Additional guidance on commissions will be released on Monday, November 10th at the close of business. I understand that this will be given directly to the Medicare Health Plans by CMS and not for public release, at least initially.
There will also be some additional follow up later that week for clarification. Not sure if this will include a written document from CMS which will act, essentially, as an addendum to the 2009 Marketing Guidelines. Not sure when this information will allowed to be released to the agents or when company’s will have this additional guidance “baked into” their 2009 Medicare Advantage commission schedules. Best guess is by the end of NEXT week, say, November 14th?
As I get more information, I’ll post.
Here is my last post on this. (This was a few days ago.)
I’m all for level commissions as we work just as hard for everyone every year whether they remain in their plan or make a change due to the changes their plan made in benefits/premium. I am not sure why there has to be any decrease over what was paid last year and then make it level. Any agent out there doing the job as it should be done already has mucho time and money invested in the training / certification / licensing / appts / printing / comparing / gas / postage, etc. and it makes sense for it to be level. But, does this mean (as I read something on CMS making changes so they can be tracking years in an MA per enrollee) that if I get a client in year 3 of being in MAs and they enroll through me that in 2 years their commissions are up and even though their premium and benefits change each year and they still require assistance every year that the agent is no longer compensated. A five year compensation schedule per enrollee as the government really does seem to want to migrate the business vs. pulling back just to the products of the past. Or is the 5 years level commission for the time an agent has the client, ie; when I enroll someone I get 5 years of compensation. They truly do look at this as though the agent is just someone making a sale with disregard to us being a professional. Doesn’t that piss anyone else off? I am not sure that anyone beyond the independent agent has a clue of the frustrations of the medicare beneficiary trying to elect a good plan and receiving massive amounts of mail and spoonfed info on the benefits (ie; notice the changes in marketing pieces where a products strengths are highlighted and the weaknesses aren’t even included in the summaries anymore.) I am just trying to understand what they are doing to the client and their ability to get professional guidance and as a means to an end, be sure that I can continue to offer my services to this segment of the population. I enjoy doing something that you can tell really does make a difference. Ask the clients. I am also not sure why it is so important to be working on compensation for this year. With the AEP days away, they could have put together their “powers-that-be” that play with this stuff and make decisions for next year well in advance where the little guy isn’t hanging out there in the wind.
$300 is an OUTRAGE! I hope you are wrong.
If it’s true Get MAD people! The profit is there to pay as much as $500 or the insurance companies would not have offered it.
NOW $200.00 each year/each enrollee, that YOU would have earned is retained by the insurance companies.
This is not a cut back in funding, just a give back by YOU. I’m curious how much they cut the FMO. (Nothing personal Craig)
I guess that means bigger bonuses for Ins Co. Execs.
The little guy gets screwed again, this time by OUR representatives!
The gov’t is not shutting off spending on Medicare and they never will. The people with power just want to keep all the profits.
Humana CEO (last year) made $2.9 in Pay and $16 million on exercised stock options, and wants gov’t to restrict how much we make.
This is an outrage! (along with some other covert activity in Washington) People need to understand the difference between spending and cronyism.
Athought the idea of a “union” may be mistated, I think the point is — we as agents need better representation in Washington, and we don’t have it.
Please, everyone write, fax, and e-mail your individual representatives and whoever is applicable in Congress.
We should be flooding fax machines, mail boxes, and e-mail, not to mention the phones for those so inclined. And the release of commissions tomorrow or tuesday should not put this to rest.
I have written, Faxed and e-mailed:
Stark
Baucas
Grassley
Rockefeller
and Hatch
And called and spoke with my local representative.
EVERYONE SHOULD FLOOD THESE PEOPLE WITH YOUR POSITIONS. Even if it just 2 sentences. Send it to everyone via all 3 methods ( I did) I want to make sure they get the point.
I started a blog just to highlight and address this incompetence, and will add all the contact info for the above contacts to make it easy for everyone who’s also inclined to act.
http://medicareadvantageplan.blogspot.com/
If you find anything on the blog helpful or interesting please let me know. I may need the inspiration to continue the fight.
Thanks
What i’m hearing is 300.00 street level for five years from my Reps. It better not be any lower than that!!!!!!. I’ll never vote for a liberal again. Why do these people think these regulations are going to help seniors. Every mapd plan I sell has raised thier rates. They know its going to be harder for seniors switch plans with nobody calling to help them. On a footnote, Unions only make thangs worse!!!!!!!
You all seem to be unaware of the ways of gov spending. The federal Gov spends full speed then shuts off. So the moral of the story if you make money on a gov program like MA’s weather you are an agent or an FMO understand that it will stop just as fast as it started. This creates malinvestment on our parts we cannot plan on what the gov will do for any length of time. Yes you can make alot of money when the money is flowing but remember and be prepared it can shut off in an instant. The Gov is not the free market it will screw up 95% of what it touches. Not to be negative just going by gov track record.
Also the idea of a Agent union is about as helpful as tits on a Bull.
Our gov’t is a disgrace and this is another great example. Bailouts for Execs, incompetence at CMS, a dearth of accountability and arrogance in Congress.
If your not writing, e-mailing, and/or calling your representatives, please don’t complain.
Thank you for your update.
I’m overwhelmed with calls. And I’m very irritable not knowing if my efforts will be worth it.
Craig, You the Man!!
Thanks again Craig. You’re the only one communicating anything to the independent agent. We truly appreciate it…
Thanks Craig!
UNBELIEVABLE! Been preparing for the AEP since August and not a clue how we will be compensated. I 2nd the motion for you to head up an independent agent group as I believe we have no one speaking in our behalf (nor our client’s).