Medicare Blog

how to market and sell medicare advantage

by Ms. Billie Rutherford Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
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How to Market Medicare Advantage Plans

  • Get Prepared to Sell Medicare Advantage. Before you start any marketing initiatives, you need to be certified and ready...
  • Learn CMS Compliance Rules and Regulations. The Medicare Communications and Marketing Guidelines (MCMG) is where all the...
  • Use Medicare Advantage Marketing Materials. We’ve developed some generic materials you...

To sell Medicare Advantage plans, you'll have to complete the America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) certification in addition to each carrier's compliance and product certifications. These certifications exist to help protect seniors and reward agents who do things the right way.Feb 22, 2022

Full Answer

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.

How to start selling Medicare?

How to start selling Medicare Insurance 3rd Step-. Take the AHIP (America’s Health Insurance Plans) Medicare certification. Nearly all carriers now require that an agent take the AHIP certification every year prior to being able to sell Medicare plans. AHIP cost $175 but you can get it for a lower rate if you take it through an insurance company.

Why are Medicare Advantage plans bad?

  • Original Medicare (Part A and Part B)
  • Medicare Advantage plans (Part C)
  • Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) plans

What are the advantages of Medicare?

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Is selling Medicare Advantage lucrative?

Myth #3: There's no money in selling Medicare. Maximum commission rates for Medicare Advantage and Part D plans are on the rise for the third year in a row and Medicare Supplement commissions are as lucrative as ever. The real value of Medicare sales comes in the renewal income.

How do I market my Medicare business?

⍟ 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...

How hard is it to sell Medicare?

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.

What are 3 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.

How can I attract more people to my Medicare?

If you want to target Medicare patients on social media, it's especially important to have Facebook and YouTube since the audience skews older. Content on these platforms should include health insights, industry news and behind-the-scenes content of events and staff achievements.

How do I target Medicare patients?

Here are five ways on how to attract Medicare patients to your clinic to grow your market share in the Medicare space.Home Health Care. If your clinic offers home health services, promote them. ... Health Screenings. ... Mental Health Services. ... Telehealth. ... Patient-Provider Matching.

Can you sell Medicare door to door?

Medicare does not send "representatives" to solicit your business. Unsolicited sales calls are prohibited: Federal regulations prohibit unsolicited telephone calls, door-to-door visits, emails and other forms of sales without your permission.

How much do Medicare leads cost?

As mentioned previously, new Medicare Advantage pay $25 for each direct mail lead.

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.

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.

What must all Medicare Advantage sponsors have in place?

Medicare Advantage Plans Must Follow CMS Guidelines In the United States, according to federal law, Part C providers must provide their beneficiaries with all services and supplies that Original Medicare Parts A and B cover. They must also provide any additional benefits proclaimed in their Part C policy.

Which of the following areas is the marketing of Medicare health plans prohibited?

Participating in any marketing activity—such as distributing and accepting enrollment applications, conducting sales presentations, and soliciting beneficiaries—is not allowed in areas where individuals receive or wait to receive healthcare service. These areas include: Exam rooms.

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 ...

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.

Can you door knock Medicare Advantage?

Now in the Medicare Advantage world if you don’t have permission to contact you’re not supposed to contact. You can’t door knock for Medicare Advantage, so you’ve got to wait for it to come to you, but you can put a lot of honey out there to attract the bees.

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.

Can you make a ton upfront selling Medicare Advantage?

Selling Medicare Advantage insurance, you don’t make a ton upfront.

Can you sell Medicare Advantage plans?

The unique thing about selling Medicare Advantage plans is that you don’t get to sell a product unless you’ve passed tests and meet knowledge requirements. LM: Correct. Further, you may have face-to-face training requirements before selling. You’ll be in a room of other new agents.

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 MA enrollees?

You cannot market to potential MA enrollees in the following ways: Approaching someone in a common area (parking lot, hallway, etc.)

Can you market to age ins?

You can, however, market to age-ins (people turning 65). Educational events must be explicitly advertised as educational – no marketing or sales activities are allowed. Marketing and sales events are designed to steer potential enrollees toward a plan or set of plans.

Can you get Medicare Advantage without a goal?

You can’t get to your destination without following a map, and you can’t be successful in Medicare Advantage marketing without a goal. Before you start any marketing plan, write down your goals. Then, you can use the materials at your disposal to help you reach them.

Selling Medicare Basics

Before you can start selling any type of Medicare Advantage or Medicare Supplement plan, you’ll need to first complete these requirements:

Who Is Your Target Market?

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.

Why Medicare Advantage?

Understanding the value proposition behind Medicare Advantage will be key in closing your sales. 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..

Medicare Compliance

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.

Set Yourself Up for Success

The Medicare market is an intricate one to navigate. You can take the guesswork out of selling Medicare products by teaming up with an experienced partner.

What is Medicare Advantage Marketing Plan?

A Medicare Advantage marketing plan allows you to reach patients at all stages of the process, but it can be tricky to do effectively and ethically.

Why do people choose Medicare Advantage?

That’s why millions of people choose a private Medicare Advantage plan as their 65th birthday approaches or during the Annual Election Period (also known as AEP or open enrollment)—to fill in those gaps and prevent a major procedure from leading to bankruptcy. A Medicare Advantage marketing plan allows you to reach patients at all stages ...

How to avoid losing Medicare patients?

You can avoid losing your patients when they turn 65 by participating in the best Medicare Advantage plans, and making sure that your patients are aware they have options. Point patients to better plans.

What are some examples of Medicare marketing guidelines?

For example: Events promoting a particular plan must be properly labeled as sales/marketing events rather than educational events.

Do providers need to remain neutral about Medicare?

Providers do need to remain neutral about most aspects of choosing a Medicare plan. Still, you can and should keep patients informed of all their options and ensure they are able to make the right decisions for their health. There are plenty of ways to reach out to patients who may be considering a Medicare Advantage plan:

Can Medicare Advantage be private?

Typically, patients consider a private Medicare Advantage plan after realizing the out-of-pocket expense involved with original Medicare, which can leave patients responsible for 20% of the cost of some services with no limit on out-of-pocket expenses. So why would hospitals, medical groups, IPAs, and practices need a Medicare Advantage marketing ...

Can seniors use social media?

However, with the right plan in place, you can reach future patients through…. Remember, many seniors have family members making their healthcare decisions, so don’t rule out digital and social media advertising as a way to reach those decision-makers.

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!

What are the different email marketing platforms?

Some popular options include Mailchimp, Constant Contact, ActiveCampaign, and HubSpot, but there are literally hundreds of email marketing platforms.

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.

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!

Can you call a non-Medicare enrollee?

You can call current enrollees, including those in non-Medicare products, to discuss plan business. You can return phone calls or messages. You can call when you get permission, such as from a business reply card or an email requesting a return call. You can't make unsolicited phone calls to prospective enrollees.

Can you make unsolicited calls to Medicare?

You can't make unsolicited phone calls to prospective enrollees. You can't call about other business as a way to generate Medicare leads (bait and switch). You can't call referrals – the referred person needs to call you.

What is Medicareful website?

Medicareful is a free CMS-approved platform that provides agents with a consumer-facing quote engine ; an electronic permission-to-contact and Scope of Appointment form; direct enrollment buttons for several major carriers’ Medicare Advantage plans; and much more! It’s a fantastic tool if you’re selling Medicare Advantage plans remotely since you can email clients links to plan details or even links to prefilled applications, that just require their sign off! What’s more, having your own Medicareful site is an easy way to market yourself in several locations at once, without being physically present. All you need are affinity partners and our customizable Medicareful marketing pieces to generate leads while you’re vacationing with family or even while you sleep!

Is Medicare Advantage one size fits all?

Medicare Advantage coverage isn’t one-size-fits-all. There are different types of plans for a reason. PPO plans can offer a more flexible network than HMO plans. Special Needs Plans, like D-SNPs and C-SNPs, can provide more coordinated care for specific populations than standard Medicare Advantage plans.

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.

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.

How many people will be on Medicare in 2060?

Projections are that by 2060 there will be 98 million people in that age range. The estimation is 21.1 million over age 85 in 2030. What this means when it comes to Medicare insurance sales is that one in every seven people, the equivalent of 15.2% of the population, meets Medicare age qualifications.

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.

Overview of Medicare Supplements (Medigap)

Medicare is the public health insurance program created in 1965 allowing retirees to have health insurance even after leaving their employer’s group plan. Anyone aged 65 and older, people diagnosed with ALS or ESRD, and people who’ve received SSDI benefits for at least 25 months are eligible to enroll in Medicare coverage.

Is Selling Medicare Lucrative?

Selling Medicare supplements is a great opportunity to serve the underserved senior population and to make money. The Medigap market is two-thirds bigger than the Medicare Advantage market, and the plans are best-suited for people who travel and are financially stable.

The Best Way to Sell Medicare Supplements

Just like with selling any health insurance, Medicare comes with rules and regulations. The first step to selling Medicare supplements is obtaining a license to sell Medicare in your state. The second step is to get AHIP certification. While you don’t need AHIP certification to sell Medigap plans, it’s a great idea to obtain certification.

Medicare Basics

In order to effectively sell Medicare supplements, you should understand how the plans tie into Medicare as a whole. Here’s a general breakdown of Medicare:

Medicare Supplements Leads for Agents

Use more than one approach to reach potential leads. Email and social media are effective ways to reach your audience if you use the right tactics. Direct mail is still a great way to raise awareness even with the senior population using smartphones now more than ever before.

Start Making Money Selling Medicare Supplements

At Senior Market Advisors, our mission is to serve the underserved. The baby boomer market is all-too-often overlooked, and we want to help seniors live their best lives. When you partner with Senior Market Advisors, not only do you get to make a difference, you get an experienced marketing team, a sales support team and a free CRM to track sales.

Start Earning 6-Figures

Connect with a dedicated specialist in your market to learn how you can become a TRUE Senior Market Advisor.

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