I am writing to you my thoughts and response to Congressman Pete Stark’s letter to CMS about commissions for Medicare Advantage. It seems to me that some of our representatives have no idea of what is going on and I hope this enlightens you a little bit from the perspective of someone that deals with this on a daily basis. Thank-you Richard Scott Widen

I would like to comment on your stand on Medicare Advantage commissions. I have been helping Medicare beneficiaries since 2005 and have always done what is best for my clients. You seem not to understand how these plans change every year and that it is in the best interest for seniors to go with another plan when their current plan changes for the worst. It even says on the inside of the front cover of the Medicare book that these plans change every year and you should review your current plan and see what your other options are EVERY year.

“With more Medicare choices than ever, it’s important that you look at your coverage every year. Plan costs and benefits change, and so can your health. The coverage that worked for you this year might still meet your needs in 2008. Or, there might be a better option.

That is what I do for my clients. The fact that you want to control what private companies want to pay us sounds like communism to me, is this not a free country where the companies can make this decision and not some out of touch representative decide what should be paid. To top it off do you have any clue as to what an agent has to go through during the AEP. (Annual Election) You do know what that stands for, right? It seems not since in your letter you talk about open enrollment about to begin. You also believe that we should encourage people to stay in the same plan when again the Medicare book says to check your plan to see if it still works for your situation. I have to work 12 to 18 hr days to help my clients decide what plan would be best for them. I make sure their drugs are on the formulary of the plan they may want to join or if they will be covered on the plan they are currently on. This all happens during the busiest time of the year with the holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas and families traveling. Not to mention that the weather can be terrible with winter storms. The OEP is available for change but people cannot change their drug plan after Jan 1. I have submitted my last application the past 3 years after 11 pm on New Year’s Eve because of last minute calls from people wanting help. My holiday season is nonexistent because of the brilliant time frame that someone in a government job decided would be a good idea. What a joke.

Let me give you an example of a plan changing. Humana Gold Choice in my area went from a $0 premium with a $5000 MOOP with a $625 hospital stay and $4-$30 and $60 drugs to a $28 premium with a $6000 MOOP, $950 hospital stay and drugs now $7-$40 and $70. There is another plan with a $0 premium, $2500 MOOP and $350 hospital stay. It has no drug plan so client can get a separate drug plan with a good formulary for $22.10 premium and $8-$24-$55 drugs. Is it churning to help them to switch? So I guess that next year I would only get the renewal commission for helping someone get a better plan. Is this what you want? I would have to do the same work for 25% of the pay. That sounds like a great plan. I think when you retire you should only get 25% of your pay. You need to do your homework!

I seems that you have no idea what it takes to help seniors chose what would be good for them and that I provide a VERY valuable service that can make or break a seniors pocketbook every year. Government employees have no idea on how to help these people. I have made many calls to Medicare office and to the CMS office only to talk to people that read off a script and have no idea what they are talking about or even care. I even had a lady at the CMS office tell me that she hated working with these plans.

To finish off this message, I have people thank me all the time for what I have done to help them get through the maze of plans and save them money. I think that you are paid too much also and you get to vote yourself a raise all the time. I work very hard for what I do and since I am an independent agent. I find it un-American and socialist that you think that you even have a right to control what a company pays someone to do ANY job.

I am going to send this email to every representative and Senator out there to maybe show the opinion of people that actually do the work with these plans and actually help the seniors of this country.

Dan

CMS has cause these problems with their rules and rather than getting rid of bad rules, they compound the problem with more and more bad rules.

Typical government in action. Bunch of morons!

(Am I being too hard on them?)

Rick