One of the challenges of selling Medicare products is getting clients up to speed on how the program works so they can evaluate their options and make a decision. In other words, it’s not as simple as giving them the rates for a few supplements or explaining the features and benefits of three different Advantage plans; instead, for beneficiaries new to Medicare, agents usually have to educate clients about what Medicare A and B are, how to sign up, how much they cost, and what type of options are available in addition to Original Medicare. That takes time.

It’s open enrollment time, and that means we’re seeing more insurance commercials than normal, especially those targeting Medicare beneficiaries. They’re nearly as annoying as the political ads we’ve been inundated with for months.

CMS has released the Medicare premium and cost sharing numbers for 2023, and it’s much better news than we received last year. For 2022, the standard Medicare Part B premium went up by more than $20 per month. For 2023, it’s actually going down a little. Finally, some good news!

In a rare unanimous vote, the House of Representatives has passed the “Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act.” As reported by Medical Economics, the proposed law will “make it easier for senior patients to get care and improve health outcomes by modernizing the ‘antiquated’ prior authorization process” for the 28 million seniors currently enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan.

You’ve heard this advice from AHCP before: communicate with your clients regularly to provide additional value, stay top-of-mind, and stand out in the crowd of agents vying for your clients’ attention. This will help increase retention and will likely lead to additional referral business. But that’s easier said than done, mainly because many agents don’t know what they should be communicating. Most people don’t want to talk or read about health insurance all year long, so what can we tell our Medicare clients that they’ll actually want to hear?

After more than two years of COVID-19, mental health is understandably a big topic of discussion. People across the country have struggled with isolation, disruptions to their normal routines, the worry about getting sick, and the loss of loved ones. This has definitely taken a toll.

A universal truth is something that is widely accepted and agreed on as fact, something that does not change over time and location. For instance:

If you sell Medicare supplements or Medicare Advantage plans, you probably know that the standard Medicare Part B premium for 2022 is $170.10.

On April 29, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published a final rule and accompanying fact sheet relating to calendar year 2023 Medicare Advantage and Part D plans.