Now more than ever, if a business does not have an online presence, it may as well not exist. Prospective clients and customers in all fields need to have immediate and easy access to information about a business or service via the internet or they will quickly move on to a different source. Not only is basic information necessary to have online for customers to find, but it is also important for a small business to be able to interact appropriately online. For many brokers and agents, this takes the form of a Facebook page for their business. This post includes the instructions to create a Facebook business page for selling insurance:
One of the reasons that Facebook business pages can be so useful for agents and brokers is that they can increase their contacts and even gain new clients through natural interaction and promotion of their services.
From a personal Facebook page, click on the three lines on the top left corner of the page and select “create.” From the “create” tab, select “page.”
Choose the type of page. Some options are “local business or place,” “company, organization, or institution,” and “brand or product.”
Then, simply enter the required information for the business. This usually includes things like the name and address of the business and how to contact them, as well as what services they provide.
Click “continue”
In order for the business page to actually generate business, people have to see it. Here are some tips to maximize the visibility of the page:
Fill in the “about” section with as much clear information as possible about how an independent Medicare agent does business. Most clients will be over 65 and may not know how any of this field works, particularly with newer technology.
Use keywords in the page’s description – things like Medicare, agent, insurance, etc. This will make it more likely that people will find your page during their searches.
A call-to-action is vital. This can be a “call now” button or a “contact us,” or even a “shop here.” Any way that the prospective client can be driven towards the registration page or even attendance at the next educational or marketing event.
A business page on Facebook can be a very useful tool for publicizing an agent or broker’s business and giving people access to quick information about what services they can provide.
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Being a Medicare Advantage insurance broker can be a rewarding and lucrative career. Rewarding because a broker is able to help their clients access the healthcare that is right for them and their families, thus helping to increase their quality of life, and lucrative because there are commissions for doing so. Commissions are always paid on top of salary, as they are in return for services rendered or products sold. In the case of Medicare Advantage, the insurance carriers are the source of the commissions. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) sets the maximums for commissions each year, and released the following information for the coming insurance year, 2024.
CMS has increased their maximum commissions for the ninth year in a row for Medicare Advantage plans and Medicare Part D plans, also known as prescription drug plans or rx plans. It is important to remember that insurance carriers are not required to pay the maximum commissions to their brokers, but will release their commissions rates individually.
For Medicare Part D, the maximum broker commissions increased from $92 per member per year to $100 per member per year. This is an 8.7% increase from the previous maximum.
For Medicare Advantage, the maximum broker commissions are broken down by state, because they consider cost of living in that region.
In California and New Jersey, initial Medicare Advantage maximum commissions increased from $750/member/year to $762/member/year. For renewals, the commissions increased from $375/member/year to $381/member/year.
In Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and DC, initial Medicare Advantage maximum commissions increased from $678/member/year to $689/member/year. Renewals in these states increased from $339/member/year to $345/member/year.
In all other states, initial Medicare Advantage commissions increased from $601 to $611/member/year. Additionally, renewal commissions went up from $301 to $306/member/year.
The territories of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands have their own rates, which increased for initial enrollments from $411 to $418/member/year. Their renewal commissions also increased, from $206 to $209/member/year.
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Many seniors who have diabetes experience problems getting their Medicare approved diabetic supplies. This usually leads to unhappy calls from clients. We have great news; there is a company offering diabetic supply assistance for agents. This will cut down on the confusion over payment at the pharmacy.
ADS provides service and support to agents and their clients.
Agents receive marketing support that helps them provide clients with everything they need to manage their diabetes.
They will set up home delivery of your client’s diabetes supplies before their new plan starts. This helps ensure a stress free transition into the new plan.
Clients continue to use their chosen pharmacy to fill prescriptions and the diabetes experts ensure they will receive their supplies without interruption.
In the event a client loses or breaks their glucometer, ADS provides a replacement. This is something no other pharmacy does.
Your clients receive exceptional customer service on your behalf. This ensures they have a personal, reliable source for diabetes supplies.
They offer the latest technology for effective diabetes management. This includes several types of Continuous Glucose Monitoring supplies that do not require “finger sticks”.
ADS confirms that all supplies are covered through insurance before they ship to the client.
Please contact Crowe and Associates either by phone at 203-796-5403 or by email teal@crowendassociates.com.
If you are either a new agent or an agent not already contracted with Crowe and Associates:
If you are currently under another upline and plan to move under Crowe:
Click here for intent to move instructions. Please note; these instructions do not include all carriers. Call the office for carrier instructions not listed.
Agents who are already appointed with Crowe and Associates that wish to add a carrier or state:
Agents can contact the ADS, Specialty Diabetes Pharmacy either at northcoastmed.com/agent-support-program or by phone at 1-877-868-9856
Medicare is a national service that provides healthcare and medical coverage to any citizen over the age of 65 and some younger with certain disabilities. As one might imagine, there are many, many people who benefit from this service. At last count, in September of 2022, there were over sixty-five million people on Medicare in the United States, which was an increase of over one-hundred thousand since the previous year. Because of the staggering amount of people who are enrolled in this service, it becomes imperative to have a system to keep track of everyone’s personal information. There are two different numbers that are important to know for agents looking for help work with perspectives and manage their insurance enrollment. What are the important Medicare card numbers?
This number is important! The Medicare Beneficiary Identifier, or the MBI, is a randomly-generated personal identification number. Each person gets a unique number. That means spouses and families will have different numbers, one for each individual person. The MBI is an 11 digit mix of numbers letters, much like the Health Insurance Claim Number, or HICN.
Beneficiaries will find their MBI on their Medicare ID card. If the card is not available, there is an alternative way of finding the number. Login to Medicare.gov to create an account or call 1(800)Medicare. The Medicare Beneficiary Identifier is important to protect as it lets the beneficiary receive their benefits. Any doctor or healthcare services will require the patient’s Medicare card for their MBI. It is also required to access any of the additional assistance that can come from the federal government, like grocery assistance.
The National Provider Identifier, also called the National Provider Identifier Standard or NPI, is the other number that agents may need to access. The NPI is a unique identification number for covered healthcare providers who participate in Medicare. All covered doctors and providers must use their NPI in financial and administrative transactions under HIPAA regulations. The National Provider Identifier is a 10 digit number that can be looked up on the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) website. By entering the provider’s name and location, the database will be able to access their NPI.
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Technology is more important than ever for building a successful agency or brokerage. The technology that is readily available now includes multiple portals, comparison tools, and platforms for enrollment. Some insurance carriers offer specific platforms to their agents, and some even offer access to their agencies as a whole. The 2023 United HealthCare Jarvis updates include the following.
One of these platforms is called Jarvis. Jarvis is a strategic online platform for brokers and field sales agents. Those who use it get full views of plans, benefits, and multiple other tools and functionalities to manage their accounts. Jarvis is the platform used by UnitedHealthcare, one of the nation’s largest carriers.
Recently, the company put out a statement to their agencies announcing that they will offer Book of Business access on Jarvis for their agency partners as well as their agents. This move will give agencies a convenient way to access member information. Access to member information is vitally important to support retention efforts, outreach, marketing, and general business planning.
Find a Medicare member’s information if they are receiving commissions from their interactions with that member
View up to 2,000 records, search for specific members, and export detailed reports using Microsoft Excel
See upline and downline hierarchy information
View a member’s profile page in order to assist with servicing them (actions like ordering ID cards, etc.)
Solicitor agents will not be granted access to the Jarvis Book of Business under this new move. All partnered agents and agencies must still adhere to the permissions to contact requirements from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Future effectives will only appear in the Jarvis Book of Business once their initial agency commissions are paid or when they are an Agent of Record (AOR).
While this statement from UnitedHealthcare only refers to Medicare membership, this is an exciting development as this technology and access will likely help many agencies consolidate and view information that can help them provide service for their potentials and clients alike.
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Previously, there was one major fitness program for seniors that was accessible when they signed up for Medicare insurance plans. It was Silver Sneakers. Then, in January of 2019, one major insurance carrier dropped Silver Sneakers and replaced it with Renew Active. Renew Active quickly became a reasonable competitor to Silver Sneakers. The following is a comparison between the two so that agents and beneficiaries alike can determine the best plan for their needs.
Silver Sneakers is a fitness and wellness program for seniors (aged 65 and older). It includes free local gym memberships across the country, including over 16,000 gym facilities that participate in the program. If a beneficiary is part of a Medicare Advantage plan that uses Silver Sneakers, they can access any of those gyms at zero cost to themselves. They can use as many of the facilities as they like, as well, instead of being obligated to their local facility.
Silver Sneakers also offers online fitness classes for those who work out at home or away. This is also convenient for beneficiaries who may not live close to one of the partnered gym facilities. Additionally, Silver Sneakers has an app for smartphones that helps keep track of fitness goals and plans, as well as locating participating locations.
Renew Active is also a fitness and wellness program for seniors (aged 65 and older). It is part of the UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage insurance plans. Renew Active also offers standard access to local gyms across the country, which is very similar to Silver Sneakers. They also offer at-home options for those who are working out at home or too far away from their participating locations.
However, there is one thing that Renew Active has that Silver Sneakers does not have: brain training. Renew Active partners with BrainHQ and provides an app that has games and tools meant to keep the brain sharp as it ages. This BrainHQ service is available at $8-$14 a month, which is affordable for most beneficiaries and would seem like a no-brainer (no pun intended).
While both Silver Sneakers and Renew Active have thousands of locations, only Silver Sneakers has online streaming classes, a phone app, and multiple insurance carriers that include the benefits with their Medicare Advantage plans. While Renew Active is a reasonable comparison to Silver Sneakers, particularly with their online brain games feature, they do not have an app or online streaming classes and they are only carried by limited insurance companies. It is likely that Silver Sneakers will remain the more common benefit for seniors.
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Having a good field marketing organization (FMO) can be a huge boost to an agent’s career. Crowe and Associates is one of the best Medicare FMO for new agents. They can offer access to lead money, free training programs, enrollment platforms, and support from the people who have already done the task of building an agency. Crowe and Associates can provide agents with access to Medicare in all 50 states in the country, as well as access to other lines of insurance businesses such as life, annuity, final expense, health, indemnity products, and long-term care.
One of the reasons that Crowe and Associates stands out from the crowd of other FMOs is that they started as literally one agent without a single Medicare client. They have built themselves from the ground up, and understand all the steps and missteps that new agents and agencies are likely to take as well as the support they will need to succeed. Their agent programs are designed on the real-life experience of their founder, and they are still independently run and now backed by Pinnacle Financial Services.
This is an educational seminar that Crowe and Associates provides that averages at more than 50 attendees per session. They also provide sample seminars, hands-on training, and guidance from start to finish. Crowe and Associates can also cover 50% of the first seminar for new agents and up to $500 of the cost for future seminars.
Every agent who works with Crowe and Associates has access to up to $500 in monthly lead and marketing reimbursement, without decreasing their commissions. Agents send in their receipts and Crowe and Associates will send them up to $500 a month in support.
Agents with Crowe and Associates can access Sunfire, Connecture, and MyMedicarebot for quotes, comparisons, and enrollments at no charge to them. This can lead to direct sales and enrollment without even a need for a face to face meeting, increasing agent’s commission easily.
Crowe and Associates will also provide a free URL for agents. This URL is CMS-compliant. Quote and enrollment platforms are built right in. Again, this is at no cost to the agent. There is also support and guidance available for SEO and advertising on sites like Youtube, Google Ads, Facebook, and more.
Full-time, in-person support is provided at both the CT and PA locations of Crowe and Associates. They provide training for day-to-day sales, online training programs from both locations, and their favorite activity is helping agents and agencies build their business and their revenue.
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Technology is playing an increasingly important role in the enrollment of beneficiaries for all kinds of healthcare insurance plans. Whether it is having enrollment meetings over the telephone or using applications like SunFire Matrix. Over 50 million people use SunFire. It is a software that collects and distills data from more than 80 insurance carriers. This includes information from over 1300 Medicare Advantage and prescription drug plans (Medicare Part D). SunFire, with the information agents collect from their prospective clients, can quickly determine which plans offer their most ideal coverage with the lowest annual cost. Because of this, many agents are using SunFire Multi-pharmacy comparison tool in real-time enrollments and sales meetings.
Recently, SunFire announced to its partners a change in their software. The change, which they are calling an enhancement, will allow for simplification of the processes of comparing estimated annual drug costs and potential savings among pharmacies. This includes both retail chain and mail-order pharmacies. The enhancement is available as of June 13th, 2023 for agents who use the software.
Some of the highlights of the SunFire multi-pharmacy comparison announcement include the following.
The software will automatically add the nearest pharmacy as the “primary pharmacy” unless the agent adds a preferred location.
The software provides a breakdown of the estimated drug costs. Prescription coverage is noted by plan.
The software can now discover potential cost-savings that can be accrued by switching pharmacies. If the software does find these potential savings, it can notify the agent of the discovery and the monetary amount that would be saved.
Under the “estimated annual drug cost” tab, the software will display the annual cost for the two closest alternative pharmacy chains, as well as the mail-order options available.
To continue the comparison, the agent can select one of those alternatives and reload the page to see the potential savings for their client.
In today’s world, agents must be up to date on not only the latest insurance information but the latest technology advances in the field as well. This new enhancement from the SunFire Matrix software will help agents compare drug costs for their clients with more accuracy, ensuring they have a clear picture of their annual costs. Click here for a demo of the SunFire multi-pharmacy comparison.
Get information about the new five star UHC ISNP. This plan is exclusive to Crowe and Associates agent. In order to sell this plan, agents need to complete an additional certification and training. Exclusive training will familiarize agents with all the components and properly represent the benefits of this ISNP.
Learn what working with one of the top FMOs gives you.
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Medicare agents have a number of ways to reach prospective clients. One of those ways is to hold education and sales events. While education events cannot lead to enrollments, sales events can and should. With these Medicare sales meeting questions, agents will be able to learn about their prospective and offer them the best plans and support for their insurance needs.
Asking financial Medicare sales meeting questions is vital to discover if the prospective clients qualify for Medicaid or other financial assistance. It also determines what kind of premiums people can afford to pay. Medicaid and other financial assistance qualifying incomes vary by state, as they are state-funded programs. Some prospective clients, depending on their income and assets, might even be eligible for a dual enrollment plan, or DSNP.
What is your monthly income?
This will determine if they qualify for any state or federal help with their premiums or even if they qualify for a DSNP.
If you are married, what is your combined monthly income?
Do you have any assets that may put you over the limit for this plan?
If the agent is looking at an asset-sensitive situation, it is easier to let the prospective client know what that asset limit is than ask if they have any assets. There are some states that are not asset-sensitive. As an agent, it is important to do research ahead of time to determine what the guidelines are for that particular location.
If a prospective client already has a Medicare Advantage or Medicare Supplement, it is best to start by asking them how it has been working for their healthcare needs. They may have needs that are not covered and the agent may be in a good position to have them find more suitable coverage.
What type of plan are you on right now?
What company is it with?
Why did you decide to purchase this plan?
Are there doctors you would like to see that you currently cannot because of your network?
Is this plan covering the medication you need and expect to need?
It is often the case that beneficiaries are on a plan that they didn’t feel enthusiastic about. There are many options to help get every prospective client the coverage they need and want.
Some other general Medicare sales meeting questions that may help the agent determine the most beneficial plans to offer might be:
Do you have dental care? If not, do you want dental care?
Does your current plan provide benefits like dental care, vision coverage, or over the counter medications?
(For those on a dual plan) Have you used any of the extra benefits the DSNP offers?
These extra benefits can include grocery cards, utility assistance, and flex benefits, and many beneficiaries do not know how to utilize them.
With these Medicare sales meeting questions in mind, the needs of the prospective clients will be clear for the agent to see. This will help everyone end up with the coverage they want and a plan that suits their individual healthcare needs.
Get information about the new five star UHC ISNP. This plan is exclusive to Crowe and Associates agent. In order to sell this plan, agents need to complete an additional certification and training. Exclusive training will familiarize agents with all the components and properly represent the benefits of this ISNP.
Learn what working with one of the top FMOs gives you.
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What is a Medicare trial right When a beneficiary enrolls in Original
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We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800 MEDICARE to get information on all options.Not affiliated with the U. S. government or federal Medicare program. This website is designed to provide general information on Insurance products, including Annuities. It is not, however, intended to provide specific legal or tax advice and cannot be used to avoid tax penalties or to promote, market, or recommend any tax plan or arrangement. Please note that [Agency Name], its affiliated companies, and their representatives and employees do not give legal or tax advice. Encourage your clients to consult their tax advisor or attorney.
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Online Enrollment- Enroll prospects online without the need for a face to face appointment. Access to all major carriers with the ability to compare plan benefits and prescription drug costs. Link to recorded webinar https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/2899290519088332033
All agents receive a personalized enrollment website. Prospects can use the site to compare plans, check doctors, run drug comparisons and enroll in plans. Agents are credited for all enrollments. Click Here
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