Here are some ways you can avoid hassle and limit your client’s risk of having any hiccups during their transition into a new Medicare Advantage plan.
- Use electronic enrollment! Better for you, better for your client. It’s almost always the best option.
- Confirm that the selected PCP is active and able to accept the enrollee. As I got familiar with my network, I could become more certain that a provider did in fact accept the plan I was representing. If it was a new addition or a doc I was not familiar with, I would often double check with Physician Finder, call the ASU, or just reach out to the provider’s office directly and ask them! Can’t hurt to double check, since provider directories are not always accurate.
- Leave behind all appropriate materials and review key information from your visit. In addition to providing the sales brochure, formulary, directory (if requested), handful of your business cards, etc. it is a good, proactive approach to prepare your client for the outbound verification and health risk assessment calls they will be receiving. Give them a moment to ask any questions pertaining to the disclosure statements required in the sales presentation. If they are enrolling close to their effective date, encourage them to refill their prescriptions and show them how they can get a temporary proof of membership online if necessary. Use the “3 ways to win” approach by having them write down three key reasons why they chose Humana (specific benefit, affordable prescriptions, Silver Sneakers, etc.)
- Encourage attendance in a new member orientation if available. Most of Humana’s “mature HMO markets” hold these routinely. Reach out to your local MarketPOINT office or Medicare Enrollment Advisors to determine whether or not this is available for your clients. The orientation reinforces what the new member learns during the sales presentation, and teaches strategies on how to get the most out of their plan.
- Schedule a courtesy call to check enrollment status and ensure ID card has been received and benefits are being accessed. It’s always good to ensure the member is experiencing next steps the way they are supposed to be. Receipt of their ID card, successful use of benefits, and/or active enrollment status in the delegated reporting tool on Humana’s agent portal are all positive signs the enrollment was processed, sent to CMS, and accreted to Humana’s systems.
- If selecting a new PCP, assist in the transition by facilitating an introduction and/or coordinating the delivery of new patient materials. One of the toughest objections to overcome is the need to select a new PCP in accordance with enrolling in a Medicare Advantage Plan. Contacting the PCP at the point of enrollment and assisting in the process of having paperwork sent to the beneficiary to complete and the scheduling of their first appointment, eases the stress or worry of making such a change. If there are specialists who are important to the beneficiary, be sure to select a PCP that is willing and able to refer to those specialists.
- Use the 12 minute prerecorded sales video in every appointment. We believe this should be a staple in the insurance professional’s sales presentation. This short DVD does an outstanding job of providing all required disclosures and covering some basic components of Medicare Advantage so that the agent can proceed to review more specific plan benefits and network-related items with the prospect. The video will streamline your appointment activity and better ensure that every sales presentation is deemed compliant by CMS.
