Medicare Blog

what does one need to sell medicare advantage plans

by Camille Shanahan Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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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 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.

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 do I get licensed to sell Medicare?

  • Becoming a Six-Figure Senior Market Advisor
  • Agent writes 5-7 Medicare plans weekly
  • Get certified to sell Humana Medicare plans

How to sell Medicare Advantage over the phone?

When you are ready to begin your training, it is easy to start right away:

  • Review Medicare Training 101 membership plans and pricing
  • Sign up for the plan you select by completing the form and submitting your payment
  • Login into the portal and access your training materials
  • Start building your business while you learn

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How do you make money selling Medicare Advantage plans?

5 Tips for Selling Medicare Advantage Plans5 Tips for Selling Medicare Advantage Plans. ... Get Certified and “Ready-to-Sell” Next Year's Plans ASAP. ... Offer Different Types of Plans and Different Carriers. ... Have Your Own Lead-Generating, Direct Enroll Website. ... Stay Up to Date on the Rules.More items...•

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 start a Medicare Advantage Plan?

Once you understand the plan's rules and costs, here's how to join:Use Medicare's Plan Finder.Visit the plan's website to see if you can join online.Fill out a paper enrollment form. ... Call the plan you want to join. ... Call us at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).

Is selling Medicare easy?

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 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.

Is Medicare easier to sell than life insurance?

But those without such coverage usually delivers lower benefits. Because the product is simple, your selling process becomes quicker, unlike traditional life insurance policies that may need more than an hour's worth of explanation.

What are the negatives of a Medicare Advantage plan?

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 a Medigap policy, there often are lifetime penalties.

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.

Can you switch from original Medicare to Medicare Advantage?

You can switch from original Medicare to Medicare Advantage during one of the Medicare open enrollment periods. Medicare Advantage plans offer a popular substitute for Original Medicare (Parts A and B).

How much do Medicare leads cost?

Here's how it works… As mentioned previously, new Medicare Advantage pay $25 for each direct mail lead.

What are the three 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.

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...

Why Sell Medicare Advantage Plans?

Typically, insurance carriers offer higher commissions for MA plans than Medicare Supplements or Part D plans.

How to Sell Medicare Advantage Plans

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.

When Can I Sell Medicare Advantage?

Many Medicare-eligibles have restrictions on when they can enroll in new plans. You need to know the specifics of each enrollment period and how they apply to your clients.

Selling Medicare Advantage Over the Phone

You may have heard that you can sell Medicare Supplements over the phone, but you want to know how to sell Medicare Advantage plans over the phone.

How Much Can I Make Selling Medicare Advantage Plans?

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) sets maximum compensation amounts that carriers can pay agents for sales. Click here to read more about agent compensation.

Important Terms to Know When Selling Medicare Advantage Plans

You want to answer clients’ questions with confidence, so it’s important to know the terms they’ll ask about. Here are some common terms beneficiaries will ask about:

Start Selling Medicare Advantage Insurance Today

Selling Medicare Advantage plans can be a lucrative career. At Senior Market Advisors, we give our agents tools for success such as extensive training so you can answer questions with confidence.

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 the selling point of Medicare Advantage?

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.

Can baby boomers sell?

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.

Is Medicare a strict set of standards?

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.

Is selling healthcare easier?

Keep in mind that selling any type of healthcare comes easier when taking a helpful and educational approach. Never be intrusive with questions or pushy with tactics. They’ll tell you what they need—so long as you ask the right questions. Patrick Rodriguez, President of AGA always says, “If you’re helping, you’re selling. If you’re just selling, you may not be helping”

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 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.

Do you have to show your license to sell Medicare?

When you are working as an independent agent selling Medicare plans , those plans must show the state where you hold your license.

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 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).

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.

Is selling Medicare a lucrative business?

Selling Medicare can be very lucrative, if done right. Hopefully now you have a better idea of how much Medicare agents can make and know that working with an FMO should never hurt your commissions, only help them grow!

Is Medicare Advantage sales good for 2022?

The 2022 plan year will be a fantastic year for Medicare Advantage sales, which is good news for agents looking to earn more commission! Let’s get right to the facts and figures.

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.

What is Medicare Advantage?

A Medicare Advantage is another way to get your Medicare Part A and Part B coverage. Medicare Advantage Plans, sometimes called "Part C" or "MA Plans," are offered by Medicare-approved private companies that must follow rules set by Medicare. If you join a Medicare Advantage Plan, you'll still have Medicare but you'll get most of your Part A and Part B coverage from your Medicare Advantage Plan, not Original Medicare.

Can't offer drug coverage?

Can’t offer drug coverage (like Medicare Medical Savings Account plans) Choose not to offer drug coverage (like some Private Fee-for-Service plans) You’ll be disenrolled from your Medicare Advantage Plan and returned to Original Medicare if both of these apply: You’re in a Medicare Advantage HMO or PPO.

Does Medicare cover dental?

Covered services in Medicare Advantage Plans. Most Medicare Advantage Plans offer coverage for things Original Medicare doesn’t cover, like some vision, hearing, dental, and fitness programs (like gym memberships or discounts). Plans can also choose to cover even more benefits. For example, some plans may offer coverage for services like ...

Does Medicare Advantage include prescription drug coverage?

Most Medicare Advantage Plans include prescription drug coverage (Part D). You can join a separate Medicare Prescription Drug Plan with certain types of plans that:

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