How often do you run into clients and prospects that spend significant time in multiple states? Whether they are snowbirds with more than one home or simply enjoy visiting the grandkids, many seniors spend as much time away from their permanent residence as they do at it.
While these folks are more mobile than most seniors, it doesn’t necessarily mean they want to spend hundreds of dollars per month in Medicare Supplement premiums. Fortunately, there are a number of Medicare Advantage Plan carriers with a national PPO presence that offer in-network coverage over large portions of the country.
How Do National PPO Networks Work?
Let’s say you you’re working with a married couple that live in Ohio and have a second home in South Florida. This couple loves the Cleveland Clinic but spends January through April every year at their Florida home. Is there a Medicare Advantage plan that could suit their needs?
Fortunately, Humana has multiple PPO MAPD plans available to beneficiaries living in Ohio. They also have many in-network PPO providers your prospects can access in Florida, including the South Florida branch of the Cleveland Clinic.
While this is a very specific example, these situations arise in various forms across the country. If you do your homework and are familiar with the PPO plans in your service area, you could help save a mobile senior hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars per year in Medigap premiums.
Do Your Homework
Make sure you’re aware of the Medicare Advantage PPO carriers in your service area that have a national network of providers available to your clients. Then find out if there is a specific provider group that your client is interested in seeing when they are away from their residence. Even if they don’t have a group in mind, you can help them search for providers in a specific location.
Use the info below to help in this process:
MA Carriers with National PPO Networks
| Carrier | Provider Search Tool |
| Aetna | Aetna Provider Search |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | Varies by state and subsidiary |
| Bright Health | Bright Health Provider Search |
| Cigna | Cigna Provider Search |
| Humana | Humana Provider Search |
| UnitedHealthcare | UHC Provider Search |
| WellCare | Wellcare Provider Search |
With just a few thoughtful steps, you can serve your snowbirds and other on-the-go clients with Medicare Advantage options that leave more money in their pockets to spend on travels. They will sing your praises.
