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Cigna, one of the biggest names in the insurance industry, is releasing a new Medicare Supplement in the following states: AL, CO, IA, OK, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MS, MT, NE, NV, NM, NC, ND, OH, PA, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, WV, WY. The Medicare Supplement is insured by the American Retirement Life Insurance Company and features competitive rates nationwide.

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As you put together your 2013 goals, now is a great time to look at your business model and decide how you will approach your sales this year. If you haven’t been seeing the results you expected, you may also want to take this time to review your sales process and look for new ways to work with your prospects. In Hal Becker’s book, Can I have 3 Minutes of Your Time?, he describes the five habits Xerox’s most successful sales people have in common. Sometimes just a small change can make a big difference.

Here are the five things to keep in mind as you prospect:

1. Listen. Spend more time listening and asking questions than talking. This helps you tailor your approach to what your prospect is interested in and keeps them engaged in the process.
   
   
2. Focus on benefits. Every time you think of a feature of a product, translate it into a benefit for the client.
   
   
3. Find out more. Selling is an investigative process. Ask for more information so you can zero in on what the prospect wants. Once you know that, you can choose a product that is perfect for them.
   
   
4. Address their concerns. The best salespeople do not ignore negative statements or body language. Instead, they talk about the client’s concerns and offer a resolution.
   
   
5. Close strong. Master identifying closing signals, especially the subtle ones, like leaning back in a chair, and act upon them immediately, closing the sale.

Engaging your prospects, focusing in the benefits, finding out more, addressing concerns, and closing strong are all ways to improve your client approach. Make these five techniques a habit and they will work for you and your business as well. If you have any other question about prospecting, be sure to call your marketer at 1-800-998-7715.

Source: LifeHealthPro

On Tuesday, Congress passed a deal to avoid the fiscal cliff called the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012. This bill delayed the budget sequestration by two months in order to give more time for negotiations between the parties on how to reduce the deficit. This highly controversial bill still leaves several unresolved budget issues, including cuts to Medicare and Medicare payments. It also fails to address the required increase to the national debt ceiling.

Some of the highlights included in the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 are:
(for a full list, go here)

• Medicare Advantage, health plans, hospitals, and dialysis centers were hit the hardest with payment cuts. Physicians, pharmacies, and other providers also saw large reductions.
  
  
• Physicians avoided a 26.5 percent cut that is required under the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula. Also, 2013 will be another year without any Medicare rate increases.*
  
  
• The law sets up another SGR physician rate cut for January 2014. Congress “punted” again because it’s easier for them to find $25 billion to delay the SGR cuts than it is for them to find $300 billion to repeal the formula altogether.
  
  
• State run Medicaid will see a $4.2 billion federal funding cut in 2022 for safety-net hospitals that serve a disproportionate low-income and uninsured population.
  
  
• Several special programs and add-on payments extended

CEOs, economists, and President Obama all agree that the fiscal cliff deal is barely a start, and while it has several breakthroughs, it also has several things it fails to do. There are two ways to look at the battle over the “fiscal cliff.” The first is the short term, limiting damage to the already weakened economy. The other is the long term, determining the shape of the government for years to come. Many more discussions and negotiations will be taking place in the upcoming months as Congress works to reach an agreement.

*This bill does not include an increase to Medicare.

Source: Piper Report

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