Insurance Agent Forum

[InsuranceJosh]

Site

[GWEST]

Humana has offerred a (Partial) online enrollment procedure for agents during the last 2 enrollment periods.

See here http://www.goldenwestbrokers.com/EMA...ineProcess.pdf

Larry Reader
Humana MGA

[insurance0707]

Thanks GWEST. I don't know why they don't allow people just to sign up online regularly. The online enrollments that I've seen make them jump through additional hoops. Kind of like the Humana one you just listed. People on Medicare don't have to go through that when they bypass the agent and just use Medicare's website or the homeoffice website.

A Medicare supplement is a pretty straight forward policy. They're standardized. I see most carriers let people enroll online for under 65 policies (Blue Cross, Aetna, etc) but not for the Medicare supplement policies. I guess they think when you turn 65 you lose your ability to enter your information and hit enter on a computer.

[GWEST]

The reason Humana (and others) do not allow enrollments by independent agents to be totally online is called "CMS".

Agents are held to much stricter requirements for Medicare Advantage enrollments. If you have seen any of the government hearings on CSPAN, regarding complaints about independent agents selling MA products, you will understand why.

The telephone portion of the enrollment process includes a voice recording so that the Carrier can prove to CMS (if there is any future misunderstanding) that the client was aware of what they were signing up for and that the terms were clearly explained.

Larry Reader

[GreenSky]

Originally Posted by GWEST

The reason Humana (and others) do not allow enrollments by independent agents to be totally online is called "CMS".

That may be the excuse the carriers use, but I'm not sure it's completely correct.

Humana does allow for online enrollment but there needs to either be a phone or email verification. Pyramid allows it subject to the phone verification (as of a few months ago).

Aetna was not part of the crackdown last year and I've enrolled a number of people online. They do not have a verification that I've seen.

I think that some sort of verification is a good idea though.

Rick

[insurance0707]

I can see CMS being a little tougher on the MA plans because there fairly new and there's quite a bit of confusion. I'm talking more about enrolling for a Medicare supplement online. Medicare supplements are standardized plans and there pretty straight forward products. Not too much to get confused about. I don't see why carriers aren't doing much online in that area.

[midwestbroker]

United World will send everyone in Johnson County KS turning 65 a prefilled out app (their name and address are already filled in, and since there are no health questions it is a very simple app). All the client has to do is answer a few questions, sign it and send it back.

I do not see why doing the same but online would be any different.

I encourage insurance carriers to mail out as much as possible, since it just creates more opportunity for agents to help seniors go through all the confusion.

[GreenSky]

I understand that within a few weeks CMS will have new directives at to what we may and may not do. The source is usually correct.

Rick

[senior-advisor-indiana]

Originally Posted by GreenSky

I understand that within a few weeks CMS will have new directives at to what we may and may not do. The source is usually correct.

Rick

I don't remember telling you that.