Three weeks left in AEP... yea!

23 new clients, over 120 applications/transactions, 10's of thousands of dollars saved for clients... exhausted.

Great improvements on Medicare Advantage in most markets.

Medicare drug plans paired with pharmacies to bring huge savings to seniors.

I know, blah blah blah... It's busy busy busy for a few more days.

Thanks for keeping the fishing stories posted... enjoying the read. Might try to get some time on the water after 12/7.

just what is it you do kcbrown,,,,,

Insurance agent... independent/broker. We mostly do individual personal lines such as life, health, etc. 90% of my book is Medicare related clients most of whom are in Missouri, Kansas, and Arkansas.

nice. thank you, just courious...

Three days left. 50+ new clients. Three just today. Approx. 70 medsupps, 280 medicare drug plans, 70 or more Medicare Advantage between Humana and Advantra.... most going to Advantra. Hope to get some decent weather, get some fishing in, relax after this mad house of intensity is over Wednesday.

Been sleeping well... no doubt about that.

Is this an unusually busy time? If so, why?

AEP, Annual Election Period, is the only time of the year that most medicare beneficiaries can switch drug plans and medicare advantage plans. So, millions of seniors, limited time to make selections, makes for a busy season.

I think new Medicare regs on marketing (can't cold call on the phone, can't door knock, can't can't can't ... ) it limited the way most seniors could be contacted. This resulted in more, way more, mailings. Every table I sat at had a mound of medicare insurance related mail on it. Then there were the commercials... every other one was targeting medicare beneficiaries. Confused seniors needing someone to talk to... we were a source for hundreds.

As a local agent, with a physical office in Bates county, referrals drove them to us like crazy. We ran a few ads in local papers and that helped as well.

Plan improvements made it a no-brainer that a change in coverage was needed. Medicare Supplements are getting into a price range I've never seen. I used to be able to keep my age 80+ married couples in the $200/mo range, now it is north of $350/mo. That's some serious money coming out of a fixed income budget and making Medicare Advantage all the more viable as an option.

Part D, drug coverage, changed a bunch. There are now three plans with preferred pharmacy affiliations. Humana's Walmart Preferred, First Health's Value Plus (preferred at WalMart, WalGreen, or Target) and Aetna's CVS plan... using one of these plans at a preferred pharmacy verses a normal network pharmacy was making hundreds and in come cases over $1000/year difference in the cost of meds over the course of the 2012 plan year.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kcbrown

AEP, Annual Election Period, is the only time of the year that most medicare beneficiaries can switch drug plans and medicare advantage plans. So, millions of seniors, limited time to make selections, makes for a busy season.

I think new Medicare regs on marketing (can't cold call on the phone, can't door knock, can't can't can't ... ) it limited the way most seniors could be contacted. This resulted in more, way more, mailings. Every table I sat at had a mound of medicare insurance related mail on it. Then there were the commercials... every other one was targeting medicare beneficiaries. Confused seniors needing someone to talk to... we were a source for hundreds.

As a local agent, with a physical office in Bates county, referrals drove them to us like crazy. We ran a few ads in local papers and that helped as well.

Plan improvements made it a no-brainer that a change in coverage was needed. Medicare Supplements are getting into a price range I've never seen. I used to be able to keep my age 80+ married couples in the $200/mo range, now it is north of $350/mo. That's some serious money coming out of a fixed income budget and making Medicare Advantage all the more viable as an option.

Part D, drug coverage, changed a bunch. There are now three plans with preferred pharmacy affiliations. Humana's Walmart Preferred, First Health's Value Plus (preferred at WalMart, WalGreen, or Target) and Aetna's CVS plan... using one of these plans at a preferred pharmacy verses a normal network pharmacy was making hundreds and in come cases over $1000/year difference in the cost of meds over the course of the 2012 plan year.

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My parents and I both have supplement ins. and we pay $190 a month per person and that covers all medicare doesn't so this $350 a month sounds like a rip off to me. Sorry but I've been thourgh this and you don't have to pay that much for great supplement ins. As far as part D I pay $36.50 a month and that covers all our meds.

Just reread your post and if that $360 is for acouple than I was wrong.

Insurance is a necessary part of life, but trying to manage those costs along with everything else that keeps inflating (except my take home pay) is making me want to just crawl into a cave and pull a rock across the front of it!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by vic n

Insurance is a necessary part of life, but trying to manage those costs along with everything else that keeps inflating (except my take home pay) is making me want to just crawl into a cave and pull a rock across the front of it!

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Amen!

Yep, that is for a couple, expensive couple at that. Most are way below that. BTW, you shouldn't pay $190/mo for a supplement unless you're 90.