Medicare Blog | Medicare News | Medicare Information

• Gerber Life
  December 2013 Med Supp rate release for CO, MN, VA . Learn More
  
  - December Med Supp Outlines for CO. Learn More
  
  - December Med Supp Outlines for MN. Learn More
  
  - December Med Supp Outlines for VA. Learn More
  
  - January Med Supp Rates for AR, MD, NJ, NM, NH, OR, UT. Learn More
  
  
• 2014 Medicare Advantage and Part D Certifications are now available! Learn More

• 2014 Medicare Advantage and Part D Certifications are now available! Learn More

• Omaha Insurance New Med Supp Outlines in Virginia
  November 2013 Med Supp rate Outlines for VA. Learn More
  
  - Med Supp Application for VA. Learn More
• 2014 Medicare Advantage and Part D Certifications are now available! Learn More

The Coalition to Promote Choice for Seniors has asked Republican leaders on the House Ways and Means and the House Energy and Commerce committees to protect the Medicare supplement program.

The coalition which is made up Industry insurers, producers and includes organizations as the National Association of Health Underwriters, the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, America's Health Insurance Plans and the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association groups.

Moreover, the CPCS has defended the Medigap program and has written to Republican leaders in response to allegations that some Medigap plans drive up Medicare program costs.

The Medicare Supplement program helps pay the out-of-pocket expenses not covered by traditional Medicare Part A and Part B, like medical care, co-payment, coinsurance and deductible requirements.

Medicare Supplement insurers are required to offer standardized packages of benefits by law. Supporters for the program say that seniors who purchase the higher quality plans are the ones that know they are more likely to require the need for more expensive care, minimizing their out-of-pocket costs. Critics argue seniors may be encouraged to get unnecessary care, adding little or no value, due to the ease of access to the richer Medigap products.

In October 21st in a letter to Congress, the coalition cautioned “that higher levels of cost sharing would result in delayed treatments that could increase future Medicare costs and result in adverse health outcomes for vulnerable beneficiaries.” They said that restricting the plan options could lead to millions of beneficiaries, who already spend 15% of their income on health related issues, to financial hardship.

Under the existing federal and state law, Medigap contracts are “guaranteed renewable.” Any changes to the law “could result in significant complaints and litigation by changing existing insurance contracts”.

Debates over restricting access to richer Medigap products and imposing surtax on some or all its policyholders are fiercely debated by leaders of the House.

Source: LifeHealthPro

• 2014 Medicare Advantage and Part D Certifications are now available! Learn More

Every successful advisor has one thing in common that continue to keep their business growing. They ensure to keep a healthy stream of leads flowing into their pipeline. How do they do keep the influx of leads coming in? Is it a “secret” they keep safely guarded? Below are great lead generation tips successful advisors use to stay on top of their game.

1. Network. Join a network within your industry and stay active in local business chapter. Become involved in local seminars that speak to potential prospects. Focus on quality of the network and not the quantity. Concentrate on developing referral partners to work with.
   
   
2. Build referrals partners. Build a professional relationship based on trust and reputation with fellow professionals. Ask for recommendations for referrals. Return the favor and see your referrals gain grown.
   
   
3. Build your reputation as an industry leader. Get involved and join a local service association that you may enjoy; such as, the local Chamber of Commerce, insurance professional association or even a church. These may not be immediate sales leads, but can be a great source for the long haul.
   
   
4. Ask your clients. Ask your existing clients to introduce you to one or two people who fit your client profile. Your client may be your most valuable lead generating asset.
   
   
5. Build a foundation. Focused on your goals and develop your personal brand identity: a trusted, well recognizable brand will lead to prospects.
   
   
6. Develop and maintain an online presence. Sign up and make good use of social media outlets like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Be consistent and post valuable information and promote benefits. Tell prospective leads what you can do for them.
   
   
7. Learn from your competitors. Look at what they are doing and what has been working for them. Implement those methods onto your own organization.
   
   
8. Focus and target your audience. Identify what their needs are. Once this has been determined, then the marketing message and campaigns can be tailored accordingly. Do the same to the other product lines, identify, categorize, customize, and so on. Soon, your hard work will pay-off, and you will see leads building up.
   
   
9. Commit and stick to a plan. Commit...Commit…Commit… It can’t be overemphasized. Always stick to your plan and don’t drift away. Advisors can always build life insurance leads through website, emails, telephone calls, and referrals program.
   
   
10. Invest in lead programs. Invest in Customer Relationship Management systems (CRM) that help manage an organization current and future customer sales leads.

Source: LifeHealthPro

• Assured Life Association/Woodmen of the World
  November 2013 Med Supp rate release for IL, TN, CO, MT, UT. Learn More
  
  - November Med Supp Outlines for IL. Learn More
  
  - November Med Supp Outlines for TN. Learn More
  
  - November Med Supp Outlines for CO. Learn More
  
  - November Med Supp Outlines for MT. Learn More
  
  - November Med Supp Outlines for UT. Learn More

• 2014 Medicare Advantage and Part D Certifications are now available! Learn More

Many seniors and people with disabilities who are on traditional Medicare find themselves searching for additional coverage to cover for medical expenses that Medicare does not already cover. More and more of these beneficiaries find the help through private health coverage of Medicare Advantage plans.

Seniors choose to enroll in Medicare Advantage plans because these plans provide comprehensive medical coverage, higher-quality care, better services, and additional benefits, reports The Coalition for Medicare Choices, a national grassroots organization who sole purpose is to protect and improve Medicare Advantage.

Who’s covered? According to CMC’s website MedicareChoices.org, Medicare Advantage covers over 14 million people nationwide. Out of those 14 million, 41% are blue-collar workers who earn less than $20,000 year, 1 in 5 being minorities.

In February 15, 2013, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service enrollment data showed Hawaii, Oregon, Arizona, Pennsylvania, California, Florida, Ohio, Rhode Island, New York, Nevada and Utah as having the highest traditional Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Advantage.

Does Medicare Advantage have high satisfaction and better quality care? In a new survey from The North Star Opinion Research firm commissioned by America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), found 9 out of 10 seniors are satisfied with their Medicare Advantage coverage.

It has also been reported that 13 out of 20% of beneficiaries with Medicare Advantage had fewer patient readmissions into hospitals than Medicare fee-for-service, according to the American Journal of Managed Care. The quality of care for seniors under the Medicare Advantage program has improved as well, outperforming Medicare fee-for-service in 9 out of 11 quality measures.

Source: MedicareChoices.org

• Oxford Life Med Supp New Product Release in ID, IL, ND, NV.
  October 2013 Med Supp rate release for ID. Learn More
  
  - Med Supp rate release for IL. Learn More
  
  - Med Supp rate release for ND. Learn More
  
  - Med Supp rate release for NV. Learn More

• Gerber Life
  November 2013 Med Supp rate release for ID, IN, WA, WY. Learn More
  
  - November Med Supp Outlines for ID. Learn More
  
  - November Med Supp Outlines for IN. Learn More
  
  - November Med Supp Outlines for WA. Learn More
  
  - November Med Supp Outlines for WY. Learn More
  
  - SELECT Provider Directory Updated. Learn More
  
  - SELECT Directory. Learn More
  
  - October Med Supp Rate Adjustment for LA, VA and Med SELECT LA. Learn More

• 2014 Medicare Advantage and Part D Certifications are now available! Learn More

The Affordable Care Act rollout last week was not all smooth sailing. It faced multitudes of glitches and hiccups online; as well as, offline. Despite its rocky start, the Affordable Care Act aims to reduce the Medicare coverage gap, also known as the "doughnut hole," by 2014 and completely close it by 2020, according to Medicare.gov.

Before the Affordable Care Act, benefactors would have to pay their insurance yearly deductible in out-of-pocket cost until their medical expense limit reached the copay of $4500.00, before any coverage premiums would kick in.

In 2014, with the Affordable Care Act, beneficiaries begin with the monthly Part D premiums and pays 100% of the drug cost until satisfying the $310 deductible. Then the plan pays for the rest of the cost of the medicine until hitting the expenses cap of $2850.00; a 25% out-of-pocket drop in copay. That’s when seniors are faced with the doughnut hole, once more.

The dreaded “doughnut hole” – is the difference seniors out-of-pocket drug expenses begins, after their Part D premiums coverage cap has been exceeded, and before they are eligible for the amount the government pays for "catastrophic" drug coverage.

Since 2010, the Medicare gap has been slowly closing through steady drug discounts. This is largely due to the government reaching out to pharmaceutical industry and bargaining for drug discounts. Discounts for brand name drugs and generic will continue. By next year, were expected to pay 47.5% for premium brand pharmaceuticals names and 72% for generic ones.

By 2020, Medicare Part D enrollees will save 75% on both premium and generic medication, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service.

Source: LifeHealthPro & Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service

• 2014 Medicare Advantage and Part D Certifications are now available! Learn More

Every business loves to get referrals. Whether they are by word of mouth, email campaigns, an online request form or simply a call, many businesses are unable to convert those referrals to clients despite having an effective marketing plan.

One reason referrals fall through the cracks is because many advisors fail to have a referral process in place. The referral process does not need to be complex. It can be an easy process that requires very little work and effort to keep the documentation flow in check.

Keep in mind, there is a 24 hour window to initiate contact and to increase your chances to convert them into a client; here’s how to get started… Soon after a referral is received make sure it comes in with all the required contact data; such as, name, telephone number, email address, and request information. Once verified; initiate contact through a telephone call or email to set up a time for an appointment or to simply find out what the referrals needs are.

Enter the referral information into a database. This will become very useful to keep track of the referrals relationship with your organization’s business and activities.

If the referral came from a professional acquaintance, send them a thank you gift or a personal note, thanking them for the referral. It’s a good business practice to keep in touch with them and give them updates of the referrals status.

Don’t give up or disregard the referral if your call or email was unsuccessful the first time around. Make follow-up calls, at least twice a week, until contact has been made or until the referral has decided to become a client.

Just remember, the referral process does not have to be complex. It is easy to setup and implement; and has been used by many organizations with success. With a little consistency and patience, any business can benefit by it.

Source: LifeHealthPro

• Oxford Life Med Supp New Product Release in MT, SD
  October 2013 Med Supp rate release for MT. Learn More
  
  October 2013 Med Supp rate release for SD. Learn More
  
  

• 2014 Medicare Advantage and Part D Certifications are now available! Learn More

It’s no big secret that the government was looking for a way to pave the way for an entirely new health reform. A cost control measure, which would save over $132 billion within a 10 year span. The government found it through the budget cuts changes they made to Medicare Advantage.

In 2014, the Medicare Advantage plans available will decrease from to 2,664 plans in 2013 to 2,522,, a difference 5.3 percent, according to Avalere Health analyst.

Further driving the decline of Medicare Advantage plans is the Affordable Care Act payment cuts. Beginning 2014, Medicare Advantage plans are required by law, to lower cost and use 85 percent of their revenue on medical care and quality improvement efforts. Any Medicare Advantage participants who fail to meet the requirements will be prohibited from accepting new enrollees, and their plans will be terminated after five years of non compliance. Not all news is bad for Medicare Advantage plans. Quality bonus programs have been developed to reward plans that are higher in quality and more efficient than their counterparts, reports Centers for Medicare and Medicaid.

According to Peter Kongstvedt, MD, a noted insurance industry consultant and a member of MANAGED CARE’s editorial advisory board, the Medicare Advantage HMOs will do well because their rates are often below the fee-for-service equivalents and they have a track record of doing well in the past. He also believes Medicare Advantage PPOs will fare well.

Source: LifeHealthPro & Managed Care Magazine

• Gerber Life
  October 2013 Med Supp rate release for CA, DE, GA, IL, KS, MS, NC, ND, OH, PA, TN, WV and Med SELECT MS, NC, OH, PA, TN. Learn More
  
  October Med Supp Outlines for CA, DE, GA, IL, KS, MS, NC, ND, OH, PA, TN, WI, WV. Learn More
  
  October Med SELECT Outlines for MS, NC, OH, PA, TN. Learn More
  
  September Med Supp Rates for ID, IN, WY. Learn More

• 2014 Medicare Advantage and Part D Certifications are now available! Learn More

With looming deadlines of October 15, for Medicare’s traditional open enrollment date, and the overlap of the first enrollment period for Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act set to start on October 1 – December 7, has caused a lot of confusion among seniors over their coverage.

Adding to the confusion is the increased media frenzy reporting of the state exchanges for individuals 65 and under, and insurance companies offering coverage to both the new exchanges and to Medicare recipients.

Federal health officials have stepped up the efforts to let seniors know they have nothing to worry about and that the Medicare benefits are not changing under the Affordable Care Act. They want Medicare recipients to know that the enrollment period of Oct 15th – Dec. 7th, will be business as usual and seniors will be able to sign up to new plans by continuing to go to Medicare.gov.

Federal health officials have ramped up their call centers, training for Medicare counselors and website. This is in preparation to the influx of calls they will be receiving in October, in anticipation of the 50 million Medicare beneficiaries who will be mailed a handbook with a prominent Q&A, stressing their benefits aren't changing. Calls are already being rerouted to Medicare call center from the state exchanges call centers, said Julie Bataille, spokeswoman for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Worries still linger within the senior community despite federal efforts to stem down the confusion. Under the Affordable Care Act, seniors will not be able to purchase Medicare supplemental insurance or Part D drug plans through the state exchanges. This is what worries seniors such as, 72 year old Bob Roza who actively attended meetings in order to find out what ACA was and how it would affect him and his 69 year old wife with diabetes.

Roza, who underwent hip replacement this year, now worries how the ACA will affect his $614 monthly fee and his Medicare supplemental insurance, in spite of his Medicare coverage.

Advocacy groups have also taken an interest on the matter. They feel the federal health officials have put most of its efforts on those who already are on Medicare and have not done enough outreach to inform seniors without Medicare, said Jodi Reid, executive director of the California Alliance for Retired Americans. She feels that advocacy groups have picked up the tab and are using the majority of their advertising dollars to inform seniors affected by the exchange. Her group has put together a one-page fact sheet to educate nearly 1 million California seniors.

Officials of the AARP said they are organizing several events around the country, hosting 21 telephone town halls to clarify questions to seniors who are either Medicare or Non Medicare recipients.

As the Affordable Care Act inches closer, advocates are warning seniors not to give any personal information. To watch out for scams that may surface alongside legitimate Affordable Care Act outreach.

Source: LifeHealthPro

• Omaha Insurance: New Med Supp release in Nebraska
  Med Supp Application for NE.Learn More
  
  Med Supp Rates for NE. Learn More

• Assured Life Association/Woodmen of the World
  October 2013 Med Supp rate release for OH, VA, WA, WV and Med SELECT OH. Learn More
  
  Med Supp Rates for OH. Learn More
  
  Med SELECT for OH. Learn More
  
  Med Supp Rates for VA. Learn More
  
  Med Supp Rates for WA. Learn More
  
  Medd Supp Rates for WV. Learn More