National Medicare Supplement Conference

My notes (see attached)

Some quick takeaways:
The #1 reason seniors change Medicare Supplement plans in AEP is due to disruption with their Medicare Part D plan

If there is a $25+ monthly increase to a plan's premium, 40% of the plan's members will shop for a new plan (maybe not change, but at least look for alternate plans)

While more and more T65ers are turning to the internet for research (I think it was up from like 10% to over 30%, but don't hold me to those numbers), online enrollment (without an agent) went from only 12% to 15% over the past 3 years

Enjoy the info!

Thank you for the summary. It was helpful.
 
Is the word change here talking about PDP plans, or real supplement plans A-N, or both? Given the structure of the system, I don't see people changing PDP plans as particularly big news.

There is a section in notes talking about Original Medicare Only beneficiaries.
How many of those folks were really truly covered by only Medicare Parts A and B, and how many had a non-medicare equivalent to a Med sup and PDP such as employer coverage?


I think the point the presenter was making with changing Medicare supplements is when there are more drastic changes with Part D plans (network changes, plans leaving, etc) people are more prone to shop for alternate plans, which drives them to look not only at just their Part D coverage, but their Medicare supp coverage as well. The more stable Part D plans are, the less change there is for Medicare Supplements.

As to the original Medicare question, I don't know. I pulled this info from a third party and they did not specify. I personally was more interested in the MA to Medicare supplement changing but I didn't want to omit the other stats.
 
As to the original Medicare question, I don't know. I pulled this info from a third party and they did not specify. I personally was more interested in the MA to Medicare supplement changing but I didn't want to omit the other stats.

I hope in talking with your agents that you would keep in mind that change can go both ways.

2 years is not enough info to really make good judgements from, but the implication in that data is, that over a period of time, the directional changes between MA and Med supp will average out.

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I think the point the presenter was making with changing Medicare supplements is when there are more drastic changes with Part D plans (network changes, plans leaving, etc) people are more prone to shop for alternate plans, which drives them to look not only at just their Part D coverage, but their Medicare supp coverage as well. The more stable Part D plans are, the less change there is for Medicare Supplements.

The effect of the presenter's presentation, as presented in your notes, leaves me feeling like they are on a totally different planet than the one I live on.

When I started looking at Medicare Supplements (AG-SE 2016) The very first agent with whom I spoke told me that the reason I should buy a supplement from her company was because of their annual rate review process which worked to insure that her (their) clients always had the lowest priced Medicare Supplements. She pushed that concept very, very hard.

While not promoting the idea as strongly as she did, most of the other agents with whom I spoke (read email mostly) also presented the same idea. One can also pick up the same concept from time to time while reading on the site.

My experience and reading suggest to me that there is a very significant level of instability in the Medicare Supplement market which is entirely independent of Part D activity.
 
I think the point is, when someone is looking to change insurance, like Part D, they are also more prone to change other lines of coverage, like their Medicare supplement (if it is a beneficial move).

I know if I was in a home of a prospect who was looking to change their Part D coverage, I would inquire about their Medicare supplement plan as well.
 
Thank you for the summary and notes.

Are there any numbers on those that enroll direct with a carrier such as UHC (due to AARP membership) or BX because "all the doctors take Blue"?
 
Thank you for the summary and notes.

Are there any numbers on those that enroll direct with a carrier such as UHC (due to AARP membership) or BX because "all the doctors take Blue"?

What he said.

The other question I would ask is this:

Why is HCSC pricing Plan F lower than G+$183? Anybody have any ideas?
 
What he said.

The other question I would ask is this:

Why is HCSC pricing Plan F lower than G+$183? Anybody have any ideas?


Maybe they are planning on some of those clients not being able to switch from Plan F in the future. That way they can run the rates up sky high and the clients are stuck. Just a thought.
 
Thank you for the summary and notes.

Are there any numbers on those that enroll direct with a carrier such as UHC (due to AARP membership) or BX because "all the doctors take Blue"?

I asked this question to an AARP rep at the conference, and i was told it was split right down the middle, out of 560,000 med supp apps in 2016, 50% came from independent agents and 50% home office sales. I've heard the same % for some other Blue plans as well.
 
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