With the Annual Enrollment Period approaching, you may be strategizing to have more success selling Medicare Advantage plans this year. We’ve got a few helpful tips for you!
Listen to this article:
Here’s what you can do to grow your Medicare Advantage commissions during one of the best years for Medicare Advantage sales and expand your book of business this AEP.
1. Get Certified and “Ready-to-Sell” Next Year’s Plans ASAP
You’ve heard it before: The early bird catches the worm. In this case, the agent who certifies to sell next year’s plans before AEP, gets the clients — and maybe even more perks! AHIP usually releases their Medicare certification training for the upcoming plan year mid-to-late June of the current plan year. Carriers release their Medicare Advantage product and compliance certifications for the upcoming plan year late June through September of the current plan year.
When you complete your AHIP and carrier certifications early you don’t have to spend time completing them closer to AEP, when you should be focusing on other things.
When you complete your AHIP and carrier certifications early you don’t have to spend time completing them closer to AEP, when you should be focusing on other things, like learning the plans in your portfolio and getting your Medicare enrollment kits. Come October 15, you’ll be “ready-to-sell” your carriers’ plans from the start of Medicare’s busy season and be able to maximize that time with commission-earning activities.
2. Offer Different Types of Plans and Different Carriers
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. And don’t forget about Medicare Medical Savings Account (MSA) plans, which can be a great, money-saving Medicare Advantage option for healthier individuals who don’t see their doctors a lot; who don’t have chronic conditions; or who have their chronic conditions under control!
You’ll likely meet with prospects and clients who could benefit from each of these types of plans. Be prepared by already having a portfolio that offers these different plans. Also, be sure to give your clients access to several carriers, including recognizable and trusted big-name insurers and competitively priced local plans!
3. Have Your Own Lead-Generating, Direct Enroll Website
If you want to save time on quoting and enrollments, increase your business’ visibility, and generate more Medicare leads, you need a top-notch and compliant website. Shop & Enroll 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 Shop & Enroll 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 Shop & Enroll marketing pieces to generate leads while you’re vacationing with family or even while you sleep!
Learn more about Shop & Enroll and get your FREE site
4. Stay Up to Date on the Rules
Every summer/fall, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) release updates to their Medicare Advantage & Part D Communication Requirements that apply not only to the insurers offering these plans, but also to the agents selling them. Our tip? Review these guidelines every year so you’re aware of all the rules for selling Medicare Advantage plans. Closer to the fall, check back on our blog for updates to easy-to-follow summaries of the rules and what’s changed. While this tip may not seem like one that can help you sell more Medicare Advantage plans, it can! Remember that if you don’t stay compliant, you won’t be permitted to sell these plans at all!
Here are quick links to our compliance-related Medicare Advantage posts:
- Do’s and Don’ts of Medicare Compliance
- Rules for Hosting a Compliant Medicare Sales Event
- Rules for Hosting a Compliant Medicare Educational Event
- What Agents Can’t Say During Medicare Sales Appointments
- Are Your Medicare Marketing Materials Compliant?
- Insurance Agents as TPMOs: What CMS Compliance Regulations Mean for You
5. Learn More In “The Complete Guide on How to Sell Medicare Advantage Plans” [FREE eBook]
Our newest eBook, “The Complete Guide on How to Sell Medicare Advantage Plans” discusses Medicare Advantage plans in depth. Over the course of 77 pages, it covers:
- The different types of plans, their enrollment periods, and ideal clients
- Getting certified, trained, and contracted to sell Medicare Advantage
- How to best pick plans for your portfolio, market your Medicare Advantage services, and pitch plans to prospects
- The rules for selling Medicare Advantage plans and hosting educational and sales events
- An AEP/”Ready-to-Sell” Checklist, AHIP FAQs & Answers, Shop & Enroll FAQs & Answers, and much more!
We highly recommend that all Medicare Advantage prospective and current agents download this eBook. It has a lot of facts, tips, and tools that can help you target Medicare Advantage clients, sell more plans, earn more in commissions, and stay compliant!
Ready to learn more about selling Medicare Advantage plans? Start with our completely free Medicare Advantage sales guide!
If you want to make this your best AEP yet, now’s the time to put in the prep work. We hope you take these tips to heart and that you exceed all your goals with Medicare Advantage this selling season!
Want a free portfolio review or help with a tough case? Contact your Ritter representative today!
Share Post