5 Tips for Selling Medicare Advantage Plans
- Get Certified and “Ready-to-Sell” Next Year’s Plans ASAP. You’ve heard it before: The early bird catches the worm. ...
- Offer Different Types of Plans and Different Carriers. Medicare Advantage coverage isn’t one-size-fits-all. There are different types of plans for a reason.
- Have Your Own Lead-Generating, Direct Enroll Website. If you want to save time on quoting and enrollments, increase your business’ visibility, and generate more Medicare leads, you need a ...
- Stay Up to Date on the Rules. Every summer/fall, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) release updates to their Medicare Communications & Marketing Guidelines that apply not ...
- Learn More In “The Complete Guide on How to Sell Medicare Advantage Plans” [FREE eBook] Our newest eBook, “ The Complete Guide on How to Sell Medicare Advantage Plans ...
Full Answer
How much do you make selling Medicare Advantage?
Oct 16, 2019 · 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 to successfully sell Medicare plans?
Jul 23, 2021 · 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 …
How do I choose the best Medicare Advantage plan?
Dec 15, 2021 · Selling Medicare Advantage plans, you get a contract with a carrier, but once youre contracted with that carrier every year that you are in Medicare Advantage sales, youre going to have to take a certification test called AHIP.
How to get started in Medicare sales?
Aug 21, 2020 · 5 Tips for Selling Medicare Advantage Plans 1. Get Certified and “Ready-to-Sell” Next Year’s Plans ASAP. You’ve heard it before: The early bird catches the worm. In... 2. Offer Different Types of Plans and Different Carriers. Medicare Advantage coverage isn’t one-size-fits-all. There are... 3. Have ...
How do I sell Medicare Advantage?
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
Are Medicare Advantage plans profitable?
In 2019, when the most recent data is available, private insurers averaged 4.5 percent profit margins on their Medicare Advantage plans. Between 2016 and 2018, Medicare Advantage plans reported nearly double the profit margins per customer compared to individual and employer plans.Oct 20, 2021
What is the commission on a Medicare supplement policy?
A recent report indicates that first-year commissions for enrollments in Medigap are approximately 20 percent of annual premiums, but they can vary based on the state or plan type. The commission for subsequent years (i.e., the renewal commission) is set at 10 percent of the premium.Oct 12, 2021
How do I prospect for Medicare Advantage 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...
What are the disadvantages of a Medicare Advantage plan?
Cons of Medicare AdvantageRestrictive plans can limit covered services and medical providers.May have higher copays, deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs.Beneficiaries required to pay the Part B deductible.Costs of health care are not always apparent up front.Type of plan availability varies by region.More items...•Dec 9, 2021
Who is the largest Medicare Advantage provider?
UnitedHealthcareUnitedHealthcare is the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans and offers plans in nearly three-quarters of U.S. counties.Dec 21, 2021
What is a Medicare insurance broker?
A Medicare insurance broker is typically an independent insurance agent who's licensed to sell Medicare plans on behalf of multiple insurance companies.Apr 6, 2021
What is an FMO?
FMO — Field Marketing Organizations A field marketing organization (FMO) is basically the same as an independent marketing organization (IMO). FMOs are typically top-level organizations that are licensed to sell health insurance products in most, if not all, states.Oct 17, 2019
How do I get T65 leads?
Offer education opportunities By offering regular question and answer sessions, informational, educational groups, or discussion seminars, you can educate seniors and help them navigate the complex Medicare system. This helps build relationships and trust with them that can lead to potential T65 leads and referrals.
Can you solicit Medicare Advantage prospects through email?
Due to a change reflected in the 2019 MCMG and now in the Medicare Advantage & Part D Communication Requirements, agents are permitted to make unsolicited direct contact with potential enrollees via email.Sep 9, 2021
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 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.
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 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.
How long does it take to get a six figure income from selling Medicare?
Selling Medicare can steadily help you build a six-figure residual income in as little as 3-4 years. At that point, you’ll have a great six-figure salary.
Why are Medicare sales so high?
Most companies pay the same commission for seven years and some even pay for life. Plus, Medicare sales are at an all-time high because of the aging population.
How long does Medicare Supplement pay commission?
Here are the two most important things you need to know about Medicare Supplement commissions. Medicare Supplements pay the same commission for seven years.
What is high deductible F?
High deductible F is a hybrid Medicare Supplement plan that allows your clients to keep their monthly costs down, while still having the protection of a Medicare Supplement Plan F.
What is Medicare Supplement insurance?
Original Medicare Part A & B + Medicare Supplement + Part D. Medicare Supplement insurance is also referred to as a Medigap policy by CMS. These names are interchangeable. Your client should expect to pay monthly premiums for Original Medicare Part B, their Supplement and their Part D drug plan.
What is a plan N?
Plan N is a Medigap plan that covers the same major benefits as Plan G with the addition of a $20 primary care doctor copay and $50 emergency room copay.
How long does Medicare Part B last?
Your clients IEP begins 3 months before the month they turn 65, their birth month and ends 3 months after. Below are some common examples of Medicare Part B covered services: Doctor’s visits. Ambulance services.
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.
How long is the cooling off period for a product?
A: There used to be required verbiage in the guidelines around a cooling-off period (48 hours originally, which then moved to 24) for presenting or speaking about any non-health-related products. To stay safe, many compliance experts still advise agents to stick to that cooling-off period whenever possible.
What to do if you are not contracted with all the carriers?
If you're not contracted with all the carriers in your area, it can be helpful to reference Medicare.gov in addition to MedicareCENTER. Only the carriers you are contracted with will appear, so using Medicare.gov will ensure you see all available plans.
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 quoting engine?
2. Medicare Quoting Tool / Online Quoting Engine - A Quoting Engine makes it easier for agents. to have access to accurate, up-to-date pricing and plan details for the nations top senior.
Why is technology important in sales?
These tools, among others, should be considered a standard part of your sales toolbox to help accelerate your sales process. Technology can help speed up the process, but at the same time presents a new set of sales challenges since you don't always meet face to face with your customer.
How are leads created?
Leads are normally created from receiving input from people actively expressing interest in getting information about Medicare product options and costs. Companies that specialize in lead generation have put forth a lot of effort to collect the contact information they offer for sale.
How many baby boomers are turning 65?
If you are looking for information on how to become a licensed Medicare insurance agent, this article is meant for you. With 11,000 Baby Boomers turning 65 every day for at least another decade, it’s apparent that the Medicare market will continue its tremendous growth for the foreseeable future. According to the Census Bureau, by 2030, all ...
Why is it important to work with an FMO?
A good FMO will work consistently to get the best contracts with top companies, and offer them to agents and agencies of all sizes. They should be a pillar of support, helping you maximize your efforts, and allow you to focus on supercharging your business.
How many people will be 65 by 2035?
By 2035 78 million Americans will be at least age 65. This avalanche of seniors into Medicare has created a groundswell opportunity, and many agents are capitalizing on it. " Medicare sales offer a great first year commission and annual residuals, creating a huge income potential by providing ongoing compensation for years after the sale. ". ...
Do you need certification for Medicare Supplement?
Medicare supplement products however, do not require any additional certifications beyond your state’s licensing requirements.
Is Selling Medicare Lucrative?
In short, yes. The average Medicare Advantage policy pays around $262 a year in commission if the purchase replaces an existing plan. However, you can get approximately double that — $525 — if you write up a new Medicare Advantage plan for someone who hasn't had one before.
Medicare Licenses and Training
Medicare Advantage is a great line to sell, whether you're a newcomer to selling insurance or an experienced insurance professional looking to diversify your portfolio. But no matter how much experience you have, you need proper Medicare insurance sales agent training to complete the certification process.
How to Choose Medicare Carriers and Plans to Sell
Most new agents want to rush in and offer every Medicare Advantage plan from day one. It's an understandable ambition, but it can quickly become overwhelming.
Ordering Medicare Enrollment Kits from Carriers
Each carrier has its own Medicare enrollment kit, which includes handouts that policyholders need when they're considering signing up. Different carriers include various materials in their kits, but most contain:
Help Protect Yourself with E&O Insurance
As a Medicare insurance sales agent, your role is to help your clients prepare for the unexpected and help protect themselves from financial risks. You might have the best intentions, but sometimes things don't work out as planned.
Start Working Toward a Rewarding Career Selling Medicare
All of these certifications, training requirements, and legal protections can make selling Medicare insurance feel overwhelming at first. But don't let them deter you from reaching your end goal — a rewarding and lucrative career.
How does Medicare Advantage work?
Agents selling Medicare Advantage and Part D plans get a flat dollar amount of money per application. This comes to them in the form of initial commissions and renewal commissions. Carriers pay out initial commissions when an agent makes a new sale or when the beneficiary enrolls in a new, “unlike” plan (different type). Each year and beyond, carriers pay out renewal commissions to the agent if the beneficiary remains enrolled in the plan or enrolls in a new, “like” plan (same type).
What does it mean when you assign commissions to the FMO?
When you assign your commissions to the FMO, this means the carrier will pay the FMO, who will then pay you . Agents signing an Assignment of Commissions contract must be careful, because depending on their contract, their upline could keep their renewals should they choose to leave.
Do carriers pay agents?
It’s important for agents to know that carriers pay agents and FMOs separately. Your relationship with an FMO is comparable to your clients’ relationship with you.
Do insurance carriers have to pay Medicare Advantage commissions?
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) set the maximum broker commissions for Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D annually; however, insurance carriers aren’t required to pay these amounts. What you earn for Medicare Advantage and PDP sales could be less, depending on the carrier and your contract with them.
What happens to a broker if they don't comply with Medicare?
Agents/brokers are subject to rigorous oversight by their contracted health or drug plans and face the risk of loss of licensure with their State and termination with their contracted health or drug plans if they don't comply with strict rules related to selling to and enrolling Medicare beneficiar ies in Medicare plans.
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.
When do brokers receive initial payment?
Generally, agents/brokers receive an initial payment in the first year of the policy (or when there is an “unlike plan type” enrollment change) and half as much for years two (2) and beyond if the member remains enrolled in the plan or make a “like plan type” enrollment change.
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.