Agent Update Memo — August 2024
Agent Update Memo — August 2024
Below you will find new Medicare training and information both from Senior Marketing Specialists and the insurance industry as a whole.
AEP Updates
- All Carrier Certification is available!
- Certification guidelines, rollout details, sneak peeks, and agent guides on the AEP Toolkit!
- NOTE: The NABIP test is taken by all key carriers except Aetna (which doesn’t require the AHIP or NABIP to certify).
AEP Pop-Up Tent – videos to get your through this AEP
Senior Marketing Specialists Updates
- NEW Resources:
- Summer Newsletter
- Month by Month Prep Tool: AEP Tactical Battle Plan
- Pre-AEP Client Letter
- Client Intake Form / Fact Finder
- Medicare 101 Client Walkthrough Cheat Sheet T-Chart
- Fillable PDP Opt Out Form
- NEW: Plan Recap Sheet
- Medicare Overview eBook
- NEW 2025 Medicare Part D Flyer
- Agent Use Only
- For Client Use
- Fillable PDP Opt Out Form – listen to our video to hear how to effectively use this
- IRA What’s Changing – Customizable Client Flyer
- IRA What’s Changing – Customizable Client PowerPoint Deck
- Resources on the upcoming industry changes:
- AEP Disruptions: Updates to The Inflation Reduction Act recording
- Medicare Industry Insider podcast — Trends and Compliance
- Changes for 2024!
- Some written pieces that discuss industry changes further:
- Trend Alert: High Medicare Supplement Rate Increases Coming
- The Inflation Reduction Act and Medicare
- IRA Smoothing Provision & Prescription Payment Plan Q&A
- Check out our video called Part D Drug Plan Smoothing Provision that covers both!
Compliance Updates
- Remember when gathering SOA’s and drug lists that the method of gathering must be HIPAA compliant. Call us if you have questions.
- Don’t forget to run all employees through the OIG exclusion list as well before hiring and monthly checks. Screenshot the search results and store for up to 10 years.
- Verify Comply is a great resource for this!
- Review our Compliance Corner for important updates!
Industry Updates
- Read how a major supreme court case is going to have a domino effect on all industries, including ours.
- Business as Usual for Overwrites, Co-op, HRA, Bonuses, and PDP commission levels as the court orders a stay after a lawsuit ruling on July 3rd.
- You can become a member of the American’s for Beneficiary Choice, an organization that helped fight the final ruling and create the new court order.
Carrier Updates
- UHC: LEAN Transitions to JarvisEnroll
- Provider Search
- Formulary Look Up
- UHC is continuing to restore the Medicare & Medicaid Eligibility Lookup tool on Jarvis for Medicaid eligibility verification. Montana and Texas are now available. Before the Annual Enrollment Period (AEP), UHCs goal is to restore access to all the states that were previously available.
- Check out their National Webinars: Visit Knowledge Center > Agent Training > National Webinar Schedule.
- Cigna:
- CHLIC Transition, read the broker resource page here.
- Cigna has not notified us of any pending rate increases.
- You can now begin ordering your 2025 Medicare Advantage (MA) and Prescription Drug Plan (PDP) sales materials on CustomPoint! to access CustomPoint, log in to Cigna For Brokers, then select CustomPoint from the dashboard to be directed to the site.
- The ordering window for 2025 materials will be from July 15 to August 30. If you do not order during this time, you will not be able to order kits again until after October 1, 2024.
- LifeShield: Commission changes!
- Birthday Rule / Special Open Enrollment States:
- KY, LA, MD, MO, OK
- Reach out for updated commission schedules!
- Birthday Rule / Special Open Enrollment States:
- Bankers Fidelity: HIP, STC, Cancer now count 400% towards trips (formerly 300%).
- Anthem: ending HRA payments (reminder Aetna and WellCare already have).
- HRA administrative fee payments are ending for non-SNP (non-Special Needs Plan) Medicare Advantage plans as of July 31, 2024 for enrollment effective dates through August 1, 2024.
- HRA administrative fee payments are ending for SNP (Special Needs Plan) Medicare Advantage plans as of September 30, 2024 for enrollment effective dates through October 1, 2024.
- ACE: Rate Increases!
- 8/1/24 Rate Change: AL, AK, AR, AZ, CO, DE, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, KS, MI, MN, MO, MT, NV, NH, NM, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TX, UT, WV, WI, WY
- 9/1/24 Rate Change: LA, ND, TN, VT
- 10/1/24 Rate Change: INMS
- 1/1/25 Rate Change: KY, MD, NE, NJ, NC, VA
- Aetna: Front runners must complete AHIP by 9/30 to receive the free AHIP benefit.
- Devoted:Didn’t get a chance to join us for our exclusive Devoted meeting? Reach out for details!
- Devoted, a 5-Star plan and 2nd fastest enrollment carrier of 2024, has a lot of exciting expansion planned for 2025, if you aren’t already contracted, CONTRACT NOW, and make sure you’re on the forefront of 2025 contracting and product information!
- Devoted Health’s MA plan is coming to even more states in 2025, including: AR, GA, IN, KY, MO, MS, WA, and WI.
- Essence: Take advantage of the 5-Star Selling Season by having a 5-star plan with Essence!
- Essence is currently available in CA, IL, MO, GA, AR, OH, KY, and IN.
- Why You Need to Take Advantage of the 5-Star Selling Season
- Video with Essence Healthcare: The 5-Star Plan Opportunity
- WellCare:
- If you have completed the 2025 AHIP & ACT required trainings, you will still need to log back into Centene Workbench to complete the 2025 TPME agreement when the 2025 TPME becomes available. This step of completing the 2025 TPME agreement is crucial to ensure you are ready and authorized to sell for the 2025 AEP season.
- WellCare has decided to discontinue offering Medicare Advantage (MA) products in six states beginning with the 2025 Annual Enrollment Period. They will be exiting AL, MA, NH, NM, RI, and VT. WellCare will continue to offer Prescription Drug Plans in these states.
- Mutual of Omaha:
- New pre-approval enhancements for FE, Universal Life, and Term Life. FAQ Here.
- Earn extra cash with the cross-sell broker bonus for the MS and Dental insurance using the e-app.
- Lumico: Effective September 1, there will be a rate adjustment for Med Supp policies underwritten by Lumico Life Insurance Company (Lumico) and Elips Life Insurance Company (Elips Life). You can view the rate changes here.
- For Lumico states (CO, LA, MN, MS, NC and SC)
- New policies will continue to be underwritten by Lumico in: CO and MN. Please note the following cut off dates:
- Applications signed on or after 8/1/24, with a requested effective date on or after 9/1/24, will be subject to the new rate.
- Applications signed on or before 7/31/24, with a requested effective date on or after 9/1/24, will receive the current rate.
- No new policies will be underwritten by Lumico in: LA, MS, NC and SC.
- For Elips Life states (CA, LA, MS, NC, ND, PA, SC, TN, TX and WI)
- Please note the following cut off dates:
- Applications signed on or after 8/1/24, with a requested effective date on or after 9/1/24, will be subject to the new rate.
- Applications signed on or before 7/31/24, with a requested effective date on or after 9/1/24, will receive the current rate.
Always have positive attitudes and very easy to work with. We all at MSS appreciate the knowledge level and can trust the information we get from you.
~ Diana F.
Our AEP Toolkit has all the marketing resources, certification walkthroughs, carrier specific details, and tools you’ll need in one easy to access spot!
Sources:
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