Medicare Blog

medicare agent what can be discussed without a scope

by Colleen Grant Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago

Your meeting with the representative must be focused on the Medicare plans and healthcare related products. The representative, who may be an agent for other insurance lines, can not discuss any other products such as life insurance, annuities, home or auto insurance.

During your meeting, plan agents may not: Discuss anything outside the scope of your appointment. Market non-health related products to you, such as life insurance or annuities. Ask for referrals to others (family, friends) who might be interested in the plan.

Full Answer

What are the rules of the Medicare scope of appointment?

• The agent cannot come to your home without an appointment. DURING the meeting: the agent . MAY: • Give you plan materials • Tell you how to get more plan information • Tell you about the plan options you agreed to discuss • Give you an enrollment form • Collect your completed enrollment form • Leave business cards for you to give to friends and family. the agent . MAY …

What is the scope of an appointment with an agent?

Mar 27, 2012 · The representative, who may be an agent for other insurance lines, can not discuss any other products such as life insurance, annuities, home or auto insurance. The purpose of this rule is to avoid confusing the beneficiary with discussions of other topics. Representatives may not ask you for referrals of your friends and family.

Can a company hire an independent agent to sell Medicare plans?

agents/brokers can speak to these general topics and their relation to the types of plan products they sell (i.e., Part C, Part D, Cost Plans, etc.) 1. Medicare Basics a. Overview of Medicare i. Medicare Parts and covered services 1. Medicare Part A: Original Medicare - Hospital Insurance 2. Medicare Part B: Original Medicare - Medical Insurance 3.

Can a state Insurance Department investigate a sales agent for Medicare?

Apr 14, 2016 · Agents are not permitted to come to your house without an invitation. A “Scope Of Appointment” form is required to be signed by prospective clients in advance of an agent discussing their Medicare Insurance plan options. (A Scope Of Appointment form is basically just your written permission for an agent “only" to discuss the Medicare plan options listed on that …

In which setting is a scope of appointment not required?

If the meeting was set up as an in-person appointment, a scope of appointment is required. If the meeting is advertised as a sales event open to the general public, a scope of appointment form is not required. 7.

Is a scope of appointment required for Medicare supplement?

It's not required for prospects to complete a Scope of Appointment form if they only want to talk about Medicare Supplement plans or other health-related lines of business. But prior to the appointment, it's recommended that you have prospects fill out an SOA with the intent to also discuss drug coverage.Oct 22, 2019

Is a scope of appointment required for a telephonic presentation?

Is a Scope of Appointment required for a telephonic presentation? To ease any stress that the SOA process may bring, you can choose a telephonic meeting. As a consumer, you can speak with your agent via telephone and consent to an oral agreement. Your phone recording will then serve as a Scope of Appointment.Sep 27, 2021

What is the purpose of a scope of appointment?

What is the purpose of a Scope of Appointment? The Scope of Appointment is a federally required form used to document an appointment between an insurance agent and a Medicare beneficiary to ensure that no other types of products are discussed outside of what the beneficiary originally requested.Apr 28, 2020

What is Medicare scope of appointment?

Share this Content: The Medicare Scope of Appointment is a form which Medicare beneficiaries must complete to designate, prior to their appointment with an agent, exactly which items they wish to discuss. In other words, this form is how you tell your agent which insurance products he or she can present to you.Oct 25, 2020

How long must a scope of appointment form be kept?

10-yearsCMS requires agents to keep the SOA form for 10-years from the date of the appointment. Even if an enrollment never took place, SOAs should be retained and ready to make available upon carrier, CMS or other regulatory body request.Feb 19, 2021

What of the following is considered unsolicited contact?

Unsolicited direct contact with a consumer that was not requested or initiated by the consumer is prohibited and includes in-person (e.g., door-to-door marketing), telephonic (e.g., outbound telemarketing), electronic (e.g., email, voicemail messages, text messages) solicitation.

How long is an Aetna electronic scope of appointment good for?

You must maintain SOAs for at least 10 years. And, you'll want them readily available upon request. This includes initial and additional SOAs obtained during appointments. If a beneficiary requests other products not documented on the SOA, you must obtain a second SOA for the additional product(s).

What is SOA in Medicare?

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services requires agents to document the scope of a marketing appointment prior to any individual sales meeting to ensure understanding of what will be discussed between the agent and the Medicare beneficiary (or their authorized representative).

How long is SOA valid?

Q: How long do I have to keep SOA forms? A: All documentation must be maintained for the selling year plus 10 additional years. This includes initial and second SOA forms obtained at the same appointment and any SOA form obtained regardless of whether an appointment ends in an enrollment or not.May 1, 2018

What qualifies an individual to enroll in the devoted health plan?

To join Devoted Health Select (HMO), you must be entitled to Medicare Part A and enrolled in Medicare Part B. You also have to live in this plan's service area, which includes these counties: Maricopa. We offer different plans for other counties.

Which of the following describes permission to contact guidelines quizlet?

Which of the following describes Permission to Contact guidelines? It allows the agent to discuss the products identified during the marketing appointment. It does not have to be provided by the consumer, but can be provided by the consumer's spouse or adult child.

What is marketing appointment?

From CMS guidelines: Marketing appointments are individual appointments designed to steer or, attempt to steer, potential enrollees toward a plan or limited number of plans. All individual appointments between an agent and a beneficiary are considered marketing/sales appointments regardless of the content discussed.

What is an educational event?

Additionally, there can be no discussion of any MA or PDP benefits or pricing. Educational events are meant to focus on educating the attendees about Medicare and their various options.

Can a plan sponsor give cash?

A plan sponsor of a MA plan may host an event and discuss their plans. They can offer a gift or prize to all participants as long as the value does not exceed $15. The gifts can not be in the form of cash.

Does Medicare cover all drugs?

If your doctor accepts Medicare, she accepts this plan. There are no limits on services. We cover all drugs and have no formulary restrictions. If you don’t like this plan, you can stop paying your premium and return to original Medicare anytime. It is better to choose a different company if you are sick.

Is cold calling allowed in MA?

Virtually all ‘cold calling’ or unsolicited marketing of MA and PD products is prohibited. This includes unsolicited phone calls, emails, text messages or knocking on your door. Direct mail is allowed because you can then contact the company or representative. Door hangers, leaflets and flyers are prohibited.

What is scope of appointment?

Scope of Appointment. Scope of Appointment means just what it says. It’s a form outlining exactly what you’ll be presenting to a client during a meeting. The SOA ensures that potential enrollees will not be pitched plans other than those they originally requested.

What is marketing material?

Marketing materials contain some plan-specific information, such as benefits, premiums, and comparisons to other plans. Marketing materials are subject to CMS review, whereas non-marketing materials are not. During presentations, you should never attempt to mislead your clients, willingly or unwillingly.

What is a consumer facing website?

Consumer-facing websites that promote a specific carrier or a group of carriers’ Medicare Advantage or Part D products must be submitted to CMS for approval . This is typically accomplished through the carriers. You may refer to the specific carrier’s policy regarding website review.

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.

What are the two types of sales events?

There are two types of sales events: formal and informal. Here’s what sets them apart: Formal Sales Events: Agent presents plan-specific information to an audience invited to the occasion. Informal Sales Events: Agent offers plan info upon request only while at a table, booth, kiosk, or RV.

What is sales event?

Sales events allow agents to try to direct potential enrollees or current members toward a plan or set of plans. Many marketing and lead-generating activities are allowed, but there are rules regarding the information you can collect. See what you can and cannot do at sales events below.

Important Medicare Guidelines Update

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Before we get into the do’s and don’ts, it’s important to note that the Medicare Communications and Marketing Guidelines (MCMG) has undergone some changes. You can now find the Medicare Advantage and Part D Communication Requirements on the Federal Register site. The Federal Register siteis straightfor…
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Permission to Contact

  • Every interaction with a potential client has a starting point. 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. However, the email must have an opt-out option in order to remain compliant. Additionally, the content of any unsoli…
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Scope of Appointment

  • Scope of Appointment means just what it says. It’s a form outlining exactly what you’ll be presenting to a client during a meeting. The SOA ensures that potential enrollees will not be pitched plans other than those they originally requested. In 2018, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) removed the requirement for SOAs to be record...
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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. In the CMS MA & Part D Communication Requirements, CMS differentiates between materials that are considered “non-…
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Events & Appointments

  • The types of presentations you host throughout the year typically fall under one of three categories; educational events, sales events, and individual appointments. Educational events must be advertised as such and be designed to inform Medicare beneficiaries about the parts of Medicare in general. When holding an educational event, you: MAY: 1. Distribute educational ma…
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Secret Shoppers

  • Staying compliant should be a year-long objective for every agent. Annual Enrollment is the culmination of revised CMS Medicare Advantage & Part D Communication Requirements, new 2022 plans, and all kinds of potential enrollees, some of which could be secret shoppers. CMS secret shoppers measure quality of service and compliance with Medicare regulations as a way …
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Websites

  • Consumer-facing websites that promote a specific carrier or a group of carriers’ Medicare Advantage or Part D products must be submitted to CMS for approval. This is typically accomplished through the carriers. You may refer to the specific carrier’s policy regarding website review. CMS has increasingly cracked down on websites in recent years, so it’s important to be s…
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