Selling Med Sups Over The Phone!

[cadylou]

Are you SURE? If so, please call Humana as they sent me this:

Hello Richard,
Thank you for your inquiry. Sorry you feel this way. Unfortunately, Humana does not support non face to face enrollments. See details below.


***Chapter 3 of the CMS Medicare Marketing Guidelines have specific provisions related to telephonic presentation and enrollment that indicate they must be done in a call center environment. The calls must be recorded and the scripts approved by CMS. There are not any exceptions in the guidelines for field agents (not acting as call centers) to present and enroll over the telephone in the absence of these protections. Therefore, if an agent is NOT contracted & certified as a TELESALES agent, he/she should NOT enroll clients over the phone.***

Effective immediately, Humana does not currently support FIELD AGENTS making telephonic sales presentations. Since this is an unapproved process, agents who complete telephonic presentations run the risk of a Section A violation. Per CMS guidance, if the agent is a field agent, a telephonic enrollment cannot be done. It is NEVER acceptable for an agent to simply mail a paper application without an SOA and the presentation being completed.

Rick

It's right on their paper application as a reason why the SOA isn't attached.

 

[GreenSky]

It's right on their paper application as a reason why the SOA isn't attached.

Did you miss the part where Humana wrote me saying they don't support non F2F apps? If you do a telephone presentation it's a Section A violation.

So even a paper application mailed back is not allowed. At least by Humana.

I've done hundreds (maybe over thousand) PDP apps with them and only a handful were F2F. Pretty sure they've seen the last application I'll ever submit. They are definitely the debil.

Rick

 

[cadylou]

Did you miss the part where Humana wrote me saying they don't support non F2F apps? If you do a telephone presentation it's a Section A violation.

So even a paper application mailed back is not allowed. At least by Humana.

I've done hundreds (maybe over thousand) PDP apps with them and only a handful were F2F. Pretty sure they've seen the last application I'll ever submit. They are definitely the debil.

Rick

I saw the post - but it conflicts with their own materials. Most of mine with them have been F2F (unfortunately), but I do find them to be horribly difficult to work with. I really think they just want their captive agents to get their business, so they impose all sorts of arduous rules on the independent agent. Just my opinion. . . . When in doubt, I'll tell someone which plan is right for them & give them the phone no./website & tell them to enroll themselves. For the $$ not worth the headache or potential punishment.

 

[sman]

Are you SURE? If so, please call Humana as they sent me this after I told them I would move as many of my clients during AEP because their inside sales dept. stole a PDP application that I had set up using their e-app.

Hello Richard,
Thank you for your inquiry. Sorry you feel this way. Unfortunately, Humana does not support non face to face enrollments. See details below.


***Chapter 3 of the CMS Medicare Marketing Guidelines have specific provisions related to telephonic presentation and enrollment that indicate they must be done in a call center environment. The calls must be recorded and the scripts approved by CMS. There are not any exceptions in the guidelines for field agents (not acting as call centers) to present and enroll over the telephone in the absence of these protections. Therefore, if an agent is NOT contracted & certified as a TELESALES agent, he/she should NOT enroll clients over the phone.***

Effective immediately, Humana does not currently support FIELD AGENTS making telephonic sales presentations. Since this is an unapproved process, agents who complete telephonic presentations run the risk of a Section A violation. Per CMS guidance, if the agent is a field agent, a telephonic enrollment cannot be done. It is NEVER acceptable for an agent to simply mail a paper application without an SOA and the presentation being completed.

Rick

Don't you just love how carriers have different interpretations of the rules? Some carriers have no problem with the agent mailing an application to a client and having the client mail it back to the agent and then it being submitted. But not Humana. Makes no sense.

 

[GreenSky]

I saw the post - but it conflicts with their own materials. Most of mine with them have been F2F (unfortunately), but I do find them to be horribly difficult to work with. I really think they just want their captive agents to get their business, so they impose all sorts of arduous rules on the independent agent. Just my opinion. . . . When in doubt, I'll tell someone which plan is right for them & give them the phone no./website & tell them to enroll themselves. For the $$ not worth the headache or potential punishment.

It also conflicts with what CMS says that F2F is NOT required. I suspect I could theoretically send out a complete packet without comment or doing a phone presentation and accept the application they fill out.

Too bad that we're not supposed to service our clients.

Rick

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Don't you just love how carriers have different interpretations of the rules? Some carriers have no problem with the agent mailing an application to a client and having the client mail it back to the agent and then it being submitted. But not Humana. Makes no sense.

And of course the dilemma is do I continue to help clients despite what Humana says but run the risk of a for cause termination and being reported to CMS? I do have a decent amount of income to protect.

Rick

 

[smokin goose]

Rick, at least they're sorry you feel this way. Lol. Working with Humana is a joke.

 

[somarco]

Humana wrote me saying they don't support non F2F apps? If you do a telephone presentation it's a Section A violation.

Of course Humana reps and Medicare.gov are exempt from this requirement. They can do web direct and phone sales all day long with impunity.

Isn't that special?

 

[sman]

Isn't that special?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmwqnqL3Hbg

 

[bpenn9]

It also conflicts with what CMS says that F2F is NOT required. I suspect I could theoretically send out a complete packet without comment or doing a phone presentation and accept the application they fill out.

Too bad that we're not supposed to service our clients.

Rick

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And of course the dilemma is do I continue to help clients despite what Humana says but run the risk of a for cause termination and being reported to CMS? I do have a decent amount of income to protect.

Rick

I wonder is they will disable their Fast App? Or will that still be available. I guess that is for the F2F appointment you didn't close then you can email them the link later?

 

[GreenSky]

I wonder is they will disable their Fast App? Or will that still be available. I guess that is for the F2F appointment you didn't close then you can email them the link later?

With fewer exceptions that SAI has IQ points, I've enrolled every Humana PDP via the web portal. And I can't remember the last paper app I took.

Rick