CIGNA HS Has Been Sanctioned by CMS

[finalexpenseguru]

What's your point? Many more have not been sanctioned. That's actually a small list, nationwide there are hundreds of plans (Blue Cross has plans in nearly if not all 50 states).

If you insist on writing subpar plans with horrible customer service, I feel sorry for your clients but then that's what keeps the rest of us in business. Carry on!

Let's see, below is a list of SOME of the carriers who have received CMS sanctions:

Aetna
Health Net
UnitedHealthcare of New York
Express Scripts
Health First
Capital Blue Cross
SilverScript
BCBS of North Carolina
BCBS Florida
BCBS Arizona
BCBS Tennessee
Blue Cross of Idaho
Independence Blue Cross
Anthem
WellCare
Coventry
Humana

As I said, that's just SOME of them. Point being, almost no major carrier has avoided sanctions.

But I really appreciate your concern for my clients.

 

[sman]

What's your point? Many more have not been sanctioned. That's actually a small list, nationwide there are hundreds of plans plans (Blue Cross has plans in nearly if not all 50 states). If you insist on writing subpar plans with horrible customer service, I feel sorry for your clients but then that's what keeps the rest of us in business. Carry on!

My point is the main carriers in my area are Aetna/Coventry, Humana, Cigna, UHC/CIP (horrible plans here). What's the common thread, they've all had sanctions.

Obviously your experience with Cigna is different than mine. My top carrier by number of enrollments is Aetna/Coventry. Next is Humana and third is Cigna.

But if you'd like to get into a d*ck measuring contest and start passing judgement without having the foggiest idea of how I work and the pride I take in making sure my clients are well taken care of, we can certainly do that.

Tell me, what area do you work (state)? Are you familiar with the plan designs and networks of the plans in my area?

 

[AllenChicago]

Got a email today from CIGNA HS...

"Please note that marketing and enrollment activities for Cigna-HealthSpring’s Medicare Advantage and standalone prescription drug plans have been suspended until further notice due to CMS sanctions. As a result, you must cease marketing to and contacting potential enrollees on behalf of Cigna-HealthSpring. The suspension does not impact current Cigna-HealthSpring Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D enrollees’ benefits or plans.

We appreciate your prompt attention to this matter. We remain committed to our ongoing partnership and will keep you informed of developments as we work with CMS to return to active enrollment.

Cigna-HealthSpring"

Wow. Thanks for sharing this RussellTW. Very timely, because I had just accepted an invitation to attend a CIGNA-HealthSpring "Expanding into Illinois!" recruitment meeting, hosted by "Global Premier Benefits", which is some kind of FMO for CIGNA-HealthSpring. After reading your post, I promptly logged back in to the RSVP website and cancelled my attendance. Thanks again!
-Allen

p.s. It's sad that ObamaCare is unraveling so badly, that I've started reading all the "Check us out!" e-mails that come to my inbox. I used to delete them on sight.

 

[Northeast Agent]

I joined GPB out of MD last August to be a "virtual call center agent" for MA/PDP/Supps/ancillaries with Cigna. They claimed to be the only FMO that has a CMS approved call center model with Cigna and that you got paid weekly on MA, even during AEP.

Although they told me it wasn't a captive position, after being on their first training call I bailed out after the first two hours. They said to be successful you had to be on the phone at least eight hours a day to get one sale (except that AEP was a "feast"). I requested a release, which they refused and I now have to wait till early March to write Cigna's Medigap.

 

[somarco]

started reading all the "Check us out!" e-mails

Careful. The Girls of HealthSpring may not be what you think it is.

 

[WCMason]

Because a carrier's plans can vary so greatly between service areas it is hard to make a general declaration that any plan's quality is terrible (well, it's actually pretty easy to do, but probably unwise). One of my downline is in a 5-star service area for them and it's a great plan there, as I'm sure it is elsewhere.

My issues with Cigna started with their imposing an applications minimum to remain contracted and receive renewals. In my area they were a 2.5 star plan when that came down. Because of that, they were a last resort except when the beneficiary's doctor only took their plan, but I dropped them rather than write more just to meet their minimum, as the quota put their needs above the beneficiary's in my view. I did find it entertaining to watch their trainer--in their required first year in person training--spend 3/4 of the day crowing about how great their plans were, then 15 minutes trying to explain the sub-par star rating.

Then they came out with the Secure Xtra plan, so good I helped more than 100 enroll in it in 2015. Helped them self-enroll, that is, as they did not value agents enough to pay commission for an agent's work.

And then came this past AEP, where they more than doubled the premium on Secure Xtra, but had their Secure plan at the same premium in 2016 as Xtra had in 2015. I spoke to several of my clients who used my Plan Finder instructions and were keeping their Cigna plan because they thought it came out lowest annual cost with only a 40 cent premium change, when they were mistaking it for the Secure plan, which they didn't have. Their confusion would have been expensive to them had it not been discovered in time. I helped some people move from Secure Xtra to Secure, but most of them away to a lower annual cost carrier.

Lastly, nearly every person who called me last year wanting to know how to appeal a denied Prior Authorization was a Cigna PDP member. One client had to appeal the PA denial to get her drug approved; others just waited until AEP to get out.

So it's good that their current beneficiaries who like their plans are unaffected, as is the agent comp for those who wrote them. But this carrier was overdue for some time standing in the corner. The sanction language was pretty harsh: "widespread and systemic failures," "a serious threat to enrollee health and safety," "a longstanding history of non-compliance with CMS requirements."

 

[Ronnie Carter]

I wonder how Herb Fritch feels about his decision a few years back to sell his "baby" to Cigna. Seems like that's when the problems started.

He built his great plans on concern for the client and customer service. People used to speak very highly of Healthspring here in TN. But they don't much any more.

If I remember correctly they agreed to keep Herb on board for five years after the sale. That should be ending pretty soon, and I wonder if he's counting the days.

As Mason said, this has been a long time coming. I too have had several PA denial calls from clients, who said the member services people never seemed helpful, as if reading from scripts.

 

[DCN]

I saw this coming as well. I've worked extensively with CHS and it's not what it was when I got into the business. Provider directory is not even close to being accurate. HAAL gives inaccurate info all the time. I'm fortunate with my experience I no longer really need to call them, but newer and less experienced agents should be able to depend on them. If you pass along bad info, or enroll someone based on what HAAL says and it's wrong, you can bet your bottom dollar that CHS will put you on the hook. I spend more time with customer issues with this carrier and than all other carriers and products that I write. At one point, it will become nearly counter productive. Member services is a pickle for seniors to navigate. I hope this is a wake up call for them and they get their act together. Spend some money and hire quality employees for HAAL and member services, I assume they use a temp agency. Completely overhaul the IT dept, and possibly the sales dept. I know first hand in my area that some of the sales support staff provide more support for certain agents whether they have a favorable opinion of such agent. Heard the words come out of their mouth. This is so backwards to me. The company sells insurance, not merchandise. It should be automatic that they treat all agents the same to keep enrollments coming in and people employed. I've place many 3 way calls with clients and half the time sounds like there's a party going on and the person is engaged with a neighbor in their call center. I think they should concentrate on training agents how PODS/IPA's truly work as well. Small factor, but I would guess that more than half the brokers appointed don't quite grasp it fully.

 

[yorkriver1]

In AZ Cigna has been a class act and out of all of the lines of business I sell their MAPD is by far my happiest book of business. Haters hate but here they are solid here so hope that they can get the stupid part D fixed.

Med supp has been OK, was disappointed when they cancelled commission on PDP.

I recall Silver Script was suspended for a time, seems to work ok now. Maybe there is hope in this.

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[AllenChicago]

I joined GPB out of MD last August to be a "virtual call center agent" for MA/PDP/Supps/ancillaries with Cigna. They claimed to be the only FMO that has a CMS approved call center model with Cigna and that you got paid weekly on MA, even during AEP.

Although they told me it wasn't a captive position, after being on their first training call I bailed out after the first two hours. They said to be successful you had to be on the phone at least eight hours a day to get one sale (except that AEP was a "feast"). I requested a release, which they refused and I now have to wait till early March to write Cigna's Medigap.

Thanx for sharing your experience, Northeast Agent! Glad I made the right decision by avoiding Global Premier Benefits.
ac