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Behind the innovations – Legal team (more on page 6) Steve Hendrich, Mike Colliflower, Ashonti Davis
continued on page 2...
Sept | 2021Aetna Senior Supplemental Insurance
Celebrating 36 years in print • 1985-2021
WORKING SMARTER
It’s game time
It's game day, my friends! I have always loved fall football season. All our hopes are high and there’s excitement
across all fan bases – reflecting on past seasons, sharing articles, and talking about the new players in preparation for the big opening game. Our optimism is at its peak!
For the many of us who have chosen to make a difference by serving seniors as a career, we now have two exciting fall seasons. We are zealous participants in the wonderful season of the Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) and it’s about to begin. Unlike our football games, we have control of this…our individual efforts and successes.
"When you're good at something, you'll tell everyone. When you're great at something, they'll tell you."- Walter Payton, Chicago Bears
We should never lose sight of putting our clients’ and members’ needs first during this crazy AEP rush. Every person deserves to have their individual concerns and wishes heard. Let’s make sure we take the time to assist each of them with the best possible individual solutions. And when AEP is over, we want our members bragging about us – their new team!
"Your talent determines what you can do. Your motivation determines how much you are willing to do. Your attitude determines how well you do it." - Lou Holtz, College Football Hall of Fame
Keeping a positive outlook during this hectic time can be challenging. But it's extremely important to calm the anxieties seniors may face during this important time in their lives.
pg 2 pg 3
Just like in any sport, remember the fundamentals.
Provide the same level of service, support, and dedication to your clients that you would during any other time of the year. You have spent entire careers perfecting your knowledge and skills to
serve your clients in the best ways possible. Keep doing the things that made you great!
The team that makes the fewest mistakes will win.
It's hard for amateurs or professionals to be perfect. The key is to eliminate as many things as possible that can cause mistakes. We have a great electronic application tool that will help
eliminate potential mistakes and speed up issue times. Make sure you’re utilizing that and all the other tools that we have built to help you.
Play for and make the breaks.
In any sport or profession, the breaks will not always go our way. The key is to keep moving forward with a positive attitude. Capitalize on the breaks and don't focus on the ones that
may not bounce our way. AEP is extremely busy and too many times energy is wasted on areas that we may not be able to control.
Carry the fight to the opponents.
Many times, the opponent during AEP is time itself. We have a short time frame to provide support to our clients. It's important that we are prepared for this fight. How can we help you
gain time so that you can provide more support to your clients? We have an agent website with tools to track applications and look up the status of applicants. By using these tools at your convenience, you can customize your time to maximize support hours for clients.
Protect the skilled players.
This is the most important in my opinion. The members we all serve are the skilled players and we are here to protect them. I know that each of you value the trust that your clients place in you.
And we certainly value the trust that you place in us every day. We have all chosen this profession because we enjoy serving and making a difference. I feel honored to be on your team, serve with you, and provide healthcare solutions for the senior population. ◾
...continued from page 1 (It's game time)
FROM OUR PRESIDENT
Time out“Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.” - Gustavo Flaubert
So after what seems like forever, I’m finally taking a vacation. During the darker days of the pandemic,
it might have been hard for anyone to tell the difference since any day off back then was spent in the same house. But I’m actually taking some time away to fish and play golf, two very socially distanced activities. I can’t begin to tell you how relaxed I already feel, even though I’m acutely aware that we’re not out of the woods yet and still need to be safe out there. No big deal though. I’m on vacation!
I think we sometimes underestimate the importance of a good recharge in our industry.
We all know that there are millions of seniors who need our help and I’ve watched you guys labor for almost a decade. To say you’re hardworking and diligent is like saying it’s humid in South Carolina during August. And I can’t begin to thank you enough for all those efforts – you don’t need to tell me that it’s what built our little enterprise.
But the truth is, vacations improve our productivity. And along the way you get new perspectives on things and usually return much happier than when you left. If that’s not enough, the change of scenery helps you sleep better and deeper. A good vacation every now and then will leave you with a healthier mindset and, according to some studies, a healthier heart as well.
Or maybe I’m just trying to justify some time away from the job...
I remember the last “official” vacation like it was yesterday. We flew out of Nashville to Raleigh, North Carolina for a golf frenzy at Pinehurst. When we got off the plane, people who’d been over-served in first class were joking about Corona. But by the end of that trip when we returned to the Raleigh airport, we could easily have dropped off everyone in there at their destinations aboard one plane. Worse, the terrible puns had started to become a nightmare for millions of people around the globe.
The past two years have been difficult for everyone. Being cooped up and unable to be with the people you love is beyond awful and even our all-time sales records don’t nearly compensate for the time we all lost with each other. It looks very much like we may finally be able to see the possibility of life after COVID.
I feel a renewed sense of optimism and I’m looking forward to the day when we won’t need to talk so much about coronaviruses and its variants.
It’s in the spirit of that optimism for the future that I’m taking a little time off and I hope you take that opportunity as well. It’s summertime now but the Annual Enrollment Period is right around the corner and there won’t be time for much else once that gets underway!
There’s one more thing. Come October, we’ll have been part of Aetna for 10 years! In fact, as I write this, I’m celebrating my 11th anniversary as Aetna Senior Supplemental’s President. Thank you for every one of these last 11 years. The best of my life.
And let me go ahead and thank you for the next 11! ◾
Agent Services is here to help
The Agent Services team is on the frontlines ready to assist
with everything you need including completing e-applications, ordering sales supplies, and navigating the agent website. No question or situation is unwelcome to the Agent Services team as they are here to serve you during this
busy time. For the upcoming Annual Enrollment Period (AEP), one of the quickest ways to engage the team and other departments is via Live Chat (located in the top right of the secure agent website home page).
Amie Hampton, Agent Services Manager: “We have five of our senior reps staffed on the Live Chat* line to answer any questions about Medicare Supplement products. Some of our other departments are able to assist as well, with just the click of a button and input of your information.”
You can also track applications you have submitted using the Enrollment Tracker tool under the My Business tab located on the agent website. The tool will show exactly where your client’s application is in the enrollment process. You can also submit application changes using the enrollment tracker. Simply go to the “create” icon,
listed to the right of your client’s name on the report, and upload any documents and/or changes to our New Business department.
Amie: “Use Aetna Quote & Enroll to ensure error-free submittals, auto-underwriting usage, and faster processing. Our New Business department does their best to get applications completed as soon as possible, but if it’s been over 14 calendar days from the date of submission, agents have the option to submit an escalation request from the website.”
And if you don’t have access to Live Chat, you can always call the Agent Services line at 866-272-6630. Article contributed by Jerel Flint,
Marketing Communications Assistant
Be sure to have the required applicant information ready for authentication, which is three of the following: the pending policy number, first and last name of the applicant, date of birth or address of the applicant. All the best, for a great AEP…and we’re ready to serve. ◾
*Currently, Live Chat offers full support of Medicare Supplement products and limited support of ancillary products. Final Expense product support is not yet available on Live Chat.
Ty Wooldridge President and Chief Marketing Officer
Steve Patton Executive Director of Sales
OPERATIONS OVERVIEW
Total production Medicare Supplement Final Expense Cancer and Heart Attack or Stroke/Plus
Year-to-date
1. Christopher Westfall2. Gerald Simpson3. Matthew Centi4. Joshua Musick5. Matthew Claassen
1. Christopher Westfall2. Matthew Claassen3. Matthew Centi4. Madeline Olejnik5. Joshua Musick
1. Suzzanne Bloom2. Syed Siraj3. Abdel Al-Kurdi4. Anthony Martin5. Jesse Roberts
1. Premium Choice Ins. Svcs.2. Ashley Davis3. Gerald Simpson4. Michael Cozzo5. Michelle Boggs
August 2021
1. Premium Choice Ins. Svcs.2. Andres Colorado3. Conrad Hobbs4. Christopher Westfall5. Jonathan Reed
1. Conrad Hobbs2. Christopher Westfall3. Sandy Harris4. Joshua Musick5. Jacob Worrell
1. Maxwell Kiellish2. Suzzane Bloom3. Anthony Martin4. Gary Michels5. Shelby Wadsworth
1. Premium Choice Ins. Svcs.2. Loar Harris3. Michelle Boggs4. Ashley Davis5. Shawna Harding
Home Care/Plus Hospital Indemnity/Flex Recovery Care Dental, Vision and
HearingDental, Vision and
Hearing Plus
Year-to-date
1. Terra Rinderle2. David Arkenberg3. Joshua Berger4. Keith Berg5. Lisa English
1. Rudy Rodriguez2. Maurice Weir3. Casey Atkins4. Stephen Turner5. Philip Russell
1. Jeremy Poynot2. Richard Spano3. Bruce Aggen4. Kasie Depoorter5. Patricia Hall
1. Edward Elsner2. James Collingsworth3. Gerald Simpson4. Anissa Anthimiades5. Premium Choice Ins. Svcs.
1. Andres Colorado2. Maria Lobo3. Greta Adelusi4. Diane Finnestead5. Steven John
August 2021
1. Terra Rinderle2. Dale Skaggs3. Glenn Brown4. Joshua Berger5. Keith Berg
1. Andres Colorado2. Premium Choice Ins. Svcs.3. Kurt Buckwalter4. Philip Russell5. Michael Wells
1. Marshal Noeller2. Richard Spano3. Nancy Perlman4. Paul Strid5. Lisa English
1. Andres Colorado2. Premium Choice Ins. Svcs.3. Edward Elsner4. Jesse Salo5. Richard Guyse
1. Andres Colorado2. Maria Lobo3. Greta Adelusi4. Justin Stark5. Zachary Jones
Lead
erbo
ard
2021
Several of my articles this year have focused on new product launches. However, with Medicare’s Annual
Enrollment Period (AEP) right around the corner, I’m going to take a few minutes to remind you about an oldie but a goodie, Hospital Indemnity Flex.
Millions of seniors purchase Medicare Advantage (MA) plans during AEP. Millions of seniors choose $0 premium MA plans. When I was child, my dad would spout many a saying when it came to spending a buck. One of his favorites being “you get what you pay for.” As a child, I didn’t really understand what that meant. I went to the store, I paid $1 for a pack of Skittles and a Mountain Dew, I got what I paid for…
He wasn’t talking about MA as this was in the 1980s, but the saying has stood the test of time and is applicable to MA.
MARKETING MINUTES
In 2020, almost all MA enrollees would pay less than the Part A hospital deductible for an inpatient stay of 3 days. However, the more days added to the stay, the more likely that enrollee pays out-of-pocket:
• 5 days: It’s a coin flip. Half of MA enrollees required to pay more than the beneficiaries in traditional Medicare; those enrollees would pay $1,644 on average.
• 7 days: 64% of MA enrollees are in a plan that requires higher cost sharing than the Part A hospital deductible in traditional Medicare.
• 10 days: 72% of MA enrollees are in a plan that requires higher cost sharing.
When we launched Hospital Indemnity Flex in 2017, one of the benefits we focused on was having the flexibility to choose a daily hospital indemnity option ranging from 3 to 10 (or 20) days to help customize a solution for the example shown above. This is one example of why we see an uptick in Hospital Indemnity Flex submits during AEP, and why you should consider adding this product to your conversation.
This also provides an excellent opportunity to call back your client after the holidays. It’s like that time I got that pack of Skittles for a quarter. They were so hard I couldn’t even bite through them. Now, I understood…I got what I paid for. If you have questions about any of our products, don’t hesitate to contact our Agent Services team at 866-272-6630. ◾
You get what you pay for
1Freed, M., Damico, A., & Neuman, T. (2021, January 13). A dozen facts about Medicare advantage in 2020. KFF. https://www.kff.org/medicare/issue-brief/a-dozen-facts-about-medicare-advantage-in-2020/
COMMUNITY EXCHANGE
How have you adapted to a more virtual/less in-person sales environment?
“The worldwide emergency we have experienced has allowed us to embrace servicing our clients in new ways – either by phone or virtually, using email as the conduit to facilitate enrollment and service. Many clients did embrace the virtual world of enrollment, loving not driving across town to select a plan that fits their needs. Regardless of how you want to sell, we need to meet the clients’ needs based on their preferred style of assistance. Ask the client how they would like to meet – whether in person, virtually, or by email – and explain the enrollment process. Always take the time to properly explain how coverages work.
Never take shortcuts when it comes to serving clients.”
Chris Carothers | Las Vegas, Nevada
“We have two offices. Our original office in Moorestown, NJ which had been about 50% in-person sales and our Cranford, NJ office which is more of a call center with 90-95% virtual sales. Fortunately, we were able to take the technology/tools and lessons learned from our Cranford office and replicate them in our Moorestown office. Both offices moved to 99% virtual sales in the past 18 months. Electronic applications, SOAs, and automated workflows allow us to continue to scale our business. Aetna’s technology is a key enabler for our efficient growth, specifically the e-applications with Security Question signature, and automated underwriting!”
Justin Lubenow | Cranford, New Jersey
Contributed by Nicole Palsa, Senior Marketing Operations Specialist
ABOVE traditional Medicare
2% 50%
3 days hospital stay
7 days hospital stay
5 days hospital stay
10 days hospital stay
50% 36% 28%98%
64% 72%
BELOW traditional Medicare
% of MA enrollees in plans with cost sharing
Medicare Advantage enrollee cost sharing, by length of inpatient hospital stay, 2020¹
Part A deductible for inpatient hospitalization:
$1,408
pg 4
Scott Root Manager
Product Management and Development
pg 5
“In 2009 when I started selling Medicare Supplements, I discovered that I could talk to more than double the number of prospects in a day if I just used the telephone. Back then, there was only one insurance company with an electronic application, but I made it work. Since then, I have been constantly working on improvements to our process that have made the virtual sales environment the most efficient way to onboard prospects into clients.”
Chris Westfall | North Charleston, South Carolina
“The great thing about working for Senior Security Benefits is that I have been trained and coached by Gaylan Hendricks, aka Queen of the Bundle. We have always worked on the phone, therefore, during the pandemic it was business as usual. During that time, Gaylan trained face-to-face agents with
that same training that call centers and I had prior to the pandemic. I am thankful that we get to help our clients make one of the biggest decisions, protecting them and their families. We educate and ask the hard questions that most people are afraid to talk about. It just makes sense to ask now, before something possibly happens to that client. When we get our clients to open-up, we can talk with ease, build trust, and create lasting relationships that we are proud of.”
Michelle B. (Career Agent) | Fort Worth, Texas
We've put helpful guides and links to frequently used tools all in one place, so you can quickly access the information you need during the Annual Enrollment Period (AEP).
Some of the resources you’ll find include:
• Producer guide • Drug list • Underwriting FAQs
• Household premium • Enrollment tracker • Case escalation tool discount guidelines
Just sign into the agent side of aetnaseniorproducts.com and you’ll see Your AEP Resources on the message board.
Your AEP resources
WHAT'S NEW
COMPLIANCE CORNER Medicare expansion – to be or not to be?
Agents know almost immediately what processes work best and where new products are needed
the most. That feedback is instrumental in developing innovations to make the business experience expedient for agents and members. When new products and innovations are in development, clearing state and federal regulatory hurdles can take time before being approved for use.
In a business where time can make or break a deal, it helps to have a legal and compliance team that understands the needs of agents and members, the requirements of state and federal laws, and an in depth knowledge of the enterprise business to keep products and innovations moving. Steve Hendrich, Mike Colliflower and Ashonti Davis are our legal experts who ensure that we always meet any and all required regulations.
For example, this year the legal team supported the Live Chat innovation and worked with the project
team on crafting swift and effective replies.
Ashonti: “The main objective of the Live Chat project was efficiency, giving agents and policyholders another method to reach us. We went through several rounds of reviewing responses and sifting through which questions we get most and how to best answer those.”
Mike: “It’s usually a balancing act of solving a problem that agents encounter in the field, while meeting the state and federal regulatory requirements to launch the innovation.”
ON THE COVER Behind the innovations – Legal team
ON THE COVER: Photos taken at Tennessee State Capitol building (L) and The Old Jailhouse in Sanford, Florida (R)
Article contributed by Jerel Flint, Marketing Communications Assistant
pg 6 pg 7
They argue that adding a benefit as simple as periodic teeth cleaning will result in significant benefits in terms of lower costs for treatment of conditions later in a senior’s life. The lack of dental coverage is the primary reason seniors do not visit a dentist. Many Medicare Advantage plans provide access to dental care that isn’t covered under Medicare.
Given the potential cost of adding all three benefits and the tenuous aspect of the control of Congress, some believe the most likely outcome this time is to add a dental benefit. Test the water so to speak, then consider adding vision and hearing benefits in the future. But it is anyone’s guess.
There are two proposals under consideration for expanding Medicare. One idea is to add dental under Part B of Medicare, like coverage for physician care or outpatient services. Another proposal to add dental coverage to Medicare is to create a new, separate voluntary benefit, like the prescription drug benefit under Medicare Part D. A new, voluntary dental benefit, offered on its own as a new part of Medicare, could operate like the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit. Beneficiaries would have the option to sign up for a dental benefit for an additional premium. Obviously, this might have an impact on the existing private market for dental and Medicare Advantage since many Medicare Advantage plans offer dental.
Stay tuned to what develops in this Congress. And if not this Congress, perhaps the next one. My sense is most Americans value dental coverage and will support adding it to Medicare. The big question will likely not end up being “to be or not to be,” but what is the cost and how many dentists will agree to participate in the new program. ◾
There seems to be movement afoot in Congress about expanding Medicare. This happens periodically and
it’s difficult to predict what, if anything, might happen this time.
President Johnson signed into law the Social Security Act Amendments in 1965, known as the Medicare bill. The bill established Medicare, a health insurance program for the “elderly,” and Medicaid, a health insurance program for the poor. I put the marks around elderly because I’m supposedly in that category (age 65 and over), but don’t feel particularly elderly. Perhaps some of you reading this feel like me!
Medicare offers coverage to those aged 65 and over, and some younger people with disability status as determined by the Social Security Administration, including people with end stage renal disease or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease).
Medicare Part A covers hospitalizations and hospice, Part B covers doctors’ services, Part C is called Medicare Advantage. It replaces Parts A and B and is offered by private companies. Medicare Part D covers prescription medications and is also offered by private companies. In 2019, there were over 61 million enrolled in Medicare.
According to the annual Medicare Trustee’s reports and research by the government’s MedPAC group, Medicare covers approximately one half of healthcare expenses of those enrolled in the program. Enrollees often cover most of the remaining costs by purchasing private insurance coverage and/or by joining a Medicare Advantage health plan and buying a Part D prescription drug plan. Enrollees pay premiums, coinsurance, co-pays, and deductibles.
Over time, Medicare faces significant financial issues due to continued increase in medical costs and services, increasing enrollment as the population ages, and a declining ratio of workers to enrollees. Most healthcare experts and policymakers agree that controlling or containing health care costs will be an essential necessity to Medicare’s fiscal future.
All this said, and we find ourselves in a debate about expanding coverage to add dental along with possibly vision and hearing benefits. How is this possible given the additional costs associated with adding coverage to a program that some say already is in dire need of an overhaul to make it viable?
Consumer groups point to the fact that problems with teeth can lead to or exacerbate
chronic medical conditions if left untreated, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Coverage has changed/expanded over time to the point that Medicare spending
represents approximately 14% of total federal government spending.
The legal team has a unique expertise because of their wide-ranging understanding of different aspects of our business. They collaborate with underwriting, new business, and claims as well as actuarial, finance and technology teams for a well-rounded strategic awareness.
The legal team understands that innovation comes with a certain level of risk. Rather than allowing risk to stymie innovations, they work with the business to figure out the best way to blend it with potential projects.
Steve: “We do our best to inform business leaders on what decisions they can make in conjunction with the appropriate level of risk they are willing to take; that helps them do things that are more innovative than you would typically see in insurance companies. We don’t try to stop deals if they’re in a grey area. We advise on where we think they can operate with some level of acceptable risk.”
Some of our recent innovations that legal was instrumental in helping us get off the ground (i.e. Pay at the Store, Live Chat, List Bill) are available for agents to take advantage of during the Annual Enrollment Period that’s right around the corner. Good selling to all! ◾
Michael Colliflower CLU, ChFC, FLMI, AIRC Counsel
Aetna Senior Supplemental Insurance1021 Reams Fleming Blvd. Franklin, TN 37064
PacesetterCelebrating 36 years in print
1985-2021
PRESORTEDFIRST CLASSU.S. Postage
PAIDPermit No. 315
York, PA
083121CGFLP02891
Transparency and persistency lead to success
There is nothing more persuasive than transparency.
Be sure to be clear, concise, and transparent when providing a quote, going over coverages, and reviewing potential risks. Clients need to be presented all the information so they can make informed decisions.
It’s not a one-and-done deal. Selling insurance means starting a lifelong relationship with your client. There is no finish line, there are only mile markers. A satisfied customer is the best business strategy of all.
As we near the Annual Enrollment Period, I would recommend that the scope of appointment is marked appropriately so you can discuss Medicare Supplement, Dental, Vision and Hearing and Hospital Indemnity plans with your clients. The scope of appointment allows the Medicare prospect to check off lines of business that they would like to discuss.
Please know that we are committed to provide you, our partner, with the tools needed to achieve our common purpose in the quest for member satisfaction.
In this rapidly evolving market, Aetna’s diverse insurance product portfolio allows your clients to look at options that bring value and peace of mind to their lives.
We are here to help you reach and exceed your business objectives and goals with a great insurance product portfolio and ongoing support. Please visit the agent side of aetnaseniorproducts.com for full details, resources, and tools. Or call our Agent Services team at 866-272-6630. Work hard and the results will speak for themselves! ◾
For agent use only. Not for public use or distribution.©2021 Aetna Inc.
CVSHealthHeartRegular WELCOME NEW AGENTS!
Article contributed by George Pelekanos, Regional Vice President, Midwest Sales Region (KY, MI, MN, MO, NJ, PA, WI)
