I got this as a part of a bulk e-mail from NAHU tonight. Apparently, they are in the process of preparing detailed comments on behalf of the NAHU members. Here is the full story:
On September 15, The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released rules containing marketing requirements for health insurance producers selling private Medicare Advantage plans (MA), Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug plans (MA PD) and stand-alone prescription drug plans (PDP), among other topics. The first is a final rule on new Medicare marketing requirements and the second was an interim final rule that addresses agent training and compensation. These regulations were designed to comply with requirements in the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act, which was enacted this summer. CMS then substantially revised the interim final rule and its provisions regarding agent compensation, and released a new interim final regulation this past Monday, November 10. Both rules are effective for the 2009 plan year, and represent a significant change as to the way private Medicare plans are marketed and agents and brokers are compensated.
The marketing rules are final with the force of law, but NAHU continues to work with CMS and coalition partners regarding implementation concerns. The new interim final rule on compensation may be commented on before December 15 and NAHU issued a press statement on the topic and is in the process of preparing detailed comments on behalf of our members.
While we are prohibited by federal antitrust laws from any activities that could in any way be construed as negotiating compensation on behalf of our members, NAHU is advocating generally for fair and reasonable compensation for all agents and brokers. NAHU has long advocated for improved accountability and oversight in the Medicare marketing area, including the institution of reasonable level commissions over time to eliminate incentives for agents to “churn”—moving customers from plan to plan without regard for the best interests of consumers. However, we believe that the servicing of client needs―after the sale of a product―is what constitutes the bulk of the work performed and value brought by agents and brokers on a daily basis, and that agents and brokers marketing private Medicare products should be fairly compensated for the invaluable services they provide to millions of seniors every day. The role and value of the agent for the Medicare population has taken on even greater importance given the widely reported problems with the government’s 1-800 MEDICARE telephone service, where beneficiaries often receive inconsistent and/or inaccurate information.
xtzwnezkfjuixfvawell, hi admin adn people nice forum indeed. how’s life? hope it’s introduce branch
Craig, Thanks for working with NAHU to bring attention to this situation. This is exactly what we need! And it is always a plus to our common good when agents are out there every day working hard for the good of the market. So, this is really a big plus for all.
Victoria –
Our travels yesterday confirmed that our clients really do see the value of having an agent, now if we could just make a living at it still.
The GOOD News we had to report was that gas was down under $2.00, we paid $1.97 a gallon. So let’s see your $45 you made filled your tank and probably got you lunch.
Hey the way I look at it, we all need to play nice here at the Ritter Playground. I was checking quite often as Craig is the only one communicating to the independent agent and since I was here so often looking for updates, I was getting long-winded and going on about everything. I knew it too. I understood and will work on it. Simplication is good and will also help in agents uniting. Our industry is having big problems (Thanks H
, Thanks AIG 
, etc.) and there are many, many talented people here that I believe will be able to get some GOOD things done.
It’s disappointing to me that the participants on these blogs are now “attacking” each other. How can we rally against the carriers, CMS if we can’t be united?
Met with 5 people y-day (sat). Think I made $45; but would have done so if I stayed home. One of my clients – with H…… – takes 2 meds which are covered now as tier 2 and are NOT covered in 2009. She did not know this. If I hadn’t helped her, she’d continue with H……., miss out on her AEP, have a drug plan with no coverage for her meds. Is that what CMS wants us to do as we receive such little compensation and have no incentive to help out clients (receive $15 if we do nothing or help)?
Boycot Humana! Don’t sell!!
Understood
Brenda Jo, We appreciate your input on all blogs BUT we certainly hope you spend as much time writting your legislature’s as you do with the blogs. Short and sweet draws more attention than long and drawn out. Not try to be abrasive but get to the point and you’ll recieve more readers
As a sidenote -
I was speaking to a Medicare rep this evening assisting a client on an erroneous disenrollment (computer issue between Co and CMS after correction of a previous Co and CMS age-in effective date error) and the Medicare Rep said that the company she enrolled in at the next AEP misled her and she was not enrolled. I said nobody misled her the enrollment was entered during a valid election, entered online, issued, I have a confirming # and the enrollee was issued a health plan ID card. They furthered this by stating that if the enrollee would have enrolled direct on the Medicare website that they would be in the Medicare system and all would have been well.
As most of you know, this client along with the majority of the rest, do not find the medicare website an easy method to make their decision and that is if they have a computer and internet. So long story short, her first MAPD disenrollment after age-in was “due to the Medicare beneficiary choosing another MA” yet they did not show another MA in their system so they can see that something was amiss and passed us on to supervisory and it is pending a resolve, hopefully.
I was on the Medicare website then doing compares and noticed a block where when you enroll via the Medicare Website that you get a confirm # and then you can check the status of that pending issue (didn’t notice that before). Nice feature for those that will use that method.
Anyway, this and the NAHU comment about inconsistent/inaccurate information from 1.800.Medicare made me think back to a year or so ago when we had a prospect whose wife had a lot of serious conditions and they independently enrolled online at Medicare.gov for an RX plan that had her one very expensive RX at the best rate/co-pay and also covered all of her other RX. So they enrolled online and all was well as they truly found benefit in being able to research and compare online. She was disabled so she was under 65, they were techy computerish people and they owned a computer and had internet and all was GREAT.
Next, with such a pleasant experience behind them, a few months later (prob the AEP) they started looking at their medical options and they went in and found a wonderful medicare health plan with the benefits they dreamed of
that they could enroll in and even experience greater joy in their new found techy shopping for insurance on the internet. So they researched and selected a plan (I’ve got to tell you these people were rather sharp and the husband through his research and studies in taking care of his wife was possibly someone who had enough understanding of it all at this point to consider insurance as a career 
but alas they were not agents, had not sought an agent yet and selected an HMO or PPO MA only which then disenrolled their standalone RX plan. The RX with the wife’s conditions was their biggest expense and the problem they solved first but now that they furthered their online experience and found a HMO or PPO that seemed perfect also, they caused a problem for themselves as there wasn’t anything that stopped them from doing that on the online experience.
So I understand that even after contacting CMS, etc. they had to wait until the next available election period to get their coverages correct. At that time they sought an agent and he tells me that they continue to see the VALUE in having professional guidance from someone who works this day in and day out and has a career of insurance experiences and who trains annually and is certified. I haven’t heard anyone yet telling me how this chosen career is a piece of cake. Something as important as someone’s Medical and RX coverage during the years of their lives when they will need it most, should always be given the option and benefits of professional guidance.
Glad to see that NAHU is commenting. By the way, it seems odd that last year there weren’t as many changes in benefits and premiums (rather stable year in our county and in our markets) and very few plan changes here. Yet this year when almost every plan has benefit and premium changes that warrant a full review and assuredly increased plan changes that this is the year that everything is a renewal and comps are restricted and cut. We are working harder than ever. I think plan changes will be greater this year than last, the agent (the little guy) will make less than ever and will do more work than ever with more expenses passed to our level. I’m an optimist but I’m not sure why anymore.