AHIP Medicare
The AHIP Medicare certification is needed in order to sell most MAPD and PDP plans. The term “most is used because not all carriers require you to have AHIP but most do.
Keep in mind, CMS administers Medicare Advantage plans (MAPD, MA and PDP) —which means you need to be certified and “ready to sell” to offer them compliantly. In most, cases this means you need the carrier certification and the AHIP certification.
In order to sell Medicare Advantage plans during the Annual Enrollment Period (AEP), Special Enrollment Period (SEP) and Open Enrollment Period (OEP) most insurers require completion of AHIP Medicare course. AHIP is a good general certification that can help you sell compliantly. Unfortunately, many of the carriers required certifications overlap with AHIP.
AHIP MEDICARE- How to access it
The AHIP 2019 certification is always available on the AHIP website. The certification consists of two courses: Medicare and Fraud, Waste & Abuse (FWA).
The certification for AHIP Medicare training covers the benefits and eligibility basics, along with explanations on the different types of MAPD and PDP plans. There is a focus on compliance with the marketing guidelines and understanding proper enrollment procedures.
Fraud, Waste and Abuse (FWA) training covers how to detect fraud in the Medicare program. CMS takes FWA very seriously which is why it is so prominent in the certification.
As mentioned early, most carriers have their own FWA in addition to the FWA in AHIP. They will often focus more specifically on their own guidelines and products with their FWA training.
Typically, the AHIP costs $175 per year if you access it through the AHIP site. Most carriers offer it for $125 through their own certification portals.
AHIP Medicare – Do I need it every year?
Yes. You must have the AHIP cert completed every year in order to be compliant and offer MAPD and PDP plans.
The good news is the test does not change much each year. As a result, you can take it in much less time once you have the base knowledge. For those that have AHIP from the year before, you only need to click on modules 4 and 5 before taking the test. Note: The test still has questions from all 5 modules but if you know the material you can skip mods 1-3.
AHIP Medicare – How many tries do I get?
You get three chances to pass the test. If you fail three times, you need to purchase the test again and try again. Keep in mind that many carriers will not let you take the test more than three times. Failing three times means you need to wait until the next year to take it again.
AHIP Medicare – Do I have to take AHIP through the AHIP site?
No, you do not. It is advised to take the test through a carrier site because most of them will give you a $50 discount off the testing price. Also, some carriers will allow the AHIP test to auto complete the early modules. UHC is an example.
AHIP Medicare – How much does AHIP cost?
$175 in 2018 and 2019
Additionally, some carriers will pay the full cost of the AHIP test if you place a minimum required amount of cases with them. Call Crowe and Associates to learn more.
AHIP Medicare – Free Medicare Leads
We offer a Free Medicare Lead Program to all our agents CLICK HERE TO LEARN ABOUT OUR PROGRAM
Is there a deadline to pass AHIP to sell in 2019?
Not really. You can take AHIP throughout the year. The new AHIP exam is available in July ever year and it will usually count for the remainder of the current year as well. Any new agents that did not have AHIP previously, may want to wait to take the coming years test if they are getting started close to the month of July.
AHIP Medicare – Is it an open-book test?
Yes. You can print the training modules or save the PDF to your computer and use your notes while taking the test. It is easier to save the PDF because you can use the control F function to search for the topics you need.
Is AHIP a timed test?
Yes. The final exam is 50 questions, and agents have two hours to complete it. The training modules for each section before the final exam are not timed, and may take a few hours to get through if it’s your first time reading them.
AHIP Medicare – What is the minimum score I need to pass?
You will need to get a min score of 90 in order to pass.
AHIP Medicare – What if I need additional sales training?
We provide training either in person, or on the phone, as well as both live and recorded webinars. Access our recorded webinars to choose the topics you feel will help you the most.
CLICK HERE FOR RECORDED WEBINARS
Please remember, you need a Scope of appointment form with every sale you make. CLICK HERE FOR MEDICARE SCOPE OF APPOINTMENT FORM
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