Training and selling and leads, oh my! Read on for the ultimate guide to selling Medicare in 2023.
Learning Medicare
To be able to sell Medicare plans, you need to understand all the details of basic Medicare. Start with the Medicare and You Handbook, which you can find on the Medicare website. It’s created by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and explains the basics in language made for consumers. The Medicare website itself is full of information and serves as a useful resource for Part A, Part B, Part D, Medicare Supplements, savings programs, coverage, costs and more. Familiarize yourself with that language and you will be able to communicate these concepts with your clients easily.
Training
AHIP Medicare Training is essential for any agent who wants to sell Medicare Advantage or Medicare Part D. While you study for the certification, you will get another overview of the types of Part D prescription drug plans, enrollment requirements, understanding fraud waste and abuse, and eligibility and coverage details. Share your certification with the carriers and complete each carrier’s product-specific training until you become contracted and appointed to sell Medicare plans you know like the back of your hand.
Sales Tips
Review the Medicare and You Handbook every year to learn about any new changes, then check to make sure the standardized plans have not changed. Then, take a look at the demographics in your regions, including age, income, marital status, and home ownership to understand where you should focus your efforts.
Choosing the Best Plans
You already know how to compare plans for their coverage, costs and your client’s priorities. To evaluate plans for financial strength, look at a few things. How long has the plan been in the market? How has the plan’s average rate increase changed in the last few years? Does the plan have a higher than average loss ratio?
Leads
Direct mail.
Purchase a list of people in your area who are turning 65 (T-65) from a lead vendor database. Those lists show people who are turning 65 in three to six months, and you can get leads turned around within a day. Send out 1,000 or so tri-folds or lead cards per week, and get a copy of your leads list and phone numbers that have been run against the do not call list.
Door Knock.
Of the T-65 leads who made contact but did not follow up with an appointment request, make a home visit to introduce yourself.
Telemarketing.
Call centers can work with leads from a T-65 list to generate interest in your target demographic. This stage qualifies the lead and you end up with the recorded calls to follow up on.
Working Leads
Purchase a T-65 lead list that’s scrubbed against the do not call list. Call phone numbers and set up appointments. Add addresses without phone numbers to the direct mail list, then send mail cards. Once you receive a direct mail card with consent to call, call and make an appointment. If you get a completed card but cannot reach them by phone, go door knocking and give a buyers guide.
Keep track of your leads with the help of a HIPAA compliant CRM. Depending on your state regulations, you may be able to make use of a dialer to speed up the phone sales.
Selling Over the Phone
When you sell a Medicare plan over the phone, you will need to follow the insurance company’s approved script and receive voice authorization from the client as a signature. Electronic applications are another way you can sell Medicare plans over the phone, which uses an electronic signature from the client. In-person appointments accomplish this with direct client interaction. Remember to submit enrollment applications the same day.
Learn more about effective insurance sales through our agent support at Magellan Healthcare. Contact our team with compliance questions so we can get you on your way to success.
