AHIP 2020 certification
If you are a broker or agent, you will need to do the AHIP 2020 certification in order to be certified to sell most Medicare Advantage plans. The AHIP course and test are both done online. AHIP is a very useful tool that will help you learn about the rules of Medicare Advantage sales, which can help you become a more knowledgeable salesperson.
Most Medicare Advantage plan insurers require agents/brokers to take the AHIP Medicare training courses. Agents must also pass the AHIP exam before they can be certified to sell Medicare Advantage plans. The one notable MAPD/PDP carrier that does not require AHIP is United Healthcare. Agents can offer UHC Medicare Advantage and PDP plans by doing the UHC certification. AHIP is not required.
Once you pass the AHIP, you are considered compliant with CMS marketing regulations. This means you understand the rules and regulations associated with the plans you are selling to your clients. Please note, Medicare supplements are not CMS regulated products. As a result, supplements do not require AHIP and most supplements do not require a certification in order to offer them.
Click here to get some good ideas on how to pass your AHIP for 2021
AHIP 2020 certification discounted price through carriers
The AHIP exam is offered through the AHIP site at a standard price of $175 per 3 testing attempts. If the test is not passed in 3 attempts, it would be necessary to pay an additional $175 to get three more tries. AHIP can be accessed through most of the major carriers certification websites for a discounted rate of $125.00. Some of the companies offering the discounted rate are UHC, Anthem, Aetna, Humana and Cigna to mention a few.
If you fail 3 times
If you fail 3 times, you need to buy the test again to get 3 more attempts. Most carriers will allow you to take the test up to 6 times and still be certified to sell once you pass. Some carriers will limit this to 3 times. This means if you pass the test on the 4th try there are some companies that will not allow you to write new business for that year.
Taking AHIP 2020 certification in July
The new AHIP certification is available every July to cover the following year. (example- July 2020 you will be able to take the 2021 AHIP exam) New agents starting with Medicare in May or June may want to wait until July to take the new AHIP. If they take the old one, they will just need to take the new one in a few months. Taking AHIP in July will allow them to sell for the current year and for the following year.
Modules and Testing
The main portion of AHIP is comprised of 5 modules and then a test based on those modules. They cover just about all aspects of Medicare benefits, rules, compliance and enrollments. It also covers the lesser known/sold plans such as PFFS, MSA and Medicare Cost plans. Each module has sample questions throughout it. It is very important to get the sample questions right and remember them. The test questions will be very similar or sometimes identical to the sample questions in the modules. It is also recommended that you save the PDF of each module on your computer so you can access them while taking the test. This is allowed and not against the rules for the exam. click here to go to AHIP fraud waste and abuse training
Once you pass the test
After passing the test, you will also need to take the Fraud, Waste and Abuse (FWA) modules and test. They are not as involved as the main test however. Once you have finished the FWA test, you will be able to transmit the AHIP results to other carriers electronically through the site. Be sure to send the results to all the MA/MAPD/PDP carriers you are contracted with and want to certify to sell. You should also keep an electronic copy of your AHIP certificate.
Need to get contracted to offer Medicare plans
All of our contracts are full allowable CMS street commission CLICK HERE FOR MAPD AND PDP COMP 2020 We also provide agency level contracts with overrides at GA, MGA and SGA for those that qualify.
Free Medicare lead, Marketing and Advertising program
All agents that have their Medicare contracts through Crowe and Associates can utilize our free lead, marketing and advertising program which pays 100% of costs up to $500 a month. There is no reduction in commission and no minimums to start the program. CLICK FOR LEAD PROGRAM INFORMATION
Leave a Comment