This past Friday, July 31st, CMS issued its final clarifying guidance for “Initial Commissions” for Medicare Advantage and Part D plans. They also set forth some guidelines on when the Medicare Advantage Organizations (MAO’s) would be receiving the data required to pay brokers their initial commissions in 2009.
Here is a link to the document.
In summary:
- The document clearly outlines the 5 senarios where initial commissions for PDP or MA are required.
- The document states that CMS would have the January – June initial commission files to the MAO’s by July 29th, 2009
- The document states the CMS will deliver future months initial commission files around the third week of the following month. Example: July 1st, effectives will be delivered on the third week of August.
This medicare advantage selling is over for me.After 4 years I can’t take it anymore.It’s just not worth it.I think I’ll go back to selling sups again.
Hi Craig,
Is there someone at CMS that I can contact regarding initial commission mistakes. I have about 10 cases that I know were initial commissions. T-65. New to Part B. I enrolled the clients and then my company terminated them because they were not in the Medicare system yet or it took CMS too long to respond with a Part B-effective date. Once they received the information from CMS they reinstated them. I only received 1/2 of the commission and since the company enrolled them and then terminated them CMS is probably not looking at it as a reinstatement. Needless to say the company is saying that they will only pay out if deemed inital from CMS even though the part B effective date on the application indicated the client was new to medicare. Some I even enrolled 2-3 months before their part B effective dates and they are currently on the plan. Please help. I need a CMS contact so I can address these agent issues to get this resolved. Thanks for all of your help.
As promised, I am writing to let agents know that Universal American / Pyramid has paid out commissions for MA’s effective Jan 1st – June 1st, 2009. Commissions are in my account … I’m happy now! (At least as much as I can be having waited over 8 months to get what was owed to me!) I’m assuming all agents across the country will begin getting paid their overdue commissions, if they haven’t already. Thanks to Craig and all those who fought for what was right!!
Did you also get paid on PDP’s? I am still waiting on conventry. Should see it tomorrow if I got paid. Thanks for letting us know
Dee:
You should be able to view commission payment information for Coventry on App Tracker. For information on this, go HERE: http://ritterim.pbworks.com/Coventry+Websites
Craig
What happened to the blog that UA was going to pay by August 19th? It suddenly disappeared. I know I saw it yesterday?
I was wondering that myself! I haven’t heard info on UA, but I was told Coventry paid on aug. 5th? Anyone confirm that? Thanks
Coventry is claiming everything is paid; however, I have several who were coming from Original Medicare and PDP to MAPD that were not paid on. I don’t know about UA. Frankly UHC has been the best in putting out information which is somewhat surprising because I had several customer service issues with them this year.
Rose:
Your Coventry Payment should be on App Tracker. If you haven’t used it, check out my page on Coventry websites. Once you are in App Tracker, you can click on a link for commission statements and view details. I get a live check which came yesterday. Those on Direct Deposit have been paid.
Craig
Here is my reply to Rose regarding Coventry:
Rose:
Your Coventry Payment should be on App Tracker. If you haven’t used it, check out my page on Coventry websites. Once you are in App Tracker, you can click on a link for commission statements and view details. I get a live check which came yesterday. Those on Direct Deposit have been paid.
Craig
Rose:
Your Coventry Payment should be on App Tracker. If you haven’t used it, check out my page on Coventry websites. Once you are in App Tracker, you can click on a link for commission statements and view details. I get a live check which came yesterday. Those on Direct Deposit have been paid.
Craig
Regarding Universal American, they sent out a Broker Alert earlier this week which said they would be paying around the 19th of August
Melody:
I don’t think this was a blog post, but I think it was in a comment from me. August 19th was in a broker alert from UA and also confirmed by me by telephone with one of their Marketing VP’s.
Craig
According to UHC they have the files and intend to start paying out commissions beginning this week. According to Wellcare they have NOTHING and have no idea as to when they will receive them and pay out. Humana says they have files and we can expect to see our money in oh maybe September. Coventry claims they have all the files and paid out everything on their 8/1/09 commission run. Funny how each call I make to the repective broker services units only leads to more frustration. I have concluded that 1) no one in any broker service unit knows accurate information as to what is going on and 2) they get paid a salary or hourly wage so they don’t care. I don’t know if anyone else out there has any accurate information but I’m getting tired of this sit and wait game. There has got to be a easier way to make a living!
I posted this under the other thread about Commissions this weekend.
“When I checked App Tracker tonite for any commissions for Coventry/Health America (PA) I note a process dated 8/1/2009 which appears to be paying the True-Up NEW commissions through to June 2009. It appears accurate from my initial review. I am on direct deposit so I do not have the dollars yet but expect they will be in our account by the middle of this week. Just thought I’d throw this out there for anyone else out there waiting and wondering and to see if others are seeing the same thing. I am printing the statement now to review in more detail and be sure that I am correct. Many thanks to Craig!!!”
I am expecting that we should see these commissions this week…
I hope when they say “an enrollment of a beneficiary into an MA, Cost plan, or PDP who is currently in Original Medicare” only they are also referring to original medicare with medicare supplement.
I agree, but I also don’t think that CMS tracks Med Supp policies, so I think Orig Medicare with or without a Med Supp should be new to MA… But then again, what do I know, never could have guessed this past year, that’s for sure…