Plan Advisors

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Do you have a Medicare Beneficiary with Plans to Relocate?

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Assist your Client with Finding a Trusted, Local Medicare Resource

Do you have a Medicare beneficiary client with plans to relocate? Every day, thousands of seniors are uprooting to new cities and states for better weather, family connection, or more accommodating living conditions. Nonetheless, there are big changes ahead for them! In addition to moving their belongings, getting settled in a home, and finding new doctors, your client will most likely need to switch to a new Medicare plan. The process of changing Medicare plans can seem overwhelming for some. However, as a trusted resource in the life of your client, there are ways you can help to ease the stress and unknown obstacles that may arise.

Here at Plan Advisors, we believe there is value in beneficiaries meeting with local insurance professionals who are familiar with the benefits and provider networks utilized by the various Medicare plans available.

That’s why we have the Plan Advisors Broker Referral Program. You can be sure your client is comfortably guided through the decision-making process by a knowledgeable licensed producer. You get peace of mind while your client receives proper service and care.

Help your Client Understand How Moving Affects their Medicare Coverage

Your client has the potential to be affected by their move in various ways depending upon their current plan. 

Medigap Policy Owners: If your client is on Original Medicare and has a Medicare supplement, they will be able to easily take the plan with them to another part of the country. However, pricing of Medicare supplements varies by location. Therefore, the client may be required to pay a higher premium than they may have grown accustomed to. The client can shop for a more cost-effective policy, but they could be subject to medical underwriting.

Prescription Drug Plan Owners: Medicare Part D plans vary by state. This means that an out-of-state move will require your client to shop for a new prescription drug plan.

Medicare Advantage Plan: While some Medicare Advantage plans offer regional coverage, it is likely that your client will need to find a new plan after their move. Medicare Advantage plans may vary from one service area to the next with differing benefits, premiums, and carrier contract codes. Your client could also choose to return to Original Medicare and shop for a supplement. Again, if they choose to do so, they would be subject to medical underwriting.

Special Election Period Awareness 

Medicare has established a Special Election Period (SEP MOV) for beneficiaries who are moving outside of the service area that their current Medicare plan covers. While it is possible for your client to select a new plan the month prior to their anticipated move, many seniors are more comfortable meeting with a local agent that knows the market in their new area. Assuming the client waits until after the move, they will have the month in which they completed their move, plus two additional months to switch plans. This is provided they do not notify their carrier prior to the move. Doing so will accelerate the un-enrollment process to the first of the next month and should be avoided until a transition plan strategy is in place.

Curious as to where everyone is heading? Here are the top 10 states seniors are moving to:

  1. Florida
  2. Virginia
  3. Colorado
  4. Delaware
  5. Minnesota
  6. North Dakota
  7. Montana
  8. Utah
  9. Arizona // New Hampshire

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As agents we must always stay on top of all the changes in our industry. We are the experts; we never want to make guesses or assumptions that can destroy our own credibility. Making a simple mistake regarding selecting the wrong enrollment period or SEP creates pending applications and even worse jeopardizes the enrollment of the prospect.

[Read more…] about How do I determine the correct enrollment period or SEP, if any, after enrolling in Part B?

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What your clients are required to pay in the Medicare Part D coverage gapHelping your clients with Medicare Part D coverage understand the mechanics of the Medicare Part D coverage gap can be a daunting task.  We are going to cover a couple of the more difficult questions raised regarding the coverage gap in this segment.

[Read more…] about Your client is in the Medicare Part D Coverage Gap…Now What?

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Medicare Enrollment Advisors logoThank you for visiting our blog. Our intention is to provide content that offers value to insurance professionals across the country. With the tsunami of opinions and information out there, we plan to organize information into useful, practical subject matter that is beneficial to those in the Medicare health plan business. 

As a sales professional, we understand that time is your most precious resource. Countless hours can be wasted on trying to research available Medicare health plan marketing materials, get a question answered about your MAPD/PDP commission statement, champion a Medicare HMO/POS service issue, learn a new process instituted by a Medicare Advantage plan carrier, and the list goes on and on! 

If we can help you become just a little more productive everyday, with information that is reliable, accurate, easy to use, and personalized to your market, then your client will have a better experience, you will enjoy greater joy and success in your work, and we will have done our jobs! 

I believe we can deliver on this value proposition because Larry and I have invested tens of thousands of hours engaging in Medicare Advantage distribution strategies, plan designs, compliance and regulation, and contracting, training, and service resolution processes. More to come!