO plan while the other is switching to the $49 PPO plan (one of her doctors only accepts the company with the $49 PPO plan, which was a $0 HMO plan in the other county).
Could they afford Medicare Supplements? Probably, but 2 Plan F's (Plan G in Florida has no advantage over F) plus Prescription drug plans would cost them $5,400 annually in premium (plus Medicare Part B) and they choose not to spend it. That is their decision, not mine, since I offer both sides and have no preference (other than I am also a Medicare beneficiary and have an MAPD plan).
If I didn't offer MAPD plans they would not be my clients, they didn't even want to spend $98 a month for 2 MAPD plans so appreciated that I took the time to thoroughly research the provider networks of the appropriate plans and offer them the 'split' option.
They have been my clients for over 3 years and will be my clients for as long as all of us are alive-the whole process (including applications) took 90 minutes.
Last edited:
- 1,908
You're really comparing an ObamaCare plan with a Medicare Advantage plan network in greater Atlanta? Where does this guy live? Newnan?
As much as I hate Emory/St. Joes, name me one Cardiologist in that place that is NOT in every MA Plan in metro Atlanta.
Now, some people don't like networks. I get that, and agree with it. But, don't go comparing ObamaCare to a Med Supp, and throw MA's under the bus.
U65 healthcare and Medicare coverage are two different ballgames.
Hmmm......
A client is paying $800 for crap and having network issues. $800 presumably fits his budget.
He is turning 65 and going on to Medicare. He can pay just under $300 for a $167 deductible that provides nationwide coverage, without a network.
Or he can pay $150ish for a plan with a network and deal with those issues the rest of his life. And dealing with networks is part of MA. Its NOT throwing MAs under the bus. Its providing the options.
Thanks for pointing that out. The fact that he said he "wanted no part of a network plan" must have flown right over your head.
Now allow me to point out that my client did not want MA because of the networks. He wanted to get back to his regular cardio guy.
The premium savings was just a plus to him.
