Medicare Seminar

[GreenSky]

Waking up an old thread:

I am stumped on how to advertise seminars. I have an office with a seminar room, I want to make a calendar with all my seminar on them and do a newspaper insert. UHC says no, you cannot list several companies on a calendar, you must advertise each company separately.
I need ideas on how to advertise and to figure out this confusion.

There is no issue if it's educational or just supplements. If you want to talk MA then it's almost impossible to have multiple companies or plans.

Every company you want to discuss must have a complete presentation. That means starting from A and finishing at Z. Probably 60-90 minutes PER company.

Remember, CMS doesn't want us to do any comparisons other than what is on their website.

I don't know how you can do anything other than a one-company specific seminar or keep it educational.

Like most government agencies, CMS likes their flock (Medicare beneficiaries) to fall in line behind "we know what's best for you" and avoid having them receive any quality information.

Gotta love the nanny state.

Rick

 

[Guest]

I don't want to talk about all the companies at the same time. I want to advertise different days of seminars with different companies but apparently you can't do this so I have to spend 800 bucks on each insert with each company in the paper. To much money is my answer to this one.

 

[thomasm]

There is no issue if it's educational or just supplements. If you want to talk MA then it's almost impossible to have multiple companies or plans.

Every company you want to discuss must have a complete presentation. That means starting from A and finishing at Z. Probably 60-90 minutes PER company.

Remember, CMS doesn't want us to do any comparisons other than what is on their website.

Rick

I hope that restriction only applies to events. (seminars) In an in-home appointment, when someone says, "show me everything", I show them all the SOB's for all the available plans, (from Medicare.gov) Am I going to land in CMS jail for trying to be fully transparent?

 

[GreenSky]

I print off and show them all the SOB's for all the available plans, using Medicare.gov Am I going to land in CMS jail for being fully transparent?

My understanding is you can't do any plan specific details with an educational seminar, including CMS information. Even if you could do this, you'd have to keep it 100% educational and print out every possible plan in the area.

Will you get thrown in CMS jail? I don't know. I think you can tell people where to find the info but not provide it. At least I wouldn't.

And if it is plan specific, then you must do a full presentation.

You're screwed either way.

Rick

 

[thomasm]

My understanding is you can't do any plan specific details with an educational seminar, including CMS information. Even if you could do this, you'd have to keep it 100% educational and print out every possible plan in the area.

Will you get thrown in CMS jail? I don't know. I think you can tell people where to find the info but not provide it. At least I wouldn't.

And if it is plan specific, then you must do a full presentation.

You're screwed either way.

Rick

does this apply to in-home appointments too, or just seminars (events).

 

[GreenSky]

does this apply to in-home appointments too, or just seminars (events).

In-home appointments are not seminars nor educational events. You are not supposed to compare products except by using CMS website info. But I can't imagine how you do a good job as an agent without comparing the actual summary of benefits along with formularies.

Do we do what's best for our client or what's "best" for CMS?

Rick

 

[EltonHCP]

Educational seminars: cannot mention plan names/benefit details/approach potential clients/no handing out business cards; can take part in a health fair where health screening is done;

Sales meetings: can mention plan names, benefit details, but cannot take place in a health fair where health screening is done; if filed as "informal" then you have to wait for clients to approach.

This is easier compared to pharmaceutical sales.

 

[WCMason]

Educational seminars: cannot mention plan names/benefit details/approach potential clients/no handing out business cards; can take part in a health fair where health screening is done;

Sales meetings: can mention plan names, benefit details, but cannot take place in a health fair where health screening is done; if filed as "informal" then you have to wait for clients to approach.

This is easier compared to pharmaceutical sales.

And it's easier than many agents make it out to be. We have plenty of regulations, but from this thread it appears many put additional regs on themselves that don't apply.

Educational seminars don't require registration with CMS and don't have restrictions on the food you can offer (you can actually put the cheese on the cracker for them without risking a "bundling" violation). They do require avoiding plan specifics and only giving out business card if they request it, among other easy to follow rules.

For me the goal is to position myself as the expert on the subject so that I'm the one they want to help them. I do an overview of Medicare cost and coverage, show how to use the Plan Finder and why it's important to do every year (or get an agent to help them), explain why those who have Plan F likely are paying a lot of extra money for a little extra coverage. But the Q&A is the most important part. Field tough questions like a pro and they'll call you in the morning.

I have two large financial advisor firms who will put me in front of a lot of people next month with no advertising on my part. They keep me busy all year long.

 

[Bob_The_Insurance_Guy]

You are like the kid that runs with scissors, but never trips and pokes his eye out. There is so much that is wrong with what you are doing, I can't even begin.

Good luck, and good selling.

 

[GreenSky]

You are like the kid that runs with scissors, but never trips and pokes his eye out. There is so much that is wrong with what you are doing, I can't even begin.

Good luck, and good selling.

Seems to me he's doing everything right. Please 'splain the problem.

Rick