Medicare Blog | Medicare News | Medicare Information

July 7 marked 100 days until the start of Medicare's Annual Enrollment Period – affectionally known as AEP – and it's time to get excited! With new rules and regulations from CMS taking affect and new carrier products to learn and master, it's important that all of us to stay up to date and think through our collective strategies. According to recent statistics, more than 30 million Americans are enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans, making them eligible to sign up or renew their coverage during this AEP and start their new Medicare benefits on Jan. 1, 2024.

The best way to stay informed and prepared for the upcoming enrollment period is through research and leaning in to all the available resources at your fingertips. Make sure to review the new CMS rules and regulations as they are released and familiarize
yourself with the available products. Our CMS Task Force, led by our compliance and legal teams, is hard at work deciphering, analyzing and understanding processes for all of us to remain successful, while keeping compliant. As a reminder, our CMS FAQ webpage is your one-stop resource for rules interpretation, as well as for answers to question many colleagues have already submitted.

Get to know the Medicare products you are selling! Become knowledgeable about the benefits of the different plans available, rate changes heading into 2024, and competitiveness of the offerings in the areas you serve. Check out the new 2024 Medicare Advantage and Part D Rate Announcement Fact Sheet and the 2024 Medicare Advantage and Part D Final Rule – both available on the CMS.gov website.

Now is the time to reconnect with key clients ahead of the AEP 2024 selling season. Take
the opportunity to educate and reaffirm your relationships, while also establishing new ones. Aligned with new CMS marketing rules, this is also a great opportunity to follow best practices in informing clients of any new ancillary products that will be available when the enrollment period begins.

At the same time, now is also the time to start strategizing for how you’ll achieve your objectives this AEP, noting the important role this selling season plays in setting the tone for the new year. It starts with recruiting and certifications, and then fleshing out your game plan for how you’ll drive productivity throughout the AEP selling season.

Figure out which platforms you want to use, create and organize your promotional materials and plan out how you’ll drive activity. Doing this ahead of time will ensure that you are well prepared when the enrollment period begins. And don’t forget about our AEP Resource Page as your one-stop shop.

We are prepared to help you execute your AEP objectives

The complexity of the AEP process and the everchanging landscape of health care requires a comprehensive understanding of different types of plans and coverage options, timelines, and deadlines associated with AEP. Preparing your team for AEP is key! PSM’s approach - crafted and fine-tuned - takes a holistic approach to insurance distribution, one that allows us to create tailored partnership models with our agents and financial professionals and their affiliated companies to deliver what they and their clients need.

This includes a product portfolio of the nation’s best health and wealth solutions designed to meet the needs of consumers’ health and financial wellbeing, no matter where they are on their retirement journey.

The start of Medicare’s Annual Enrollment Period is just around the corner, and the time to prepare is now. Research the new rules and regulations, familiarize yourself with the different plans, and map out strategies that align with your goals. With the support and preparation from your PSM team, you will be ready and excited to help your clients make the best choices to live a happy, healthy retirement.

The AEP is right around the corner and there are some exciting opportunities on the horizon for 2024. Get prepared early to ensure a successful Annual Enrollment Period. We are here to help!

Before we dive in, it's crucial not to solely depend on these key points, as they are only a portion of the overall impact. We strongly advise reviewing the regulation and guidance thoroughly in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of each requirement and the potential changes you may need to implement. Also, be sure to visit https://yourfmo.com/cms-faqs which is frequently updated as we receive guidance from CMS and our carrier partners. 

Sales and Marketing Activities 

• Visiting a beneficiary without an appointment is always prohibited, even when the beneficiary has expressed an interest in MA products.
  
  
• You may no longer set up future personal marketing appointments or have beneficiaries complete Scope of Appointment forms at educational events.
  
  
• Marketing events are prohibited from taking place within 12 hours of an educational event in the same location. The same location is defined as the entire building or adjacent buildings.
  
  
• You must wait 48 hours between the completion of the Scope of Appointment and the start of the personal marketing appointment except when:
  • • SOAs are completed during the last four days of a valid election period.
    • Unscheduled in-person meetings (walk-ins) are initiated by the beneficiary.
    • Note: CMS has indicated that this 48-hour period is not required for inbound calls from enrollees. At this time, unless CMS provides further clarification, this requirement applies to outbound calls.
      
      
• The pre-enrollment checklist (PECL) must be provided prior to enrollment, including telephonic enrollments. "Effect of current coverage" has been added to the PECL.
  
  
• TPMOs must provide the number of plans and products it offers, as well as SHIP contact information in its disclaimer. TPMOs who offer all plans and products must also provide a version of this disclaimer.
  
  
• TPMOs must record all marketing, sales, and enrollment calls, including the audio portion of calls via web-based technology, in their entirety. Other types of calls have been excluded.
  
  

Marketing Materials 

• Authorized TPMOs must submit multi-plan materials to HPMS after pre-review by MA organizations.
  
  
• The use of superlatives such as "best" or "most" is prohibited unless specific criteria for supporting documentation are fulfilled.
  
  
• Do not use the Medicare name and CMS logo in a misleading way. Use of the Medicare ID card image must be authorized for use by CMS.
  
  
• The MA organization name or marketing name(s) as listed in HPMS must be identified in the marketing of any products, plans, benefits or costs.
  
  
• Marketing communications may not include information regarding potential savings that are based on a comparison of typical expenses borne by uninsured individuals, unpaid costs of dually eligible beneficiaries, or other unrealized costs of a Medicare beneficiary.

For Agent Use Only.

We are happy to share Aetna’s 2024 First Look is now available.

Now appointed with Aetna Medicare Advantage? Request details here.

The AEP is right around the corner and there are some exciting opportunities on the horizon for 2024. Get prepared early to ensure a successful Annual Enrollment Period. We are here to help!

Resources:

We are happy to share Cigna’s 2024 First Look is now available.

Some highlights:

• Cigna is still on track to achieve their goal of having plans available to at least 50% of the addressable Medicare Beneficiary market by 2025.
• Cigna will be at 45% for 2024
• 1 new State – Nevada
• 25 new MA counties
• 72 new DSNP counties
• 8 new CSNP counties
• Add of course, a commissionable PDP for 2024

Call us for details: 800-998-7715

Now appointed with Cigna Medicare Advantage? Request details here.

The AEP is right around the corner and there are some exciting opportunities on the horizon for 2024. Get prepared early to ensure a successful Annual Enrollment Period. We are here to help!

Resources:

Aetna Medicare is growing – And they’re expanding their footprint in 2024.

Call 800-998-7715 or Contact us today to learn more. We’d love to talk about opportunities for AEP.

Subject to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) approval. Confidential and proprietary. For internal/agent use only. Do not distribute.

UnitedHealthcare 2024 Certifications are now open!

We are excited to share that starting today 6/12/23), you can get certified to sell 2024 UnitedHealthcare Medicare Plans. That is 2 weeks earlier than last year so you can focus on AEP readiness and have more time to plan your events!

View Certifications details here.

We are thrilled to share the news that there are fresh options for Medicare Advantage plans for 2024!

If you are interested in finding out which carriers are extending their services this year, please feel free to contact us using the information provided below. We will gladly provide you with all the necessary details.

Call us today: (800) 998-7715 or email us at info@psmbrokerage.com

It's never too early to start preparing for the upcoming Annual Enrollment Period, so don't hesitate to get in touch if you have any inquiries or concerns.

2024 AHIP Medicare Training Details:

AHIP will be launching the new 2024 Medicare Certification on June 21st. View details.

Helpful Guides:

  For Agent Use Only.

On April 5, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued long-awaited rules pertaining to, among other matters, the marketing of Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. YourMedicare and its partners had been anticipating these changes and have activated a task force to study the newly published rules in detail and clarify their implications for our affiliated agents’ businesses.

The FAQ is the culmination of that effort. Here you will find answers to a number of questions we have received since April 5, as well as clarification on the new rules our team is proactively providing.

Please bookmark this page for future reference. As new information and interpretations become available, we will add those to this page.

We are happy to introduce Zing Health and Lasso Healthcare to our powerful lineup of Medicare Advantage options. 

We take pride in providing our agents with high quality senior insurance products that bring a sense of security and peace of mind to the nation's exploding senior population. Our experienced insurance marketing team provides our agents with a robust product portfolio, game-changing technology and unrivaled support.