January Training Opportunities

Click Here to view our complete January Training Calendar, including online and classroom style trainings.  

To Register for classes click on the title of each training on the calendar. 

Using the Medicare and You 2014 Handbook

NOTE: If you do not have a copy of the 2014 Medicare and You book, CLICK HERE to view how to order and / or download your copy from Medicare.gov.

The Medicare and You publication is a great tool for agents to use in the field.  This is a Medicare approved piece, and many prospects and relate to it since they are used to getting them annually.

We recommend that you not only get a copy, but you also use it to help answer your clients questions.  

Below are some key pages in the 2014 book.  Of course, you may find other pages useful depending your clientele, but these are some great starting points when using the book:

Page 14 - Medicare and the Health Insurance Marketplace

Page 16 – Medicare Choices (Medigap / MA Flowchart)

Page 24 – Other insurance and Medicare

Page 58 – Medicare.gov plan finder

Page 59 – Medicare Choices plan chart

Page 67 – 71 – Medigap plans

Page 73 – MA plan types

Page 78 – How MA plans work

Page 80 – MA enrollment

Page 93 Part D Layout

Page 100 – Other programs and Part D

Page 110 - Medicaid

You cannot mark on CMS approved pieces and leave them behind.  If you have a copy where you take notes (as you should) write OFFICE COPY on the front with black marker so clients do not ask to keep yours.

(This article was written by Mike Gattorna of Senior Marketing Specialists.)

Consider yourself cordially invited to the BIGGEST event in the Senior Insurance Market!

The Senior Marketing Specialists 2013 Sales Summit
Tradeshow & Seminars 

This event, hosted at the Holiday Inn Executive Center in Columbia, MO is anticipated to be one of the largest Medicare and Senior Insurance Expos that the independent agent has ever seen.

With representation from numerous major carriers in the Senior Market as well as numerous industry vendors including lead companies, technology providers and insurance training, this is one event you will not want to miss.

The all day event begins at 8:00am and features speakers and trainers from various aspects of the insurance industry as well as headline speaker Don Runge, a.k.a. The Lead Guru.

Attendance to the event is free, however limited tickets are available, so don’t wait, register now!

Download the Event Catalog Here

Tentative Itinerary for the 2013 SMS Sales Summit:

8:00 – 8:15
Agent Registration

8:00 - 9:30
Tradeshow Open
Breakfast

9:30 – 11:30
Seminar Session #1 – Headliner Don Runge
Tradeshow Closed During Seminar Sessions

11:30 – 12:30
Tradeshow Open
Lunch

12:30 – 2:30

Seminar Session #2
Tradeshow Closed During Seminar Sessions

2:30 - 5:00

Tradeshow Open
 



BREAKING NEWS....AGENT ALERT: YOUR CLIENTS WILL NEED MORE HELP IN 2013….

BREAKING NEWS....AGENT ALERT

 YOUR CLIENTS WILL NEED MORE HELP IN 2013….

EVEN WHEN COVERED BY MEDICARE, MEDICARE ADVANTAGE AND MEDICARE SUPPLEMENTS

Earlier this year, prior to AEP and the Medicare Supplement sales season, we at Senior Marketing Specialist published the article below; Why Cash is King, Hospital Indemnity Insurance. In three short months the landscape has changed in the senior market and we have seen significant growth in the sale of indemnity products with CASH benefits paid directly to the clients. What’s changed???

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) have three proposals on the table to prohibit first dollar coverage for Medicare Supplements with proposed caps of $7,500 out-of pocket, EVEN WITH A SUPPLEMENT!!! 

• 2013 Medicare deductibles have increased for both Part A and Part B!!!
• Medicare Supplement Plan K has an out-of pocket of $4,800 for 2013!!!
• Medicare Advantage Maximum Out-of-pocket can run into thousands of dollars!!! 

Both our independent agents and our career agents at Barnes Group are using this product to supplement their client’s coverage, even when they have programs that supplement Medicare!!! 

Here’s a reprint of the original article:

Why Cash is King
Hospital Indemnity Insurance

Indemnity insurance plans were one of the first health plans to ever be sold in this country. A very simple concept, if you have an illness or accident and accrue medical bills we, the insurer, will pay you a set dollar, indemnity, amount based upon the policy provisions for coverage. 

Many policies in the health insurance field today are so complicated in their benefit structure that even I, with 30+ years’ experience, have a have a hard time understanding what is covered and how much am I going to get paid. The Hospital Indemnity Policies being offered today are a classic example of knowing what you’re buying and understanding the benefits. These policies provide cash to the policyholder that can be used for any number of items after they have been confined to a hospital: 

• Paying health insurance deductibles, whether underage, Medicare Advantage or Medicare Supplement.
• Paying for Home Care
• Paying for charges not covered by other insurance.
• Paying bills at home.
• Paying for housekeeping while you recover.  

Many of these policies also offer riders to pay for doctors, surgery, cancer, and prescription drugs.  In most cases the cash indemnity is paid to the policyholder direct and they can then use the money as they see fit. The underwriting is minimal and premiums are affordable, starting at just a few dollars a month. Even those on a fixed budget may able to afford this coverage.

The largest medical bills that a person receives are when they end up hospitalized for illness or accident. So, why not insure that risk and make sure you have the money when you need it the most, after being confined to a hospital for illness or accident. After all, CASH IS KING!!!

Your clients will have medical bills that exceed the payments made by Medicare, Medicare Supplements and Medicare Advantage. Today we have a solution and we at McNerney Management Group, along with our subsidiaries Senior Marketing Specialists and Barnes Group will be developing new products and solutions to help to help you and your clients in 2013!!!

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

Just Another AEP… I THINK NOT!!!

Aetna has purchased Coventry. United Health Care bought Care Improvement Plus (the most innovative program for Medicare Advantage to date).

CSG Actuarial reported last week:

CMS released 2013 Medicare Advantage (MA) plan data last Wednesday, September 19th revealing almost 5,976 new plan combinations and the non-renewal of more than 6,056 plans for 2013. In many cases non-renewing plans are being replaced by a new plan from the same carrier in that area.

Due to non-renewed plans, approximately 1.7 million seniors are being dis-enrolled from their current plan. Most non-renewed insureds (1.3 million) will be offered a replacement by their current carrier; however, according to CMS data, 393,819 will actively be looking for coverage—a 36% increase over the number of seniors this time last year. The top four states for non-renewed insureds are Washington, Virginia, California, and Texas.

The 36% increase in non-renewals year over year provides opportunity for agents and carriers to fill in the coverage gaps.

So, what does this mean to you, the agent serving the senior market? An opportunity to enroll more people in programs that supplement Medicare in the last quarter of 2012 than most agents will all year long.

Also, 60% of the Medicare Supplements are sold in the last quarter of the year as well.

At Senior Marketing Specialists we’re ready… ARE YOU???

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

*http://www.csgactuarial.com/news/cms-data-show-non-renewed-plans-for-2013/?utm_source=Campaigner&utm_campaign=CMS_Data_Show_Non-Renewed_Plans_for_2013&campaigner=1&utm_medium=HTMLEmail

Medicare Sales Trend Upwards

While our economy is continuing on a flat-line and the politics are promising to fix all of society’s ills after the November election with no plan or substantiation of action one thing in our business is shining through; sales of plans for supplementing Medicare are exceeding the projections made by one of our marketing associates, CSG Actuarial. Here’s what Doug Feekin had to say in an article last week:

Turns out, the Medicare Supplement market is growing even faster than we originally predicted.

Last June, CSG Actuarial published its 2nd annual Future of Medicare Supplement Market research paper. We predicted the Medicare Supplement market would grow in 2012 to 10.4 million lives, generating $22.8 billion of premiums. Based on strong trends through August, however, CSG Actuarial predictive models are now showing the Medicare Supplement market will grow in 2012 to more than 10.5 million lives, generating over $23 billion of premiums. The number of 2012 Medicare Supplement lives is up more than 3% from 2011 while the premiums are up almost 5% over 2011.

Companies are recognizing this growth and pushing hard to achieve greater market share in the Medicare Supplement market. In the last 12 months, Aetna and Cigna have purchased Medicare Supplement blocks to increase their presence in the Medicare Supplement market. Also, more than 5 companies have entered or re-entered the Medicare Supplement market in 2012 and 3 other companies have re-priced their premium rates to get more competitive in the market

http://www.csgactuarial.com/news/medicare-supplement-market-growing-faster/

To add to this major carriers are telling us at Senior Marketing Specialists that, in the Medicare Advantage arena, they are predicting this AEP will be one of the best for overall sales to date. With new plans, lower out of pocket costs in all areas and increased network access they’re probably right.

So, what does this mean to the agent serving consumers in the Medicare market today for us at Senior Marketing Specialists:

·         Consumers still see Healthcare as the #1 concern in retirement. (ASK THEM)

·         We have more plans in more price ranges to supplement Medicare than ever before, Plan F, Plan G, Plan N, Plan HDF and Medicare Advantage.

·         Do we have better information and ways of communicating the facts? I think so!!!

·         When properly approached, from a place of knowledge, education and most importantly SERVICE consumers will be responsive to real solutions offered to them.

It’s reported that 60% of the Medicare Supplements sold are purchased in the last quarter of the year. At McNerney Management Group, which includes Senior Marketing Specialists and Barnes Insurance Group, that is our experience as well in the past few years.

With sales trending up will your business trend up as well? I hope so!!!

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

Internet Marketing Generates Leads for Insurance Agents

"The internet typically pulls clients to you instead of you pushing your product to them. This can shorten your sales cycle considerably. Also, marketing on the internet requires you to invest little time, a flat rate and all the results are measurable. It is easy for you to see how many people came to your website and exactly what they typed to get there." To read more, check out the full article on Linkedin: Internet Marketing for Insurance Agents