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I agree with Wendell, our rights have been eroded. This is because those in authority at CMS have listened to our senior citizens who have screamed: “too many phone calls …” No One, apparently sat down with CMS and told them the inner workings of preparing, finding and paying for prospects, and the selling process involved. These people have no IDEA AT ALL OF WHAT WE DO; that is why their rules are “one sided.” In truth, we have been painted as: “THE ENEMY, SCAM ARTISTS, etc.”
Therefore, the “trust factor” is suspect until the agent seeks to bridge it. This is because of bad publicity, and those few agents who was self-serving, branding the universe of agents, as stated,
I am sure, that seniors would like to have some relationship building with the agent that they like; and they have the choice to choose amongst many, but after they do, I am sure they would like to see that person and have that person (agent) remember them and call them intermittently. The way CMS has it, there is to be no relationship building, no human touch, and the interaction and verbiage is stilted, cold and abstract. This can stop – when THERE IS REPRESENTATION OF AGENTS’ (INDEPENDENT) point of view and the realities of their day to day job duties. Advertisements are needed to show WHY AGENTS ARE NEEDED AND WHY YOU SHOULD CALL YOUR AGENT!! This is missing. As an agent, who cares about my clients, I have been called by clients after they have settled into their health plans, because of life’s dynamics and sickness, they turn to someone they hopefully can trust — the agent, who brought them a suitable health plan and satisfaction.
Once Universal Healthcare is approved in the United States, there will only be 1 payor, there will be no more Medicare or Medicaid. I wonder if somehow Health Insurance can survive, perhaps insurers can offer supps, all though I do not think our government will allow it.
Craig,
Do you have any idea when CMS will release the second half of the AEP commissions
Wendell, I could not agree more. I’ve been waiting to hear someone picking up the 1st amendment issue.
Imagine a client asks you about MA plans and you tell them that a government agency has required you sign a form and then wait 48 hour before you can discuss it with them.
It’s seems so ridiculous I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.
I might post something on this on my MA “rant” page this weekend. I want to find the actually wording by CMS so I can be accurate.
If you are so inclined check it out.
http://medicareadvantageplan.blogspot.com/
PS. Sorry for the “a” word in another response. (I actually cleaned it up to get to that.)
I wonder if anyone has begun to think about how much these CMs rules are infringing on our rights as individuals and our right to do business in this Country. Case in point, when have you ever been told that you can’t stop to see someone about insurance until CMS says so. When is it not our right in accordance with free speech to be able to to do a proper job of discussing and comparing plans to our clients whenever they want us to so they can make objective choices? When did we as agents loose our civil rights to do business without restriction of free trade? CMS has, if you think about it, just taken our rights away as US citizens. Stock Brokers can call and go see anyone they want, Mortgage Brokers can also, in fact anyone can except Insurance Agents. If ever there was a time for us to unite as a national lobby it’s now. Believe me this movement is underway and you will find that help is on the way.
Wendel,
Please see my latest post http://blog.ritterim.com/2009/05/22/cms-guidance-on-scope-of-appointment-form/comment-page-1/#comment-2193