Before you can start selling Medicare Advantage plans, you must receive the proper training, licensing, and certifications. Check with your state’s department of insurance to learn about state-specific requirements. After you’re licensed, the next step is marketing your services. Licensing and Certification. First, you need to be licensed to sell Medicare plans in your state.
How much do you make selling Medicare Advantage?
When you are ready to begin your training, it is easy to start right away:
- Review Medicare Training 101 membership plans and pricing
- Sign up for the plan you select by completing the form and submitting your payment
- Login into the portal and access your training materials
- Start building your business while you learn
How to successfully sell Medicare plans?
alleviate the administrative workload. pay 50% of your marketing costs. ensure commissions are paid on time AND get you paid multiple times a month. grow business much faster. Here’s some data on how new agents just like you have leveraged AGA’s FMO to grow their Medicare Sales in just a few short years.
How do I choose the best Medicare Advantage plan?
- Do your important physicians participate in any Medicare Advantage plans or do they only accept Original Medicare?
- What insurance is accepted by your preferred hospitals?
- Do you travel out of the area frequently? ...
- What is your risk tolerance? ...
- How about peace of mind? ...
How to get started in Medicare sales?
- Visit the Social Security website.
- Call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY users should call 1-800-325-0778), Monday through Friday, 7AM to 7PM.
- If you worked for a railroad, call the Railroad Retirement Board at 1-877-772-5772 (TTY users call 312-751-4701), Monday through Friday, 9AM to 3:30PM.
Is selling Medicare Advantage lucrative?
Selling Medicare can be very lucrative, but just like any other self-starter type of job, the more effort you put in, the bigger the payoff. When it comes to making money selling Medicare, there are two main ways you can earn income which include commissions and residual income.
How do I get Medicare clients?
⍟ 14 Ways to Generate Medicare Supplement LeadsBuild & Maintain a Website. ... Social Media Presence. ... Video Marketing. ... Blogging, Writing Articles. ... Email. ... Online Events: Live webinars, podcasts. ... Direct Requests / Client Referrals. ... Lead Swapping Partnerships (Asking other professionals for referrals)More items...
Is being a Medicare agent worth it?
Medicare agents have significant earning potential and a promising future of stable career growth – but it's not just about the money. Medicare agents also get to help others while taking control of their own careers. For the right person, Medicare sales can be a very rewarding and lucrative career.
Is selling Medicare easy?
No, it's not hard to sell Medicare Supplements. When you're first starting, it should be easy, because everyone on Medicare needs one. It's just an insurance product. You're not a member – you're a policyholder, and that means a lot to people.
How much do Medicare leads cost?
As mentioned previously, new Medicare Advantage pay $25 for each direct mail lead.
Can you solicit Medicare Advantage prospects through email?
The only caveat: If you are initiating contact via email, you're required to include an opt-out opportunity. Direct unsolicited contact, such as text and direct messaging over social media, falls into the same category as unsolicited phone calls and door-to-door solicitation. This means it is not permitted.
Is Medicare easier to sell than life insurance?
But those without such coverage usually delivers lower benefits. Because the product is simple, your selling process becomes quicker, unlike traditional life insurance policies that may need more than an hour's worth of explanation.
What is an FMO in Medicare?
FMO stands for field marketing organization, which is very similar to an independent marketing organization (IMO). FMOs provide independent agents with perks and resources and help them get contracted with carriers to sell plans.
What are the three main ways in which Medicare sales occur?
There are three different types of Medicare products sold by agents and brokers: Medicare Supplement plans (Also called Medigap plans), Medicare Advantage plans and Medicare Part D Rx plans.
Can you sell Medicare door to door?
MA/PD PLANS May not market to beneficiaries door to door, including leaving materials at a beneficiary's doorstep. May call a beneficiary they enrolled in a plan to discuss plan business, as well as discuss the availability of other plan options/types within the same parent organization.
What license do I need to sell Medicare insurance in Florida?
The 2-15 agents license allows an agent to sell all forms of Life Insurance, Health Insurance, Medicare Supplement, HMO, Home Health Care, Managed Care and Long Term Care policies in Florida.
What is one CMS marketing rule that impacts how Medicare insurance plans market to consumers?
Marketing Rules CMS also regulates marketing and plan presentations, including when you're allowed to market, and how you market. Agents must wait until October 1 to begin marketing next year's plans to potential beneficiaries and cannot enroll members until October 15.
What Is Medicare Advantage?
DD: I’d like to start with the basics, Luis. I’m sure there are a lot of people who have heard about Medicare, maybe they’re brand new agents or so...
Is Medicare Advantage A Tough Sell?
DD: When I started in final expense sales, I saw many Medicare Advantage prospects, but I never sold any Medicare Advantage plans.Why? Because agen...
How To Get Certified To Sell Medicare Advantage Plans?
DD: What’s the process for somebody who wants to learn how to become a Medicare Advantage insurance agent?You have to do more than getting your ins...
What Happens After AHIP?
Once you get that AHIP done then you’ve done about 70% of your required certifications.Each carrier that you’re appointed with wants to make sure t...
What Are The Long-Term Benefits Of Selling Medicare Insurance?
DD: What would you describe as the long-term advantages selling Medicare Advantage plans as your primary line of business?LM: When you’re doing cro...
Commission For Selling Medicare Advantage Plans?
DD: A lot of agents are looking at this like we’ve talked about it from a final expense standpoint.They’re used to getting pretty high first year c...
How Long Would It Take To Write 500 Sales?
DD: How long do you think it would take to write 500 pieces of business? Somebody who’s serious about this business, they’re full-time, they really...
Can You Cross Sell?
DD: When we look at new Medicare Advantage clients, ones that we found or wrote from maybe one of these referral partners, what’s the guidelines on...
When Can You Sell Medicare Advantage?
DD: A lot of agents look at the Medicare Advantage business and think they can only sell these products when the person turns 65 and then if not, o...
What is the difference between Medicare Supplement and Advantage?
As long as you’ve done that you’ve done your CYA. The other difference between a Supplement and an Advantage plan is you have a prescription portion. So you’ve got to sell a prescription drug plan with a Medicare Supplement.
What is the certification test for Medicare Advantage?
Selling Medicare Advantage plans, you get a contract with a carrier, but once you’re contracted with that carrier every year that you are in Medicare Advantage sales, you’re going to have to take a certification test called AHIP. A lot of people freak out, “Oh, it’s so hard.”. Well, it’s Medicare 101. You need to know the product that you’re ...
How often do you need to take AHIP certification?
Now, certifications in AHIP have to be done every year. It’s a yearly requirement for all Medicare Advantage agents. DD: When you take these certifications, you’re learning all the intricacies of the product, which helps you sell more Medicare Advantage plans. So, these tests are important.
What is the biggest objection to Medicare Advantage?
DD: If I may say from a sales perspective, the biggest objection of doing Medicare Advantage and perhaps the biggest concern is compliance as it relates to talking and selling to the prospect and all of the activity involved.
What is the age limit for Medicare?
LM: When somebody has Medicare they’re normally 65 and over. You do have a segment of the population under 65 that get Medicare who are usually disabled. Once someone is on Medicare they have two options – Medicare Advantage or Medicare Supplement. There’s not a good or a bad option, there is simply two options.
What do you do after the summary of benefits?
We do the presentation, and review the Summary of Benefits. After the Summary of Benefits, we’ll get into the additional benefits they get with an Advantage plan.
Does Medicare Advantage include prescriptions?
For Medicare Advantage a prescription plan is included. The copays per carrier are probably different, but they function the same way. All you’ve got to do is pull up the formulary, which is usually in a PDF and just do the search for the medications and make sure they’re in there.
Standard Medicare Supplement Coverage
To make it easier for you to compare one Medicare Supplement policy to another, Indiana allows 8 standard plans to be sold. The plans are labeled with a letter, A through N. Plans H, I, and J are no longer offered, and Plans C and F are only available to people who were eligible for Medicare before January, 2020.
How To Get Certified To Sell Medicare Advantage Plans
DD: Whats the process for somebody who wants to learn how to become a Medicare Advantage insurance agent?
Easier Than You Think
So is it that complex? Is it hard? No. You just got to do a little bit of homework.
Passive Income Is King
DD: Ill add in my perspective. Ive been in the business since 2011 and most of my business has been focused on final expense.
Why Sell Medicare Advantage
DD: Explain to agents what the opportunity is in selling Medicare Advantage plans to clients?
Learn Cms Compliance Rules And Regulations
The Medicare Communications and Marketing Guidelines is where all the compliance rules live. These are updated semi-regularly, but you can always check the latest version on this CMS page.
What Are The Long
DD: What would you describe as the long-term advantages selling Medicare Advantage plans as your primary line of business?
What is the selling point of Medicare Advantage?
Generally, the major selling point of Medicare Advantage plans is that they have no or low monthly premiums and they cover more than what Original Medicare does. However, the mark of a savvy agent is the ability to peel apart the plan benefits and apply what’s relevent to the specific person they’re servicing.
Is AGA a FMO?
AGA remains committed to new and experienced agents. As one of the largest Medicare-focused Field Marketing Organizations (FMO) nationwide, we set independent agents on the path to success with:
Is Medicare a strict set of standards?
The Medicare industry has a strict set of compliance standards to protect consumers. Knowing and following these rules is a must for all Medicare agents.
Can baby boomers sell?
While checking off your certifications, you can start honing in on your selling strategy. The first step is narrowing in on who you’re selling to. Baby boomers, yes. But to really sell effectively, get into their mindset and view the sales from their perspective.
Is selling healthcare easier?
Keep in mind that selling any type of healthcare comes easier when taking a helpful and educational approach. Never be intrusive with questions or pushy with tactics. They’ll tell you what they need—so long as you ask the right questions. Patrick Rodriguez, President of AGA always says, “If you’re helping, you’re selling. If you’re just selling, you may not be helping”
Why is Medicare Advantage so intimidating?
Marketing Medicare Advantage plans is often intimidating because of the compliance component. The language in your advertising materials needs to be compliant with CMS guidelines. Plus, if you mention a specific carrier, your materials have to go through HPMS for CMS approval.
What is Medicare Communications and Marketing Guidelines?
The Medicare Communications and Marketing Guidelines (MCMG) is where all the compliance rules live. These are updated semi-regularly, but you can always check the latest version on this CMS page.
What is marketing in CMS?
Marketing refers to using materials to draw someone’s attention to a specific plan and then influence them to select it. Any marketing materials that have a carrier’s name on them or refer to a particular plan must be approved by CMS.
Can you market to enrollees via email?
While you can market to potential enrollees via conventional mail, other print media, and email (provided you include an opt-out function), you can’t use other standard marketing methods.
Is it intimidating to create marketing assets?
Creating marketing assets and navigating the compliance maze on your own would be intimidating – not to mention time-consuming and frustrating.
Can you get to your destination without following a map?
You can’t get to your destination without following a map, and you can’t be successful in Medicare Advantage marketing without a goal.
Is it overwhelming to be a marketing professional?
It can be overwhelming, and it is – even for seasoned marketing professionals.
How to become a Medicare agent?
The first step to becoming a licensed Medicare agent is to complete a pre-licensing course. You can usually choose to take this course in a traditional classroom setting or online in a self-study format if you prefer. Choose your state of residence , select the “Life and Health” option , and then choose the exam prep package that best suits your needs. Once you’ve completed the course, you’ll receive a Certificate of Completion that is valid for one year from the date it was issued. You will need to pass your state licensing exam within this time.
Is selling Medicare a good job?
Selling Medicare is a great line of work for individuals who are professional, outgoing, and self-motivated. It can also be a very lucrative line of work if you’re willing to work as hard as you can and set ambitious goals for yourself.
What to do when selling Medicare supplements?
When you sell Medicare supplements from home, you need to offer a variety of products to meet each beneficiary’s needs. This includes supplement products, prescription drug coverage, Medicare Advantage products, and ancillary products. Ensure the products you are offering benefit the client, not a push for your pocketbook.
What is Medicare Advantage?
One of the benefits is the sale of Medicare Advantage or a Medicare supplement that provides you with a residual income for years. This is a passive income you enjoy the benefit of from every sale. Working as an independent agent means the commissions pay directly to you.
How to remain independent with Medicare?
To remain independent, you will likely need to obtain your insurance company contracts through a Medicare Insurance FMO. An FMO will work to obtain the best contracts for you to sell clients. Their support in finding you the best product to offer frees your time to meet clients and close sales.
Why is FMO required?
The FMO is a requirement because the large insurance companies will only deal with agencies that meet a minimum profitability requirement. Some FMOs pay full, vested commissions equivalent to what you would receive if able to contract directly with the carrier.
How many clients does Medicare have?
Your income is only limited by the time you put into working. On average, a Medicare insurance agent in business for five (5) years has around 400-500 clients.
What is the difference between captive and independent agents?
If you plan to hang out a shingle and run your own business, independent is the way to go. A captive agent works for a company or agency. They must sell only the products that the company offers, limiting your options.
How many Americans have Medicare Advantage?
Ambition to put forth the effort to make sales. About 1/3 of Americans obtain their Medicare through Medicare Advantage Plans. The other 2/3 of the eligible persons have original Medicare, and about 81% of those enroll in supplement coverage.
What is the first hurdle to selling Medicare Advantage plans over the phone?
The first hurdle agents have when considering selling Medicare Advantage plans over the phone is compliance. How do I make sure I do everything by the books?
How to become a Medicare guru?
Here are your basic steps: Establish yourself as a Medicare guru in your community. Develop a marketing plan to ensure prospects are calling you (since you can't call them). Offer Medicare Advantage to your existing client base. Send a scope of appointment (SOA) using MedicareCENTER.
How long does Medicare store scope of appointment?
Also, MedicareCENTER will store the scope of appointment indefinitely, so you can be sure you have it on file for the required 10 years. If you're selling Medicare Advantage over the phone, you cannot skip the scope of appointment. Utilize the handy or email or text feature and you'll be done in less than 3 minutes!
How to start marketing specific plans?
The easiest way to start marketing specific plans or carriers is to go to the carrier's agent portal and select a piece they've created.
How do agents become community minded?
Some agents write newspaper articles on a consistent basis, others do seminars at the local library, some get involved with local affinity groups, and others join a business organization to start networking with business leaders. You never know when you'll get an opportunity, so you need to become a community-minded person.
Is Medicare Advantage marketing material compliant?
Be sure to browse our Medicare Advantage marketing materials library. All of it is compliant and customizable. We can add your contact information, logo, headshot, and color scheme.
Can you make outbound calls to sell Medicare Advantage?
How to Get Prospects to Call You. In general, you can't make outbound calls to sell Medicare Advantage plans. There are a couple of exceptions, like calling existing clients or returning phone calls, but it's mostly off-limits. In order to sell Medicare Advantage over the phone, the obvious hurdle is finding a way to get on the phone with prospects!
What is Medicare Advantage sales?
Medicare Advantage sales lead s are a perfect way to find seniors looking to buy insurance. Some leads from SmartFinancial have a built-in Medicare Advantage sales strategy and others have a built in Medigap insurance strategy. When you buy leads from SmartFinancial, all the information you need to make some quick assessments about your clients is there. It’s all based on the questions they answered in the form they filled out online, right before they either end up on the phone as a live-transfer call or their info arrives in your email inbox.
Which states are ripe for Medicare supplement sales?
All 50 states are ripe for Medicare supplement sales and Medicare Advantage sales but the best states to sell in are Florida, Arizona, Illinois, Texas, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, California, North Carolina, New York, Michigan and Virginia! There are high concentrations of individuals who hold Medicare supplement policies, and they may be electing to change their coverage during Open Enrollment 2020!
When is open enrollment for Medicare?
Insurance companies that sell health insurance are gearing up for the Open Enrollment Period, which runs from November 1 to December 15 for plans that go into effect January 1, 2020. However, if you’re selling Medicare supplements, you’re not restricted to this short period of time. Many people buy Medicare Advantage and Medicare supplements when they turn 65, not just during open enrollment. Not only is there freedom in being a Medicare agent, but keep in mind that 4 million people will be eligible for Medicare over the next 10 years!
Do you have to receive a letter from Social Security about Medicare?
You should have received a letter from the Social Security Administration about your Medicare benefits. I have some of your information here. Can we go over a few things so I can give you a quote for [Medicare Advantage or Medicare supplements].
