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Agent Update Memo — January 2026

Below you will find new Medicare training and information both from Senior Marketing Specialists and the insurance industry as a whole. This information will be updated throughout the month.

Last Edited: 1/26/2026

Senior Marketing Specialists Updates

  • Interested in participating in our next Coach’s Program for ancillary sales? Fill out the form here! Previous participants are up 400% YOY in sales for HIP, Cancer, and HHC.
  • Miss our ManhattanLife Affordable Choice Plan: An ACA Alternative webinar? Click here to watch the recording.
  • Want to learn more about integrated FIDE/HIDE plans? Register now!
  • Take advantage of some of our best resources, such as; our AEP ToolkitAgent Marketing Portfolio, Events Calendar, or IntegrityCONNECT Information. 
  • Did you know that IntegrityCONNECT will show you an alert on a client’s profile if they qualify for a FEMA Disaster SEP?
  • SMS Livechat: Hours are 9 AM – 4 PM, Monday through Friday! Select the chat bubble on the bottom right hand side of our website to chat with us today.
  • Sample Interview Script for New Agent Interviews 
  • Do you need a slide deck to advertise ancillary products on your waiting room TV? Agent-Office-Ancillary-Slide-Deck.pptx 
  • CMS has issued a Special Election Period for impacted individuals in Missouri who were unable to make an enrollment selection during another valid election period due to MO Severe Storm Systems. This SEP runs through February 28th, 2026. Impacted counties for SEP include ALL.

Carrier Updates

  • Do you need Scan, Alignment, or Imperial Health in CA? Give our teams a call to see how we can help! 

CIGNA

  • As of January 1st, 2026, SSM Health is now in-network for Cigna MA in STL. This network addition includes seven hospitals, one rehabilitation hospital, 151 Primary Care Physicians (PCPs), and 1,000+ specialists. 

Cigna is honoring Disaster SEPs in Kansas, Oregon, and Texas.

  • Kansas – All Counties
  • Oregon – Clackamas, Clatsop, Coos, Curry, Douglas, Hood River, Jackson, Klamath, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Tillamook, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Washington, and Yamhill Counties. 
  • Texas – Andrews, Aransas, Archer, Armstrong, Atascosa, Austin, Bailey, Bandera, Bastrop, Baylor, Bee, Bexar, Blanco, Bordan, Bowie, Brazos Briscoe, Brooks, Brown, Burleson, Burnet, Caldwell, Calhoun, Callahan, Cameron, Carson, Castro, Childress, Clay, Cochran, Coke, Coleman, Collingsworth, Colorado, Comal, Comanche, Concho, Cottle, Crane, Crockett, Crosby, Culberson, Dallam, Dawson, Deaf Smith, Delta, DeWitt, Dickens, Dimmit, Donley, Duval, Eastland, Ector, El Paso, Erath, Fannin, Fayette, Fisher, Floyd, Foard, Franklin, Frio, Gaines, Garza, Gillespie, Glasscock, Goliad, Gonzales, Gray, Grimes, Guadalupe, Hale, Hall, Hamilton, Hansford, Hardeman, Hartley, Haskell, Hays, Hemphill, Hidalgo, Hockley, Hopkins, Hood, Howard, Houston, Hudspeth, Hunt, Hutchinson, Irion, Jack, Jackson, Jeff Davis, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Jones, Karnes, Kendall, Kenedy, Kent, Kerr, Kimble, King, Kleberg, Knox, La Salle, Lamb, Lampasas, Lavaca, Lee, Lipscomb, Live Oak, Llano, Loving, Lubbock, Lynn, Madison, Martin, Mason, Matagorda, Maverick, McCulloch, McMullen, Medina, Menard, Midland, Milam, Mills, Mitchell, Moore, Motley, Nolan, Nueces, Ochiltree, Oldham, Palo Pinto, Parker, Parmer, Pecos, Polk, Potter, Randell, Reagan, Real, Red River, Reeves, Refugio, Roberts, Robertson, Runnels, San Patricio, San Saba, San Jacinto, Schleicher, Scurry, Shackelford, Shelby, Sherman, Somervell, Starr, Stephens, Sterling, Stonewall, Sutton, Swisher, Taylor, Terry, Titus, Throckmorton, Tom Green, Travis, Trinity, Upton, Uvalde, Victoria, Walker, Waller, Ward, Washington, Webb, Wharton, Wheeler, Wichita, Wilbarger, Willacy, Williamson, Wilson, Winkler, Yoakum, Young, Zapata, and Zavala Counties. 

DEVOTED

  • You can view Digital ID cards in Devoted’s Agent Portal! Save the hassle in Q1 of client phone calls and download them there (both for current and future cards).

HEALTHSPRING

  • HealthSpring PDP December renewals paying a week early (December 24th, 2025) instead of December 31st, 2025. 

HUMANA

  • Humana AEP Commission deposits should post by January 12, 2026!

MANHATTANLIFE

  • The Manhattan Affordable Choice Specified Disease Rider is now available in Michigan, South Carolina, and Nebraska!

Manhattan recent and upcoming rate increases:

  • January 1, 2026: ND – 15% on A, F, G, N
  • February 1, 2026: IL – 24% on A, F, G, N  |  CA – 15% on A, F, G, N  |  AZ – 24% on A, F, G, N
  • March 1, 2026: NC – 24% on A, F, G, N

PHYSICIANS MUTUAL

  • Physicians Mutual Dental Rate Adjustment in 2026 for Arizona, Hawaii, Nebraska, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wisconsin.

SCAN HEALTH

  • Scan Health is losing UC San Diego from its network.

UNITEDHEALTHCARE

  • UHC members who self attest to SSBCI conditions will get 60 days of benefits while UHC goes through the verification process. Have the client call the member services number on the back of their card!
  • Effective January 10, 2026, UnitedHealthcare® will transition to eligibility underwriting in Indiana for AARP® Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans from UnitedHealthcare®. This includes all new enrollments and current insured members changing plans outside of the Annual Birthday Enrollment, Guaranteed Issue, or Medicare Supplement Open Enrollment Periods.

WELLABE

  • Beginning on January 23, 2026, Wellabe’s enhanced HIP is coming to: AZ, IA, IL, KY, MI, MO, MS, OK, PA, SC, and TX.

All contracted Agents receive FREE access to SMS-University, the industry’s most trusted, comprehensive online training platform, featuring numerous training modules, white-papers, and clear, concise education tools.

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