Anyone Heard About Aetna MA Coming Out of CMS Sanction?

[wehotex]

I made a call, your wish is granted
Just happened to see this come across the wires
TD Ameritrade
Aetna: US Agency Lifts Medicare Sanctions, New Sales OK
Last update: 6/13/2011 5:47:35 PM
DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
Health insurer Aetna Inc. (AET) said it would immediately resume marketing and may enroll new members in its Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug Plan products, after sanctions prohibiting such abilities were lifted.
In April 2010, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS, suspended Aetna's ability to promote the plans to new members because the company failed to comply with certain drug-plan requirements. At the time, CMS said Aetna was sanctioned because it continued to improperly administer the Medicare drug benefit in its national stand-alone Medicare prescription drug plan and in its 25 Medicare Advantage prescription-drug contracts.
On Monday, Aetna said it corrected deficiencies, allowing CMS to lift the sanctions, although the drug plan won't receive any new low-income subsidy assignees from CMS at this time. However, those members can make their own choice to enroll in Aetna's products during the upcoming enrollment period, the company said.
Aetna said it will begin to enroll beneficiaries with effective dates beginning July 1.
In April, Aetna reported its first-quarter earnings rose 4% on lower use of medical services. The industry benefited last year as consumers used fewer medical services, though utilization of those services is expected to return to normal this year. Meanwhile, Aetna's total membership fell on a year-to-year and sequential basis.
Shares were down 2 cents to $42.73 in after-hours trading.

Thank you! My friend just confirmed this. It is good news.

 

[arnguy]

Yes. I have heard they are coming out of sanction effective 7/1/11!

 

[glazarev]

Yes, this is e-mail from Aetna:

'The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has lifted its marketing and enrollment sanctions against Aetna Medicare. With this news, we will immediately resume marketing of our Aetna Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug Plan products and may begin enrolling beneficiaries with effective dates beginning July 1, 2011.

We are pleased by this news. We believe our work will continue to strengthen Aetna’s value proposition for Medicare beneficiaries. The improvements that we have made will further support beneficiary access, patient safety, and compliance with CMS guidelines.

Most importantly, our actions will enhance our ability to support the nearly 1 million Medicare beneficiaries we are privileged to serve today.

We remain committed to a positive and valued experience for our current and future Aetna Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Plan members through products, high-quality customer service and industry-leading care management programs.

You may now begin marketing Aetna Medicare Advantage plans (MA, MAPD, PDP). You may enroll eligible beneficiaries who are in their Initial Enrollment Period for Part D or eligible for a CMS defined Special Election Period with effective dates beginning July 1, 2011.

Before you begin, please make sure you read and understand the important marketing, enrollment and compliance policies outlined in this newsletter. We look forward to a successful year.
(Please note: Materials and links are being updated on Producer World and will be available on June 14.)'


Another interesting news is that Aetna to acquire the Medical Supplement business of Genworth Financial, Inc. It presently has about 10000 Medicare Supplement customers. It'll add about 145000 from Genworth.

 

[Lloydlofton]

Aetna is back in the market. Here is the notice we received yesterday:

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
has lifted its marketing and enrollment sanctions
against Aetna Medicare. With this news, we will
immediately resume marketing of our Aetna Medicare
Advantage and Prescription Drug Plan products and
may begin enrolling beneficiaries with effective dates
beginning July 1, 2011.

We are pleased by this news. We believe our work
will continue to strengthen Aetna's value proposition
for Medicare beneficiaries. The improvements that
we have made will further support beneficiary
access, patient safety, and compliance with CMS
guidelines.

Most importantly, our actions will enhance our ability
to support the nearly 1 million Medicare beneficiaries
we are privileged to serve today.
We remain committed to a positive and valued
experience for our current and future Aetna Medicare
Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Plan
members through products, high-quality customer
service and industry-leading care management
programs.

What this means
You may now begin marketing Aetna Medicare
Advantage plans (MA, MAPD, PDP). You may
enroll eligible beneficiaries who are in their Initial
Enrollment Period for Part D or eligible for a
CMS defined Special Election Period with
effective dates beginning July 1, 2011.

Before you begin, please make sure you read
and understand the important marketing,
enrollment and compliance policies outlined
in this newsletter. We look forward to a successful
year.
(Please note: Materials and links are being
updated on Producer World and will be available
on June 14.)
Important! Need-to-know marketing and
enrollment policies

Before you begin marketing, you are responsible
for understanding and complying with these policies:


Producers must be certified. All producers are
required to complete Aetna's 2011 Producer
Certification Program and be licensed and appointed
before selling or marketing Aetna Medicare Individual
plans.
If you still need to complete 2011 certification, access our certification website.

Aetna has a "Pay as Presented" policy. Aetna
only pays commissions to producers, GAs and FMOs
who have completed the 2011 certification program
and are licensed and appointed prior to engaging
in the sale or marketing of any Aetna Medicare
products. Commissions are paid based on the
information provided in the Broker and GA sections
of the application.

Submit completed enrollment applications. As
part of Aetna's "Pay as Presented" policy, all
information required to properly pay commissions
(e.g., all producer names and TIN numbers) must
appear correctly in the Broker and GA sections of
the application. If the information is not provided,
commission will not be paid. The enrollment
application cannot be changed or corrected once
submitted.

Follow all Aetna and CMS marketing guidelines.
For example, you may only use Aetna-branded,
CMS-approved marketing materials and sales
presentations. Review Aetna's Medicare Marketing Standards of Conduct document and find approved 2011 marketing materials
on Producer World starting June 14.

Accurately document permission to contact leads,
and record the scope of all appointments. Access
forms and guidelines on Producer World

Submit enrollment applications within 48 hours.
All Aetna Medicare Individual enrollment applications
must be received by Aetna within 48 hours of receipt
by the producer. This policy applies to all Aetna
producers, GAs, FMOs and Affinity Partners. If
producers work with an FMO, GA or Affinity Partner,
the FMO, GA or Affinity Partner must submit
enrollment applications so they are received by
Aetna within 48 hours.

As an Aetna Medicare producer, it is imperative
you adhere to these policies so that we can provide
a consistently high-level of service to beneficiaries
and satisfy CMS compliance rules.
Producers who do not comply will be notified by
Aetna. Continued noncompliance may result in
required retraining, loss of compensation or
termination.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Order enrollment kits, access marketing
materials and download sales presentations
starting June 14
For the 2011 selling season, there is a new quick and
easy process to order enrollment kits for Aetna
Medicare plans and Aetna Individual Medicare
Supplement PlansSM.
1. Simply fill out the request form on Producer World
2. Click a button to submit your request electronically.
*Note: If you sell through a GA or FMO, please
contact your GA or FMO service center first to confirm
their process for ordering enrollment kits.

Starting June 14,
find links and instructions for all other marketing and enrollment items you need-including CMS-approved sales presentations, Scope
of Appointment, the Permission to Contact card,
and marketing collateral-on the Individual Medicare
page of Producer World under Sales Support.

Submitting enrollment applications: 2 options
Aetna offers two easy options for submitting
Individual Medicare enrollment applications.

Mail - Aetna Medicare Broker Enrollment Team
P.O. Box 14088
Lexington, KY 40512-4088
Fax - 866-441-2341

Download a new enrollment and compensation help guide
for tips and step-by-step instructions for submitting
paper applications accurately and on time. You'll also
find general enrollment and compensation FAQs,

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plus other useful information[/FONT]​

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[maniacagent]

I drove by the Aetna office yesterday in Fresno. Hug office; lots of WEEDS around it. Or maybe I don't "get" the modern "free growing" landscaping....