Medicare Blog

how to get the best medicare agent

by Shane Heller Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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  • Experience: You should go with an agent or broker with substantial experience selling Medicare plans in your state. Plan availability, benefits rules, and exceptions differ from state to state. ...
  • Licensure: Ensure that the Medicare agent or broker you select is licensed in your state. You can check with your state insurance department to verify this. ...
  • Recommendations: Choose a Medicare agent or broker that comes highly recommended by the people they've worked with. Ask the agent to provide you with references you can contact. ...
  • Plan specialization: Ask about the plans the agent or broker you're considering specializes in (if any). ...

You can find a Medicare insurance agent or broker near you by using the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services healthcare. gov's Find Local Help search tool. You can also find licensed agents and brokers through your state insurance department.

Full Answer

How do I choose a Medicare agent or broker?

Dec 11, 2020 · All you need is the agent's license number, which you can get directly from them or find on their business card. Recommendations: Choose a Medicare agent or broker that comes highly recommended by the people they've worked with. Ask the agent to provide you with references you can contact.

How do I find a Medicare insurance agent near me?

Find Medicare Agent Near Me – Free Online Directory. Check out the directory listing Medicare insurance agents for all 50 states. This free resource is provided by the American Association for Medicare Supplement Insurance. No personal information is entered in order to see the directory listing. It is 100 percent private.

Is an agent with only one Medicare insurance company the best?

Dec 13, 2020 · You need to talk to them on your website in ways they will understand. Optimized to capture leads. There is a fine balance between a website optimized to capture leads by phone or by filling out a contact form, and one that goes over the top with phone numbers and calls to action all over the place.

How do I choose the best Medicare Advantage plan?

Nov 02, 2021 · You should pick a broker or agent with solid experience selling Medicare plans in your state. Ask your family members and friends for referrals. When interviewing an agent or broker, ask about the types of plans they handle and the kind of customer they usually work with. Customer service

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Who is the best person to talk to about Medicare?

If you've contacted 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227; TTY: 1-877-486-2048) about a Medicare-related inquiry or complaint but still need help, ask the 1-800-MEDICARE representative to send your inquiry or complaint to the Medicare Ombudsman's Office.

Is United Medicare Advisors legitimate?

Yes, United Medicare Advisors is a reputable company offering legitimate services and insurance products. Its licensed agents can provide free, reliable advice as you navigate the confusing world of Medicare supplement insurance so that you can choose the best plans for your needs and budget.

Who has the best Medicare package?

Best for size of network: UnitedHealthcare Standout feature: UnitedHealthcare offers the largest Medicare Advantage network of all companies, with more than 1 million network care providers. UnitedHealthcare is the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans and offers plans in nearly three-quarters of U.S. counties.Dec 21, 2021

Why is Plan F being discontinued?

The reason Plan F (and Plan C) is going away is due to new legislation that no longer allows Medicare Supplement insurance plans to cover Medicare Part B deductibles. Since Plan F and Plan C pay this deductible, private insurance companies can no longer offer these plans to new Medicare enrollees.Jul 9, 2020

What is Aetna accendo?

Accendo Insurance, originally a subsidiary company of CVS Caremark, has partnered with the well-known Medicare supplement provider Aetna. Accendo Insurance, based out of Salt Lake City, Utah, provides Medicare Supplement plans with a 14% household premium discount in 15 states.

What is the biggest disadvantage of Medicare Advantage?

Medicare Advantage can become expensive if you're sick, due to uncovered copays. Additionally, a plan may offer only a limited network of doctors, which can interfere with a patient's choice. It's not easy to change to another plan; if you decide to switch to Medigap, there often are lifetime penalties.

Why do doctors not like Medicare Advantage plans?

If they don't say under budget, they end up losing money. Meaning, you may not receive the full extent of care. Thus, many doctors will likely tell you they do not like Medicare Advantage plans because the private insurance companies make it difficult for them to get paid for the services they provide.

What are the 4 types of Medicare?

There are four parts of Medicare: Part A, Part B, Part C, and Part D.Part A provides inpatient/hospital coverage.Part B provides outpatient/medical coverage.Part C offers an alternate way to receive your Medicare benefits (see below for more information).Part D provides prescription drug coverage.

Find Medicare Agent Near Me – Free Online Directory

Check out the directory listing Medicare insurance agents for all 50 states. This free resource is provided by the American Association for Medicare Supplement Insurance.

Valuable Resources For Consumers Seeking Medicare Insurance Information

Medicare Tips from the nation’s top Medicare agents shares some things many people may not be aware of.

Medicare broker websites for lead generation

Medicare agents left and right are turning to the internet to bring in new leads, and your firm should be no exception. When seniors or their loved ones land on your website, will they find what they need?

The importance of paid search for Medicare leads

Of course, the most informative and optimized website in the world isn’t useful if no one sees it. That’s why it’s essential that you have a strategy to bring people to your site, and this is where the bulk of your advertising dollars should go— paid search .

How paid search for Medicare leads works

American seniors, or their loved ones, are curious about a Medicare supplemental plan. So they head to Google or Bing to search for information to help them make a decision.

About us

Zeller Media has extensive experience with paid search, and we pride ourselves on giving our campaigns a real human touch by constantly monitoring and optimizing all our search campaigns. We augment this by using the best digital tools to keep away bad traffic and bots to make sure your money is well-spent.

What does it mean to work with an independent Medicare insurance agent?

Working with an independent Medicare insurance agent means you get to choose policy options from different companies. Independent agents and brokers are more likely to give unbiased plan recommendations and advice. But they may not have in-depth knowledge of these plans.

What is an ethical broker?

An ethical and knowledgeable agent or broker can help you get the best value for your money. Agents or brokers who sell health insurance products related to Medicare have to pass a test on their knowledge of Medicare every year. 3.

Can captive agents sell Medicare?

Agents who represent a particular health insurer can only sell you plans from that insurer. These captive agents are typically experts on all the options their company offers. But you won’t learn about plans from other Medicare insurance companies.

What is independent insurance?

Independent. An independent agent can partner with and sell policies for different insurance companies. The agent can choose the specific policies they want to sell from a multitude of providers.

Who is Tolu Ajiboye?

Tolu Ajiboye is a freelance healthcare writer. She’s worked with Fortune 500 companies and written for publications like The Guardian, NBCNews and Health magazine. We do not sell insurance products, but there may be forms that will connect you with partners of healthcare.com who do sell insurance products.

Is Medicare complicated?

Medicare can be complex. There are numerous plans, plan combinations, benefits, rules, and exceptions — all of which can be confusing. Buying health insurance is a huge investment, so you want to find a plan that meets your needs. An ethical and knowledgeable agent or broker can help you get the best value for your money.

Find An Independent Medicare Insurance Agent – Free Online Directory

The American Association for Medicare Supplement Insurance makes available a directory listing independent Medicare insurance agents. Listed by Zip Code.

How to Interview Medicare Insurance Agents

Whether this is the first time you are eligible for Medicare, or you already have Medicare coverage and wonder if you can do better, we want to help.

Do you sell both Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement?

Amazon allows you to exchange or return (most) things you buy. But Medicare insurance doesn’t work like that. And some recent studies report that a significant percentage of people were not happy with the plan they selected. Switching may be possible … but generally not immediately.

How many Medicare insurance plans did you sell last year?

You aren’t trying to find out how much the agent earns. No. You are looking to see if the individual is what we call an ‘incidental’ or occasional Medicare agent or someone who really specializes in the field.

How old do you have to be to get Medicare?

For most people, Medicare eligibility begins at age 65. After signing up, you may wish to enroll in a Medigap plan. The Medigap Open Enrollment Period is a six-month window during which insurance carriers will not use medical underwriting to determine application acceptance.

How long do you have to wait to get Medigap?

Let’s say you were diagnosed with a certain medical condition six months before you buy a Medigap plan. In this case, you may need to wait up to six months before your supplemental coverage begins. However, enrolling during the OEP gives beneficiaries guaranteed issue rights.

What is a Part D pharmacy?

Part D plans from many carriers require the use of preferred pharmacies for lower-cost drugs. This most often means the provider partners with a chain pharmacy. A good question to ask your Medicare agent when selecting a Part D plan is what the preferred pharmacy is for the plan you’re considering. If the pharmacy with which ...

What to do if you retire early?

If you’ve retired early or are expecting to receive retiree insurance through your former employer, tell your Medicare agent. You’ll want to ask your agent if your Medicare coverage coordinates with your retiree insurance. Make sure you’re prepared with information about the type of retiree insurance you have.

Who is Lindsay Malzone?

Lindsay Malzone is the Medicare expert for MedicareFAQ. She has been working in the Medicare industry since 2017. She is featured in many publications as well as writes regularly for other expert columns regarding Medicare.

When does Medicare open enrollment end?

If you’re among those who turn to an agent or broker, it’s worthwhile making sure the person has evaluated all of your 2019 options during Medicare’s open enrollment period, which ends Dec. 7.

Does Medicare cover supplemental insurance?

Medicare coverage explained. FA Playbook. Also, some Medicare agents focus on selling only supplemental insurance, or Medigap. Those policies help you with copays, deductibles and other out-of-pocket expenses, and can only be paired with original Medicare.

How many baby boomers watch YouTube?

Here’s a statistic that will surprise you: more than 60 million Baby Boomers over the age of 55 view content on YouTube every month, according to YouTube’s Trends Dashboard. With this information, we’re not sure why brokers aren’t using YouTube as a means to get Medicare leads.

Is direct mail more personal than the internet?

As many as 70% of Americans think direct mail is more personal than the internet. And findings from Deft Research’s Medicare Shopping and Switching Study show that TV advertising and direct mail are most likely to convince seniors to begin “shopping” for a different plan. Even in the digital world, direct mailers are still one of the most effective ways to get Medicare leads.

Is print advertising still relevant?

Believe it or not, print advertisements are still very relevant in today’s digital world. Nearly 80% of consumers act on direct printed mail advertisements compared to only 45% for electronic advertisements. Because online ads have a reputation for being misleading, print advertisements remain the most trusted source of marketing information. Think about it. Print ads don’t have annoying pop-ups or gated content (content you have to subscribe to in order view). They are straightforward, giving them a lot more credibility.

What is agent broker compensation?

Below is a link to a file containing the amounts that companies pay independent agents/brokers to sell their Medicare drug and health plans. Companies that contract with Medicare to provide health care coverage or prescription drugs typically use agents/brokers to sell their Medicare plans to Medicare beneficiaries.

Do brokers have to be licensed in the state they do business in?

Agents/brokers must be licensed in the State in which they do business, annually complete training and pass a test on their knowledge of Medicare and health and prescription drug plans, and follow all Medicare marketing rules.

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