Year Round Medicare Advantage Sales in 2012?

[AgentPipeline]

Maybe…

CMS sent out a memo last month establishing a Special Election Period (SEP) for Medicare beneficiaries to enroll in a 5-Star Medicare Advantage plan starting in the plan year 2012. CMS is trying to "encourage" Medicare Advantage companies to reach the 5-Star level. It’s great news from CMS. Now the challenge is getting more Medicare Advantage companies to that level.

Here is a link to a blog post on the topic. It Includes the CMS memo.

My guess is that we will see a few 5-Star rated plans, but it will be very difficult for plans to get to that level. The ones that do will have a HUGE advantage during the “Lock-In” period. Medicare Advantage sales may be back to a year round opportunity if you have plans in your market that have this rating.

 

[pahealthquotes]

wow.. this is interesting to say the least.

 

[GreenSky]

The SEP does not create the ability to disenroll from another plan into the 5 star plan. I don't think this will really affect us one way or another.

Rick

 

[Josh]

The SEP does not create the ability to disenroll from another plan into the 5 star plan. I don't think this will really affect us one way or another.

Rick

Always the optimist

 

[pahealthquotes]

 

[ohtobnaz]

Yeah...I ran into this earlier this week but didn't want to bum everyone out before Christmas.

At first glance it looked like just another way to circumvent the agent.

My next thought was which carriers could be classified as a 5-Star and I couldn't think of any. This will be interesting though. Should answer the question of the abolishment of Medicare Advantage.

The thing that gets me is our clients will still depend on us for help. I don't think in the overall scope of the expense of an insurance policy that the agent gets paid too much for what his part is in the process.

Maybe I'm biased though....naaaa.

 

[wehotex]

The SEP does not create the ability to disenroll from another plan into the 5 star plan. I don't think this will really affect us one way or another.

Rick

How can it NOT? That is the definition of an SEP, creating an opportunity to enroll into another Plan, effectively disenrolling the beneficiary from the first MA.

 

[GreenSky]

How can it NOT? That is the definition of an SEP, creating an opportunity to enroll into another Plan, effectively disenrolling the beneficiary from the first MA.

You are correct. I mis-read the blog post linked by the OP.

I thought it only allowed an SEP for someone on Original Medicare. Gotta get new contacts.

Rick

 

[SeniorInsuranceGuy]

This taken from the CMS note:

Similar to other SEPs, CMS is proposing to allow eligible individuals to enroll in 5-star MA plans through 1-800-MEDICARE, Medicare.gov, or directly through the 5-star plans. Effective dates for enrollments made under this SEP will be the first of the month following the month the enrollment request is received.

I don't like the words "directly through the 5 star plans". As if "you dont need an agent". Besides, with all the sanctions going on the last 2 years, how many 5 star plans are there? But it does lend a positive note that MA's will actually still be around.

 

[thall]

Mas that will be here 3 years from now will all be 5 star, so whats next? There will be a 10 star program in 5 years. None of this can be good for the agent, if they have to go direct.