The American Medical Association conducted 306 secret shops on SHIPs. The results were shocking!

[Duaine]

State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) is a federally funded program where volunteers attend a training program for 20-40 hours and then begin dispatching advice to people on Medicare.

In recent years, indepdent insruance agents have been required to repeat in a disclosure to EVERY ONE of their clients a line that implies that SHIP is the only place to get unbiased advice on Medicare.

SHIP is also where people who ask questions directly to Medicare are directed for answers about their plan options.



So, how did SHIP do? Well, not good. 40% of the time they didn't even call the shoppers back. When they did call back, they only gave accurate information 40% of the time. YIKES.

More here: [EXTERNAL LINK] - #ama #medicare #hhs #cms #nabip #commonsense | Calvin Bagley | 11 comments

 

[sman]

State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) is a federally funded program where volunteers attend a training program for 20-40 hours and then begin dispatching advice to people on Medicare.

In recent years, indepdent insruance agents have been required to repeat in a disclosure to EVERY ONE of their clients a line that implies that SHIP is the only place to get unbiased advice on Medicare.

SHIP is also where people who ask questions directly to Medicare are directed for answers about their plan options.



So, how did SHIP do? Well, not good. 40% of the time they didn't even call the shoppers back. When they did call back, they only gave accurate information 40% of the time. YIKES.

More here: [EXTERNAL LINK] - #ama #medicare #hhs #cms #nabip #commonsense | Calvin Bagley | 11 comments

You kinda get what you pay for

 

[InsuranceGuy29]

We agents are the ones that truly have something to lose.....like our businesses and reputations. What do volunteers have to lose? Nothing.

They aren't rigorously and repeatedly trained, they have zero skin in the game (so if they're wrong or give bad advice...oh well....zero repercussions), they aren't licensed, and they aren't insured/bonded.

We are extremely active in our communities. Do you think most of us are gonna be out here screwing people around??

We brokers/advisors survive by our reputations, knowledge base, and referrals. It's literally a job that rewards you for doing the RIGHT thing. But if you listen to the blue-haired Beijing Redditors, we are the devil who is always looking to rip people off.

They don't even have a basic understanding of this business or how it actually functions. This is not used flood car sales. You have two choices that are fully legislated and overseen by the Federal government....We offer both and we're here to educate you and advise you on both. Pick one. That's literally it.

And if we do have any inherent bias on a certain coverage, in a certain situation, it's because we have inside nuanced knowledge that no one but us would know, and it's gonna be in your best interest to hear us out as to why it's gonna be a benefit to you.

That's the entire point of going to an expert who specializes in a field. If I needed legal help, I'm going to a lawyer, not a goofy unqualified volunteer at my local community center.

 

[axeman462]

This is not shocking... At all.