Full Answer
Is selling Medicare a good line of work?
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. However, in order to sell Medicare, you need to first obtain your license by taking the following steps.
What is it like to 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.
Is selling Medicare supplements the best way to sell Medicare products?
Some agents believe selling Medicare Supplements is the superior way to sell Medicare products. What’s your take on that? Is there one that’s better to sell than the other? Should you sell both?
What are my options when selling Medicare?
There are many options when it comes to selling Medicare. A Medigap plan (aka Medicare Supplement) is designed to “gap” or “supplement” Original Medicare. This plan gives the client freedom of choice allowing them to go to any doctor or hospital that accepts Original Medicare.
Can you make good money selling Medicare?
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 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 is the highest rated Medicare Supplement company?
Best Medicare Supplement Insurance Companies of 2022Best Overall: Mutual of Omaha.Best User Experience: Humana.Best Set Plans and Coverage: AARP.Best Medigap Coverage Information: Aetna.Best Discounts for Multiple Policyholders: Cigna.
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...
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.
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.
How much do Medicare leads cost?
As mentioned previously, new Medicare Advantage pay $25 for each direct mail lead.
What are the top 3 most popular Medicare supplement plans in 2021?
Three Popular Medicare Supplement PlansBlue Cross Blue Shield. According to Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS), Plans F and N are available in most areas. ... AARP United Healthcare. The United Healthcare Medicare Supplement plan is also very popular. ... Humana.
Which insurance company has the best Medicare Advantage plan?
List of Medicare Advantage plansCategoryCompanyRatingBest overallKaiser Permanente5.0Most popularAARP/UnitedHealthcare4.2Largest networkBlue Cross Blue Shield4.1Hassle-free prescriptionsHumana4.01 more row•Jun 22, 2022
What is the best Medicare Part D plan?
Best-rated Medicare Part D providersRankMedicare Part D providerMedicare star rating for Part D plans1Kaiser Permanente4.92UnitedHealthcare (AARP)3.93BlueCross BlueShield (Anthem)3.94Humana3.83 more rows•Mar 16, 2022
Where do Medicare leads come from?
Medicare Leads from Direct Mailer Campaigns. Sending direct mailers to gain Medicare leads is another method agents utilize. Running a direct mailer lead campaign can be pricey, but luckily, carriers and field marketing organizations (FMOs) often offer marketing co-op to help cover a percentage of the cost.
What are the rules of Medicare?
7 Essential Medicare Rules You Need to KnowEligibility begins at 65. ... There are penalties for signing up late. ... Higher earners pay more for Part B. ... You can have original Medicare or Medicare Advantage -- but not both. ... You can have Medicare plus private insurance. ... Medicare and health savings accounts don't mix.More items...•
How do you get ACA leads?
Ask for Referrals Give your business cards to friends and family to distribute your contact information for you. Always ask for referrals from existing clients and the people you meet. Always follow up with referrals when you get them. Always ask for referrals from existing clients and the people you meet.
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. Licensed agents may also sell Fixed Annuities.
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 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.
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.
Do insurance agents have to be vested?
Normally agents are vested from the first day, so you have true ownership of your business and policy renewals. Many insurance carriers provide vacation packages and exotic trips to their top-selling agents. The perks are great, and the more “extras” you offer clients, the more profit you make.
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.
Why do people want to work in Medicare?
There are many good reasons why someone would want to have a career in Medicare sales. The first is; you really are not selling anything . Most people will enroll in some type of Medicare program; either an MAPD, Medicare Supplement and/or a Medicare PDP plan.
When do you get Medicare A and B?
Medicare A and B: People become eligible for Medicare A and B the first of the month they turn 65. Everyone is automatically enrolled in Medicare Part A. Medicare Part A is hospitalization insurance. In most cases people are not charged for Medicare Part A.
How long does Medicare pay commission?
Some Medicare supplement companies only pay commission for a certain number of years. Six years of payouts is common for carriers that limit payout years. This means, you will only receive renewals for a set number of years. CMS sets the commission rates for both Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D each year.
When do Medicare OEP payments start?
Most companies do not make you wait until the plan is effective to pay you. Although, during the Medicare OEP, companies hold all commission payments for cases written in OCT, NOV and DEC for a January 1 start date. These cases are paid out in January. During the year, companies pro rate the commission payments.
Do Medicare Advantage agents need to get carrier certification?
It is very important to understand that getting in front of enough people will be one of your biggest challenges. Agents must complete annual carrier certifications in order to sell Medicare Advantage and Part D Rx plans. This can be time-consuming and some people are not willing to do it.
Do Medicare Supplements require annual certification?
Medicare Supplements do not require any annual certifications but, Advantage plans and Part D Rx plans do. An annual product certification is required for every company’s advantage plan and/or Part D Rx you plan to sell. This can be time-consuming.
Do you need to complete Medicare certification before selling?
You must complete the certifications in order to fully understand Medicare and the plans you are selling in order to show prospects what they need. (Also need to do the certification before you can sell the product) There are many good reasons why someone would want to have a career in Medicare sales.
What happens if you go out and try to change Medicare?
If you go out and try to change Medicare or reduce benefits, you will have millions of seniors go to the voting register and vote the bonds out, Republican or Democrat.
Do you have to quit selling final expense?
And you don’t have to quit selling Final Expense. It’s ironically the exact same market that you’re already working. You don’t even have to change your marketing to Medicare Advantage leads. We do, but there are plenty of successful Medicare agents that go in on final expense leads.
How To Sell Medicare
To sell Medicare, you will need to be certified with AHIP (America’s Health Insurance Plan) every year. Thankfully, FMOs like Senior Market Advisors offer AHIP training.
Added Benefits
So why sell Medicare? For extra incentive, know that cold calling and door-to-door sales are not a part of Medicare sales. In fact, you would be violating codes and regulations if you did those things. This way, when you’re visiting with clients, you know that they already agreed to speak with you, and they are less likely to give you a hard time.
Ready to get started?
Click here to start contracting with Senior Market Advisors. All you have to do is sign the contracts you’d like to represent and send them back to contracting@seniormarketadvisors.com. You can also call our Agency Advisors at 1-844-452-5020 with questions. It’s easy to get started. Why wait?
How long does it take to get a referral from Medicare?
It may take 5 minutes, or it may take an hour. Either way, you’ll earn loyalty that call center operators can’t touch, and that loyalty will translate to referrals. When you ask positioning questions to assess your client’s Medicare needs, keep it conversational.
Does Wellcare accept D-SNP?
For example, WellCare allows you to enroll D-SNPs remotely by mailing the client a paper app but doesn’t accept D-SNP enrollment through their PURL tool.
Is it important to keep records for Medicare?
Keeping good records has always been an essential part of selling Medicare, but it becomes even more critical without the in-person component. Tools like Enrollment Central can help you consolidate your records in one place.
Do beneficiaries get better service from local agents?
Of course, anyone in the industry knows that beneficiaries will get much better service from a local agent than a call center. Still, all your potential clients see is convenience. To stay competitive, you need to offer that same accessibility. 2. Agents who adapt to remote sales techniques sell more policies.
How much of Medicare is Advantage?
In fact, about 60% of all Medicare products sold across the country today are Medicare Advantage. There are simply better plans with lower premiums, and there are more plans to choose from than ever before.
What are the extra benefits of Medicare Advantage?
Extra benefits add additional value to MA plans. Medicare Advantage plans have the flexibility to add more benefits than ever before – benefits that traditional Medicare doesn't offer. Extra benefits now available can include ( Medicare.gov, CMS, Humana, Aetna, Centene ): Transportation to doctor visits.
How many Medicare Advantage plans will be available in 2021?
In 2021, about 730 plans will provide about 3 million Medicare Advantage enrollees with extra healthcare benefits such as adult day health services, caregiver support services, in-home support services, therapeutic massage, or home-based palliative care.
What is the average age for a senior market agent?
The average age of a senior market insurance agent is 59, so it makes a lot of sense to me that agents would get comfortable with Medicare Supplements at the beginning of their insurance careers. Once you're comfortable with a certain way of doing things, it's a lot harder to change.
Is there underwriting for Medicare Advantage?
4. There's no underwriting. An obvious benefit of Medicare Advantage is there are no underwriting hurdles to get through. MA is a great place for Med Supp clients to go when their premiums get too high, but on the other hand, it's also a great fit for healthy clients who can enjoy a low premium in their good years.
Do healthy people want to sink money into Medicare?
Healthy people don't want to sink money into a premium when they know there's a good chance they won't utilize the plan. Clients see their Medicare Supplement having a 5-10% rate increase each year, and they see more and more of their money coming out of their pocket.
Do you forfeit Medicare?
Well, yes, on one hand, you do forfeit the Original Medicare benefits. But the government is handing that money to the insurance company who can actually do the job better. Private industry, in my opinion, has always been able to outperform the bureaucracy of the government.
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.
