Best Medicare Sales Meeting Questions

Best Medicare Sales Meeting Questions

Successful Medicare agents need to be proficient in a number of areas.  One important skill for agents is understanding the prospect’s situation and making the right recommendations based on that situation.  The way to assess the client’s needs is to ask the best Medicare sales meeting questions.  There are a number of standard questions a good agent will be ready to ask.  Which ones they ask has a lot to do with the person they are meeting with.  This blog will go over all the information you need to make the right recommendations to clients and ultimately get the sale.

Basic questions the agent should start off with

There are specific questions you can start off with.  It may be a good idea to start off with a general question such as; “How can I help you today?” or “Would you mind going over your situation with me?”  That question will likely prompt them to provide answers to a many of the questions below.

Best Medicare Sales Meeting Questions:  Basic questions

• What zip code and county do they live in?  Some zip codes cross into multiple counties.  Also, you need to be sure which state they are a resident in.  That will determine which plans you can quote.
• Do you make your own health care decisions?
• What is the prospects date of birth?   This is important because you will need to know when they are turning 65
• Are you currently on Medicare or have you already applied for Medicare?  Some people may be already on Medicare due to disability.  It is important to know if they already have Medicare prior to age 65.  It is possible that they are turning 65 but have already received their Medicare card.
• Are you receiving Social Security payments?  People who receive SS payments prior to turning 65 will automatically get Medicare A and B.  If they are not receiving Social Security payments, you will need to tell them how to apply for Medicare A and B.  They can do this either online or at a local social security office.
• Are either you or your spouse actively working?  If so, do you plan to continue working past age 65 and do you get coverage through work?  If they are getting coverage through their employment or through a working spouse, they may want to waive Medicare Part B.  If they do, you may not get an initial sale but if you stay in touch with them, you will get a sale down the road.   It is important to know the Medicare Part B valid waivers.  If they are going to keep working and get coverage through work, you need to compare the work coverage and cost with the cost of Medicare part B and a private plan.  If the math comes out better with Medicare and the private plan, you may still get a sale.

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Best Medicare Sales Meeting Questions:  Provider care frequency and health questions

Note:  You are not allowed to ask direct health questions.  It is; however, important to understand the overall health of the prospect to make the right recommendation.  There are ways to get this information without asking direct health questions.

• How often do you go to the doctor?
• Have you had any inpatient stays or outpatient surgeries?
• Do you have any scheduled for the future?
• Please provide me with a list of your medications (name, dosage and frequency) as well as the names of the doctors you visit or have visited in the past

You need all this information for multiple reasons.  If they are a high utilizer of care, you may want to look at a Medicare supplement plan.  The medication list can be used to run both PDP and Advantage plan comparisons in Connecture or Sunfire to see which plans come out best.   The doctors list is needed if they are going to look at a Medicare Advantage plan.

Best Medicare Sales Meeting Questions:  Financial questions

Financial questions are important to determine if someone may qualify for Medicaid or help.  Medicaid and help (Medicare Savings Program) qualifications vary by state.  The programs are income and asset sensitive, in many cases.  Knowing the financial situation will let you know if they may be eligible for a dual plan.  It is also important as higher earners may be subject to an

IRMAA on their part Medicare Part B and Medicare Part D premiums.

• Ask the prospect what their monthly income is.  If married, find out what their combined income is?   Let them know you are asking to see if they qualify for any programs available to help them out with costs.
• If you are in an asset sensitive state, you should let them know what the asset limit is.  It is a little easier to do it that way than to ask them if they have any money….

Note: Some states have their own extra help programs (SPAP plans) that may not be asset sensitive.  Do the research ahead of time to know all the programs available in the state the client lives in

Prospects already on a Medicare Advantage plan,  Medicare supplement and/or a PDP plan

If the prospect is already on a Medicare plan of some type or maybe only Original Medicare, it is best to ask them how it has been working.  Ask for feedback from them.  The plan may not have been what they expected and you can help them find a better option.

• What type of plan are you on now?  Which company is it with?
• How did the plan work for you this year?
• What made you decide to go with this plan?
• Are there any doctors you would like to see but have not been able to with your current plan?
• How has the plan been covering your medications?

They may not remember why they chose their current plan.  Maybe someone sold it to them over the phone.   Many times people are enrolled in plans for no specific reason at all.  If they have an advantage plan and had a lot of copays, you may be able to move them to a supplement and drug plan (Depends on an underwritten state vs. a GI state). There may be advantage plans that have lower copays or a lower OOP.   They may be in a Medicare supplement but utilize medical care infrequently and would be better off on a MA plan….  You don’t know until you ask.

Best Medicare Sales Meeting Questions:  Other questions to ask

• Do you need dental care;  if so, do you currently have dental coverage?
• Does your plan provide additional benefits such as; OTC, Dental and vision?
• (If they are on a dual plan)  Have you used any of the extra benefits the plan offers?  Did you know some plans offer a number of extra benefits including grocery cards, utility and flex benefits?

The whole purpose here is to see if there is a plan that provides more benefits than the one they have.  Determine which benefits are important to them and see if there is a plan that can provide what they are looking for.

Conclusion:  One of the biggest mistakes we make as Medicare agents is assuming we know what people want.   Go into the meeting with an open mind.  Always ask questions as well as listen to the responses.  This helps you find out what is important to the prospect.  If you do this, it will lead to more sales and happier clients who stay on the books.   Medicare is all about recurring revenue. In fact, having clients in the best plan for them is the optimum way to maintain a book of business.

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