The Sales Appointment Confirmation Form

[Bob_The_Insurance_Guy]

Just got my email from Humana about the CMS form I will have to send,and get back completed, from any Medicare Beneficiary.

I gotta tell ya. I like it. It's very much like the Personal Data Sheet or the Employee Census I use for Individual/Group Plans.

Each block they initial gives them a thumbnail of what the plan is all about, and each initial gives me permission to discuss it in our face to face meeting.

So, in other words, with the exception of what docs and meds they take, the Beneficiary is letting me know up front what they are interested in. Cool.

It would actually save time - mine and theirs.

CMS has actually taken care of the documentation for me. I sent a copy to my mom, for her to distribute to my aunt, and all my mother's friends. I also sent a copy to a few of my Financial Planner Associates for them to distribute for me to their referred clients.

Now, for those of you who think I'm making Lemonade from Lemons, you're wrong. For any health-related product, it's always best to have as much information up front as possible. That way, you know what to bring with you to the appointment.

It's actually telling the Beneficiary, "OK, you want total control. FINE. Here it is. YOU tell me what you want to discuss, then we'll send a professional to you, to talk about it, go through the Summary of Benefits, then you can make your decision."

Sorry, guys. I know you were expecting a Bash CMS post, but I gotta tell ya, this form ain't bad. This actually protects US more than it protects them. This is our way of showing them we didn't bait and switch, or try to confuse.

And, for those of us who have RingCentral, we don't need to wait for the mail. They can fax it to us, and we can save it as a PDF.

I'm tellin' ya, on my dumbest day, I'm smarter than CMS on their brightest moment.

 

[scottfree]

How many appointments do you have during AEP?

I will be doing 4 or 5 appointments a day, 6 days a week plus some on Sunday's. This is a joke. I have a hard enough time catching up on my voice mails through out the day let alone dealing with more paperwork that this causes. My clients know very well when we talk on the phone what I am coming to talk about and so do all my referrals that call me.

I do not see a positive to this form.

On the Today's options form it says this...

STEP 2: Send the Sales Appointment Confirmation Form to the Medicare beneficiary to sign and send
back to you or, with their express permission, drop it off at their home for them to complete –
prior to the appointment.
STEP 3: The beneficiary should then sign the Sales Appointment Confirmation Form and record the
date and time that they signed the Form. This will complete the Form. If the beneficiary
declines to sign the Form and/or does not return the Form to you, you may not proceed with your sales appointment.​

So when I talk with my clients (or referrals)now on the phone what I must do is tell them about this form that CMS is making me have them sign before I can talk with them.


Does this mean I can drop it off at their home (right before we talk) and get it signed?


Sound right??

 

[Bob_The_Insurance_Guy]

Like I said, I'm only working with those that I already know, and who are referrals. My volume will be miniscule, compared to what you do.

Selling health insurance products, this form actually protects you more than you think. I understand your frustration.
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You know, there's nothing stopping you from getting these forms into their hands as soon as next week. If these are people you already know, forward it to them. Explain the situation, and have them fax it to you next week or so. That way, you have the form signed and sent by the middle of November.

You can't turn enrollment forms in prior to then, anyway.

 

[midwestbroker]

I have read that it is not needed if it is a reply card. You just have to send in a copy of the reply card with the app.

The reply card is the beneficiary's permission slip to talk to you, or rather you talk to them.

 

[mcday]

Midwest, do you remember where you read that about the lead cards? Has anyone else heard this?

 

[GreenSky]

Like I said, I'm only working with those that I already know, and who are referrals. My volume will be miniscule, compared to what you do.

Bob:

Considering that the business you write is basically handed to you, the opinions you post on CMS regulations really have no basis in reality. The rest of us actually have to work to generate our income and the CMS requirements have made it damn near impossible to not only service our book, but to expand it.

I wouldn't care if CMS said that a prospect had to personally knock on my door IF my parents could set that up for me.

While I'm sure you do a great job for your clients, when you have to earn a living prospecting for business, then get back to us.

If I've been hard on you, sorry. But you're sitting on your throne dictating to us that this is a great deal for us and how we're being protected. However, it appears to only be a great deal for someone who doesn't have to earn a living on their own.

Rick

 

[MedSuppPro]

You know, there's nothing stopping you from getting these forms into their hands as soon as next week. If these are people you already know, forward it to them. Explain the situation, and have them fax it to you next week or so. That way, you have the form signed and sent by the middle of November.

Bob,

I have a lot of respect for you. I like a lot of what you say. But, this part is hard to follow.

So, what are you saying? Mail the form, call them ("explain"), and they will send it back completed. It had better have an appointment time and date included prior to mailing, otherwise it is incomplete. Like others I'm maxed out till January 1st. I don't have time to track these forms that you'd mail out. Seems like a waist of time.

Do ya think your clients are going to send these stupid forms back to you without a CMS approved cover letter explaining what you're doing.

I'm taken the letter with me to the appointment. I'll have the time and date on the form and they will then sign it. The time and date corresponds to our original phone call. This works only for my existing clients. Just sign it and your done. I'll save the postage and time that your idea would waist.

K.I.S.S.

NOTE: I just wounder what to do when I talk with the wife and the husband never gets involved until we meet face to face. Did he agree to meet with me? This gets more bizarre all the time.

Stick with it JDeasy -- will get through this!
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[Bob_The_Insurance_Guy]

Greensky and Medsupp,

Both of you are right. My situation is totally different than most, when it comes to Medicare Advantage sales. I admitted that in my previous post.

Most of my business is Individual/Small Group Health, Individual Long Term Care, and some Term and Whole Life, so, correct, from where I sit, these CMS regulations don't affect me.

As for sitting on my throne, THAT I will have to take issue with. No silver spoon here. When MA's came to Georgia two years ago, I saw the writing on the wall, and did not get caught up in the hullaballoo. This was just another line of products I represent, not a bulk of my business.

I stated my opinion, and those of you in different situations, who are affected differently were very clear and up-front with your opinions. This is the reason I am not, nor do I ever want to be, Securities licensed.

You know, there are several forum discussions I don't take part in, because I know absolutely nothing about them. P & C, Annuities, etc.

I do know about Medicare Advantage Plans. They are major medical plans for those on Medicare. The explanations are the same, the issues for deciding what plans to join are the same.

As for my take on CMS guidelines, your points don't offend me. As for how hard I work for a living is stepping WAY over the line. You know absolutely nothing about my business, how I operate, or how I go about earning a living.

I eat, sleep and drink health insurance of all kinds (Major Medical, Group, Medicare, Long Term Care) and don't think you have any room to talk, when it comes to my business. You don't know how I market myself, you don't know how much time I invest in plan comparison, research, role-playing with associates, and client development.

FOR ME, THIS FORM IS EXACTLY WHAT I NEED TO KEEP CLEAR OF AN E&O CLAIM, JUST LIKE MY PERSONAL DATA SHEETS FOR INDIVIDUAL/FAMILY PLANS, AND CENSUS FORMS FOR GROUP PLANS.

All right?!

 

[MedSuppPro]

Bob,

You never responded to my post?

And I don't see how I got lumped in with Greensky?

Unless it was my K.I.S.S.

What Ever

 

[Bob_The_Insurance_Guy]

Sorry,

please minus MedSupp.
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Let me back up and punt.

Here's how I'm working within the parameters of CMS:

1. Contact all my referree's
2. Have them contact the referred's, who will e-mail or mail me the initial contact - including that they want to speak with me about their Medicare options, what docs they see and what meds they take
3. I then e-mail/fax them (I have Ringcentral, so I have e-fax capabilities) the CMS Sales Appointment form
4. They initial where they want and fax it back to me.
5. I complete my portion, call them to schedule an appointment
6. When November 15th rolls around, I meet with them, submit the Enrollment form, copy of the initiating e-mail sent to me, and the Sales Appointment form.

All this, prior to the meeting, maybe takes a few days. Am I missing something?

AGAIN, LET ME REPEAT. THIS IS WHAT WORKS FOR ME, ROBERT LEVINE, WHO SELLS OTHER PRODUCTS THAN MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLANS. I AM NOT RUNNING 5 APPOINTMENTS A DAY. I HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE CLIENTS, UNDER AGE 65 TO WORK WITH YEAR 'ROUND THAT NEED ME AS WELL, AND REFUSE TO IGNORE THEM DURING THIS PERIOD OF TIME.

ALSO, I DO NOT HIRE TELEMARKETERS OR BUY LEADS, SO MY SITUATION IS DIFFERENT THAN THOSE THAT DO.

I FULLY UNDERSTAND HOW THIS PROCESS CAN BE A HINDERENCE TO THOSE THAT WANT QUANTITY OVER QUALITY DURING THIS TIME PERIOD, AND AS LONG AS THEY TAKE THE CLIENT'S INTEREST AT HEART, I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH IT.

UNLIKE OTHERS, I FULLY UNDERSTAND, AND CAN SEE THEIR SIDE OF THE SITUATION.

I DON'T BEGRUDGE ANYONE THEIR OPINION, AND WELCOME CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM. WHAT I DO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH, AS AN ADULT, AND A PROFESSIONAL, IS PERSONAL ATTACKS FROM SOMEONE WHO HAS NEVER MET ME.

MY FATHER WAS RIGHT, ADVANCED AGE DOES NOT MEAN ADVANCED MATURITY.

IF WE CAN GO THROUGH A PERIOD OF 15 TO 20 YEARS, WHERE THE INSURANCE AND FINANCIAL INDUSTRY DOES NOT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE SENIOR MARKET, THEN THESE OVER-REGULATIONS WOULD CEASE.

FRANK'S POST IN ANOTHER FORUM ABOUT THOSE WHO WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE INSURANCE BUSINESS DURING THE MEDICARE SELLING SEASON IS ONE I WHOLE HEARTEDLY AGREE WITH.