Grow your market with Final Expense!

Link for Registration if button does not work: 

https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/857438303

Change Before You Have To: Working the Senior Market

Since 1965 when Medicare began, soliciting people that are Medicare recipients has been the gateway to the Senior Market. For many years selling 200 or more Medicare Supplement policies would ensure an agent a standard of living well beyond the norm. But, things have changed.

With regulated prospecting, reduced compensation and a myriad of other issues selling 200 Medicare Supplements a year is hard work. Consider this:

200 Medicare Supplement Policies sold

Average commission 18 – 20%

Average premium $1700

200 X $1700 = $340,000 premium X 19% = $64,600 commissions

We at Senior Marketing Specialists are dedicating the month of January to helping you, the agent, add $30,000 to $40,000 in additional income to this equation seeing the same people you call on today for supplementing Medicare.

In our upcoming webinar on Thursday, January 9th we will be highlighting two primary products that your clients need, Final Expense and Guaranteed Issue Life.

Paying the Bills When Medicare Stops

UPDATE: Did you miss the webinar? Good thing we recorded it!

If you have any questions after the webinar give us a call at 1-800-689-2800.

 

  

In 1983 Medicare implemented the DRG Prospective Payment System for hospitals. This system caused patients to leave the hospital as soon as their condition was stabilized in what the Mayo Clinic would call “Quicker and Sicker."

October 1, 2012 Medicare Limits Hospital Readmissions*. More than 2,000 hospitals — including some nationally recognized ones — will be penalized by the government starting in October because many of their patients are readmitted soon after discharge.

Together, these hospitals will forfeit more than $280 million in Medicare funds over the next year. 

Nearly 2 million Medicare beneficiaries are readmitted within 30 days of release each year, costing Medicare $17.5 billion in additional hospital bills.*

So, what does all this mean??? The aforementioned phrase from the Mayo Clinic, “Quicker and Sicker”,  resonates today more than ever.

At Senior Marketing Specialists we have dedicated the month of June to Home Health Care and our NEW product from Kemper, Senior Solutions Home Health Care Insurance Plan.

 

With all the changes taking place in Medicare and health care in this country the need for policies paying cash to seniors in addition to Medicare and their Medicare supplemental plans is growing at an unprecedented rate.

Watch for webinars and more articles this month and ask yourself; “How will my clients pay the bills when Medicare stops.”

*http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2012/August/13/medicare-hospitals-readmissions-penalties.aspx

Meet the Line Up - 2013 SMS Sales Summit

“Welcome to the Next Level”

Dan McNerney

President and CEO, Senior Marketing Specialists and MMG, Inc

Dan joined the Barnes Agency in 1979 as an agent and then owner, has spent his entire career. In 1989, Dan was able to buy the company that he had gone to work for 10 year prior. In 2003 Dan and his team formed Senior Marketing Specialists and began recruiting and training agents across the entire country. Dan’s greatest enjoyment comes from seeing new associates come to our company and supporting, training, motivating, and helping them find greater success than they have ever experienced or expected.

“Raising the Bar”

Don Runge

a.k.a. The Lead Guru

Don has spent over 20 years working with companies designing and developing lead marketing systems. His experience has allowed him to work with direct mail, telemarketing, T.V., newspaper inserts, store stuffers, credit inserts and pre-approach lead marketing.   His dynamic and energetic approach to lead generation has made him a favorite and highly-requested speaker for our industry.  You will not be able to write fast enough once he starts speaking. 

“Healthcare Reform & Medicare”

Marianne Eterno

Assistant Vice President – Government Relations, Guarantee Trust Life Ins. Co

Marianne came to GTL in 1996, as a compliance and government relations consultant and formerly joined the company in 1997.  As assistant vice president of government relations, she represents GTL in both the state and federal arenas, drives coalition development for the company, and serves as the company’s media and public relations spokesperson.  She represents GTL at the American Council of Life Insurers, the Life Insurance Council, the National Alliance of Life Companies, and the Consumer Health Alliance.  She chairs the Senior Issues and Federal Affairs committees for the Council for Affordable Health Insurance and has served as its interim Executive Director since 2011. Marianne sits on numerous committees at America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), as well as having chaired AHIP’s Medigap and Supplemental Products Committee and Student Insurance committee. 

“Stepping Into Life”

Eloise Glaspie, CLU, ChFCj

Life Sales Relationship Manager, Creative Marketing

Since joining Creative Marketing in 1997, Eloise has made a personal commitment to helping her agents succeed in the insurance industry.  Eloise breings more than 25 years of experience to each and every agent she assists.  Her responsibility as a Life Sales Relationship Manager is to assist agents in finding the right products to suit their clients’ needs and provide comprehensive support that helps streamline the sales process. She has been a major contributor in the growth process of the Life Department and our affiliated agents. 

“Medicare Trends”

Bryan Neery

President and Consulting Actuary at CSG Actuarial LLC

Bryan currently owns and operates Access Capital Group, LLC, a company providing financial services to life and health insurance agents across the United States. He has over 14 years of experience pricing and developing individual health and life products, primarily focused on senior health and supplemental worksite products.  His company has assisted hundreds of insurance agents across the country achieve their personal and business goals.   

“Time vs. Money"
Bobby Richardson

Vice President, MMG, Inc.

Bobby’s interest in the insurance industry came just 2 years after he graduated from college when he formed a relationship with an agent from Barnes Insurance Group after the agent wrote his mother a life policy.  That was in 1980, and Bobby has been with MMG, Inc ever since. Bobby manages a very large group of captive agents, works to open up new sales regions for the agency, assisting agents in the field and spending much time training agents new to the industry.

“Changing the Game With Legacy Safeguard”

Bryan Adams

Legacy Safeguard

Bryan is President & CEO of Premier Planning, LLC and Founder of the Legacy Safeguard program. He is considered one of the nations’ leading experts on final expense planning, and he frequently speaks throughout the country about the importance of assisting clients to gain peace of mind through advanced funeral funding. Bryan’s passion for helping families prepare for their final expenses came from being raised in the funeral business. Bryan has worked tirelessly to help Americans plan for the inevitable and lessen the burden on their loved ones.

“Stepping Up With SMS”

Dan Mangus

National Sales Director, Senior Marketing Specialists

Dan was raised in the insurance world.  With his father being a business analyst and his mother an insurance agent, it was only natural for him to get into the business.  Dan has enjoyed working in the industry since he was just 18 years old when he opened his own agency.  Dan joined SMS on a consulting basis in 2008, and in 2012 made the commitment to SMS, accepting a full time position as National Sales Director. 

“It’s a Wonderful Life”

Anthony Chapman

Vice President, AIMC, LLC

Anthony began his insurance career in 1977 with National Consultants out of Smyrna, GA.  National Consultants was one of the 1^st career Medicare Supplement agencies in the country and soon became the largest producing general agent for United American Insurance Company for 14 consecutive years.  In 1983, Anthony started his own agency and had the good fortune of being introduced to Mike White, who also began his career knocking on doors with National Consultants.  This began a life-long friendship as well as a business relationship.  Together,  they introduced the country to the first “bucket of money” LTC plan issued through Atlantic and Pacific Life Insurance Company. In 1992, Anthony joined Bankers Fidelity Life Insurance Company, Atlanta, GA, where he served as the Chief Marketing Officer until 2004.  In late 2004, Anthony joined Mike and his team at AIMC as the Chief Marketing Officer.  Today, AIMC is recognized as the national leader in Medicare Supplement product development and distribution.

 

 

"Change Before You have To" Working the Senior Market circa 2013 - Part III

UPDATE: Did you miss the webinar? Good thing we recorded it!

If you have any questions after the webinar give us a call at 1-800-689-2800.

 

Join us for a webinar on Tuesday, March 26th at 1o:00am CST

This is the last installment of our three part series of blogs for the month of March. Our goal at Senior marketing Specialists this month was to help you, the agent, expand your sales horizons and income while serving the consumer.

 
Medicare and a Medicare Supplement or MA will not pay the bills for recovery from an illness or accident in the future. These programs are designed for acute care and recovery will take place outside of the hospital. They will need two things to avoid out-of-pocket expenditures; your help and additional 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, Med Advantage or Med Supplement.
· Paying for charges not covered by other insurance.
· Paying for relative travel and lodging to help out.
· Paying bills at home.
· Paying for housekeeping while you recover.
· Etc…

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.

   

"Change Before You have To" Working the Senior Market circa 2013 - Part 1

Since 1965 when Medicare began, soliciting people that are Medicare recipients has been the doorway to the Senior Market. For many years selling 200 or more Medicare Supplement policies would ensure an agent a standard of living well beyond the norm. But, things have changed.

With regulated prospecting, reduced compensation and a myriad of other issues selling 200 Medicare Supplements a year is hard work. Consider this:

        200 Medicare Supplement Policies sold

        Average commission 18 – 20%

        Average premium $1700

        200 X $1700 = $340,000 premium X 19% = $64,600 commissions

We at Senior Marketing Specialists are dedicating the  month of March to helping you, the agent, add $30,000 to $40,000 in additional income to this equation seeing the same people you call on today for supplementing Medicare .

We will be highlighting two primary products that your clients need, Home Health Care and Hospital Indemnity. Look for our webinars and Part II and III of this blog to show you how. Don't miss out on what's on the other side of the door!