Why is Member Retention important this year?
- The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and changes to Part D are likely to increase the costs for Medicare Beneficiaries on Medicare Advantage and stand-alone Part D plans.
- Political ads and election rhetoric will increase the awareness of the IRA’s impact on Medicare plans.
- ANOC notices will cause sticker shock in some cases and increase shopping.
- Several carriers are terminating MAPD plans and/or reducing plan benefits to shift members to other available plans within their portfolio. PDP plans are being impacted by plan consolidation by many carriers.
- More Medicare beneficiaries will be shopping for plans this year due to all of the plan disruption. You want your members to know how to reach you so another agent or call center doesn’t get there first.
What is The Brokerage doing to help?
- We are offering to mail up to 1,000 of your clients a customized letter at no cost.
- Our goal is for these letters to hit their mailboxes before AEP officially begins.
- You will also get message templates for texting an email.
Program Requirements
- Qualifying agents must have 4 of the following Medicare Advantage contracts through The Brokerage: Aetna, Cigna, Devoted, Humana, Wellcare, and UHC.
- Please submit by September 15th. Last day to submit is September 30th.
- Only Medicare members can be mailed; no new client prospecting included.
- Please review the template carefully for accuracy. A copy is emailed to each agent upon submission. The letter will be approved for mailing once submitted.
- Please allow 2 to 3 business days for processing and approval. Letters can take up to 14 days to arrive in mailboxes. Election mail can also add to delays, so please plan accordingly.
FAQs
- Carrier Qualification: The carriers that qualify for this program include Aetna, Cigna Health Springs, Devoted, Humana, UnitedHealthcare (UHC), and WellCare.
- Cost without 4 Appointments: If you do not have four appointments, the cost is $615 before tax using the available options.
- Minimum Carrier Requirement: Even if you mainly sell UHC and Humana, you will still need to be contracted with at least four out of the six carriers.
- Mailing Format: The mailing will be a regular letter, not a postcard.
- Artwork Availability: Agents will receive a PDF copy of the artwork via email, which they can use or repurpose for prospecting.
- Sharing with Non-Qualified Agents: Yes, agents who do not meet the requirements will receive a PDF copy.
- Spanish Option: There is a Spanish option available.
- Acceptable Client Address Data Files: Only Excel files are acceptable for client address data.
- Mailing Timing: Letters will be mailed within 24 to 48 hours.
- Eligibility for Book of Business: The program is not limited to MAPD members; letters can be mailed to clients with Part D if their contracts are under TBI.
- Logo Upload: Unfortunately, logo uploads are not currently supported.
- Contract Transfer Deadline: You must have your contracts moved over by the end of the program period (from 8/15 to 9/30) to participate.
- Book of Business Template: Yes, there are templates for uploading your book of business.
- QR Code Placement: The QR code will go to your Simply Enroll landing page.
- Standard Disclosures: The letter does not require standard disclosures because it is a communication piece.
- Custom Letters Approval: If you provide your own letter, the compliance team will review it to determine if CMS approval is needed.
- Custom Postcards: Unfortunately, custom postcards are not an option.
- Return Address: There will not be a return address on the letters.
- New Agents: As a new agent with a book of business, you can participate if your contracts are under TBI. We will mail up to 1000 pieces.
- Email vs. Mail: TBI will not email on your behalf, but you will receive a copy of the communication piece.
- QR Code for Other Communications: Yes, you can continue to use the QR code for other communications, such as your personalized URL.
- Two-Sided Letter: The letter cannot be two-sided.
- Using Medicare Pro QR Code: Any URL you paste into the QR code generator will work, so if Medicare Pro is your preference, that is fine.
- First-Class Mailing: The letters will not be mailed first class.
- Multiple Letter Formats: Only one letter format is available for the mailing.
- Target Audience: You can send the letters to any Medicare book of business if your contracts are under TBI and not exceeding 1000 records.
- Excel Spreadsheet Upload: Yes, you can upload one Excel spreadsheet for all your clients, up to 1000 records.
- Use of Uploaded Mailing Lists: TBI will not use your uploaded mailing list for any other purpose.
- Updating Client Profiles: Clients can update their existing profiles when they go into the intake form.
- QR Code on social media: Yes, you can post the QR code on your social.