Medicare Advantage Certification | Challenge or Opportunity?

This time every year thousands of insurance agents across the country join their brethren in a common task; procrastinating on getting their MA certification done. Here’s what CMS says:

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) require that all sales representatives, agents, and brokers who are licensed and appointed to sell Medicare Advantage or Medicare Prescription Drug Products complete an annual certification program. You must be properly certified to receive commission for group Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Plan sales.

I know but it’s one more thing I have to do in a business that already has too much regulation. The companies keep pressuring me with new rules, advertising guidelines and changing things without notification. Sometimes I wish I’d listened to my grandfather and gotten a real job (that’s what my grandfather told my brothers when they entered the business in 1960. They became wealthy!).

Well everyone agrees it’s a hassle! But let’s look at what might motivate us this year so we can get the job at hand done. Here’s five good reasons:

1. We have to get certified in order to represent the plan provider for MA and PDP and get paid commissions. Okay, fair enough. Now that I think about it, my MA commissions last year during AEP were as much as my Medicare Supplement commissions during the previous quarter of the year.
2. Sixty percent of Medicare Supplement throughout the year is sold in the last quarter. Wow, my earnings so far this year are down over the same period from last year. That gives me an opportunity to bring those earnings up.
3. The companies participating in MA have shrunk in numbers and the plans are some of the best being offered with better networks, some on a regional basis. Really, now that you mention it that would make it easier to decide who I want to represent.
4. 14 million Medicare recipients have chosen Medicare Advantage in only seven years (that’s compared with 10 million Medicare Supplement policyholders). I guess that means we can actually increase the demographic base of people for prospecting who need help  supplementing their Medicare by as much as 30+% in some cases.
5. To truly be in the Medicare market you need to represent both Medicare Supplement and Medicare Advantage. You’re right, with everything that’s transpiring in our business and world, I should be able to give my clients what they need and deserve, respect and choices. It’s hard enough out here today, people are nervous and scared. Maybe I can help some of them!

Okay. I’m going to do it tonight!!!

This article was written by Philip Warren of Senior Marketing Specialists.