Is anyone else out there losing Advantra Freedom MA clients during verification calls

[beatuplunchbox]

During AEP/OEP I enrolled numerous seniors in Advantra Freedom, Pyramid, Chesapeake, all PFFS and a few Duals in Arcadian HMO, all based on which ones were best for their situation and area.

Very few of them disenrolled with Pyramid, Chesapeake, or Arcadian, but I have lost one in five from Advantra freedom, 90% of these have verification call listed as the reason.

I talked to a few of them I personally knew and they said that either
1. the person on the phone was rude or
2. the person on the phone made them feel uneasy.

I have also stayed in contact with several other clients that did stay enrolled and they told me that in general the people doing those calls were not very personable.

I have been doing thorough presentations and making sure the client understands MA and the limitations along with the benefits because I want to do what is best for my clients and do really well with referrals.

The Advantra plans had the best benefits in many areas I service and most doctors readilly accept it, I have even had customers tell me how much they like it.

This verification call they place after recieving the applications is really frustrating the heck out of me. It is causing large chargebacks cutting into the money I had set aside to continue marketing MA, supps, and LTC
for the next few months...


Thanks
Mac

 

[midwestbroker]

Re: Is anyone else out there losing Advantra Freedom MA clients during verification c

In working with Coventry locally, they said to stay away from the PFFS plans (we have a local PPO here). The main reason was that. The CMS script basically says...

Are you sure you want this plan

Makes the client second guess their purchase.

HMO and PPO are not required to have that call <knocking on wood>

 

[beatuplunchbox]

Re: Is anyone else out there losing Advantra Freedom MA clients during verification c

Its a shame to lose those folks, none of them have a supplement (I sell those too) and are depending on social security to pay bills. I wonder if I should approach them about annother plan but my instinct tells me just to leave them alone...

 

[honestagent]

Re: Is anyone else out there losing Advantra Freedom MA clients during verification c

Just to add to Midwest's response I was told by a captive that Humana's varifcation calls were intentionally put into place to scare seniors out of their plan and ask 3X about are you sure.. and doctor has right to deny you if he or she chooses.. sometimes, it's not what is always said, but the way it is said.

Humana was smart for coming out with thier PPO for that reason - to help keep and or convert the bz, due to CMS' tight guidelines on that. LOL... too bad their network is not par.. at least in this neck of the woods and they lost on that bucket too.

I know an indy who sold Humana and prepped his clients really well for those calls; so far no problems for him .. all but one but that was CMS or Humana, or indy house for not entering the data correctly and in a timely manner to get the ID # for pharmacy and other ID #. HUGE PROBLEM THERE...

 

[beatuplunchbox]

Re: Is anyone else out there losing Advantra Freedom MA clients during verification c

The Humanna PPO and other PPO and HMOs are virtually non existant in my neck of the woods except for a couple of plans for dual eligibles.

Most of the doctors offices I called for my clients gladly took the Coventry plan. I also wrote Arcadian, Chesapeake, and Pyramid to a lesser extent and did not lose but one of theirs.

I guess I will have to better prepare the folks I sign up with Coventry better for the verification call or just sign more up with Pyramid, they just don't have as good vision and dental, but other benefits are about the same.

Thanks for the input.

 

[scarlett]

Re: Is anyone else out there losing Advantra Freedom MA clients during verification c

I have experienced the same problem with Coventry. In some cases the client says they never even received the verification call period. Just this week, I had a situation where the client said he did not cancel, of course Coventry said he did at the phone verification. After some pushing on my part, they researched the tape of the call and said you are right, he did not cancel. I also know my FMO is not happy, he has had a lot of agent complaints. I also have placed clients with other carriers and Coventry is the only company I have had this happen. I also started explaining to the client at the time of enrollment what to expect when they were called. It has certainly been a headache to say the least.

 

[policy doctor]

Re: Is anyone else out there losing Advantra Freedom MA clients during verification c

Looks like we're building a choir of complaints here. Glad I'm not alone.

Omitting a Part D drug plan # and enrollment checklist will throw a real monkey wrench in the works. Now the client is mailed forms which they need to fill out...delaying enrollment, creating more work for the agent; and holding up the verification call. All this when client switches from med supp to MA plan.

CMS regs must be tightening up behind the scenes.

 

[beatuplunchbox]

Re: Is anyone else out there losing Advantra Freedom MA clients during verification c

It might be pressure from CMS. I did the checklist and part d info for MA.
This just started becoming and issue during mid-febuary with the enrollment calls. I looked at my statistics for febuary and march and the clients I lost were 1 in 3. Only one had member request on my broker statement, all the others had verification call.

 

[MedSuppPro]

Re: Is anyone else out there losing Advantra Freedom MA clients during verification c

Coventry scared off some of my business with their verification call and they canceled.



And when something went wrong with the enrollment – your left with Broker Services (basically an answering service) whom remains social security number dependent, hates talking to agents, has zero accountability, and because they are not in the same building they are totally dysfunctional with the enrollment department.

 

[Winter_123]

Re: Is anyone else out there losing Advantra Freedom MA clients during verification c

It might be pressure from CMS. I did the checklist and part d info for MA.
This just started becoming and issue during mid-febuary with the enrollment calls. I looked at my statistics for febuary and march and the clients I lost were 1 in 3. Only one had member request on my broker statement, all the others had verification call.

Nasty. When Congressional hearings on MA's get going again, that kind of data will get used against "us" too. It will be put forth to say that only X number of seniors really want an MA when asked "objectively" outside the pressure of a sales environment. Solution: make sure that you have even more follow up interviews.

Winter