2023 AHIP Certification

It’s that time of the year again where Medicare brokers across the US spend hours re-certifying to market and sell Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug Plans. You’ve probably seen the emails coming directly from AHIP telling you that AHIP has been released for 2022. Sure, you can go ahead and follow those links and pay the full retail price of $175 or…. You could follow this handy link and get the exact same course for a whopping $50 off. No strings attached. Okay, just one. You have to sign up for our blog in order to get the discount, but I promise we won’t SPAM you. Since you are reading this article, there is a good possibility you’re already signed up anyway. 

That’s not all!

Because we are so excited about this offer, we have decided to sweeten the deal. Let us pay for your AHIP certification!

  • Contract directly with RB Insurance Group with 3 Medicare Advantage carriers.
  • Make 5 Medicare Advantage enrollments with RB Insurance Group during AEP.
  • We will pay you $125 to cover the cost of your test.

Want more reasons to sell Medicare Advantage plans?

How about we just got a raise! This year CMS increased the initial compensation to $573 for a beneficiary just enrolling into Medicare and raised the renewal rate to $287 in most states and the best part is most carriers pay lifetime commissions on MA plans. With more than 10,000 people aging into Medicare each day in the US, combined with our Medicare Sales Engine CRM system and with our quick and easy Fast-Track contracting process that eliminates 90% of your paperwork, now is a great time to add Medicare Advantage plans into your portfolio.

Incase you missed the link for your $50 discount above – Click Here to claim your discount now!

2020 Medicare Agent and Broker Compensation Announced | CMS | RBI

2020 Medicare Agent and Broker Compensation Announced

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services released a memo on May 29th, 2019. The CMS made the annual announcement detailing the compensation limits for 2020.

AHIP Certification 2020 discount training medicare

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services released a memo to Medicare Advantage Organizations, Prescription Drug Plan Sponsors, Section 1876 Cost Plans, and Medicare-Medicaid Plans detailing Contract Year 2020 Agent and Broker Compensation Rate, Referral/Finder’s Fees, Submissions, and Training and Testing Requirements for 2020.

The CY 2020 FMV cut-off amounts for all organizations & referral/finder’s fees are as follows:

Medicare Advantage Organizations, Prescription Drug Plan Sponsors, Section 1876 Cost Plans, and Medicare-Medicaid Plans 2020 Agent and Broker Compensation Rate, Referral/Finder’s Fees, Submissions, and Training and Testing Requirements 2020 compensation and referral/finder’s fee

Policies sold for a January 1st, 2020 effective date will be eligible for this new compensation as long as the selling carrier decides to pay the Maximum CMS Allowable Commission.

Needless to say, Medicare Advantage is more attractive than ever to sell as a Broker.  If you’ve ever thought about selling Medicare Advantage, now is a good time to consider getting into this market . The 2020 Medicare Broker Compensation is more robust than ever with this new announcement. Many beneficiaries (21 Million and counting) prefer a Medicare Advantage plan, and with the new broker compensation for 2020, the gains for brokers are obvious.

Give us a call at 1-800-997-3107 to find out which carriers pay Top Commission in your market! Click here to contract now!

See below for the memo in it’s entirety, titled “Contract Year 2020 Agent and Broker Compensation Rate Adjustments, Submissions, and Training and Testing Requirements.”

2020 Agent and Broker Compensation Rate, Referral, Submissions, and Training and Testing Requirements


2020 ahip discount certification



Agent's Advantage Blog

Medicare Broker Compensation Announced 2019

2019 Medicare Broker Compensation Announced

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services released a memo on May 28th, 2018 detailing the compensation limits for 2019.

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services released a memo on May 28th, 2018 detailing the compensation limits for 2019.

The CY 2019 FMV cut-off amounts for all organizations are as follows:

Policies sold for a January 1st, 2019 effective date will be eligible for this new compensation as long as the selling carrier decides to pay the Maximum CMS Allowable Commission.

Needless to say, Medicare Advantage is more attractive than ever to sell as a Broker.  If you’ve ever thought about selling Medicare Advantage, now is a good time to consider getting into this market . The 2019 Medicare Broker Compensation is more robust than ever with this new announcement. Many beneficiaries (21 Million and counting) prefer a Medicare Advantage plan, and with the new broker compensation for 2019, the gains for brokers are obvious.

Give us a call at 1-800-997-3107 to find out which carriers pay Top Commission in your market! Click here to contract now!

See below for the memo in it’s entirety, titled “Contract Year 2019 Agent and Broker Compensation Rate Adjustments, Submissions, and Training and Testing Requirements.”

2019_Writing_Agent_FMV_Compensation



Agent's Advantage Blog

Don’t Plan to Fail this AEP

Medicare SEP

About the Author: With his signature common sense, quiet good humor, and brilliant customer service, Jim is an integral part of the RBI team — we’d go so far as to say we’d be lost without him! An Arizona native, Jim manages agent relationships for the East Coast and specializes in the RBI agent tools, especially the Agent Market Edge. Jim has been a licensed health insurance agent for 2 years, and has worked at RBI for almost 3 years. An accomplished bassoonist, he is known around the office for his amazing musical skills. In addition to keeping busy around the office, Jim frequently contributes to our blog, bringing a new agent’s perspective to the RBI online presence.

Don’t plan to Fail this AEP

You may have heard the phrase, “If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail.” And you’ve also probably heard that “with great power comes great responsibility.” But I bet you haven’t heard the phrase, “with great planning and hard work comes great success.” That’s because I just made it up and it doesn’t flow as nicely. You can’t just expect to have a successful AEP without putting an ounce of thought into how you’re going to make that happen (much like the phrase I just came up with). Being a Medicare broker that offers a complete portfolio of products means having to comply with many regulations, including the Medicare Marketing Guidelines. Being in violation of these guidelines could cost you your Health Insurance License so it’s crucial that while you start putting together a plan, you remain compliant in marketing for Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug Plans.

AEPBuild your Portfolio

Unless you are a super hero and always happen to luck your way into a successful Annual Enrollment Period, we mere mortals will have to stick to smart planning and hard work. This means having the products you’ll need in your portfolio that allows you to sell to at least 80% of the prospects you meet. Justin Bever, RBI Director of Marketing, gave a great workshop earlier in the year about the “Power of the Portfolio”. I would HIGHLY recommend giving it a look, especially if you intend to make a career in the Medicare market. Click here to watch the recording!

Medicare Advantage

As far as Medicare Advantage is concerned you want to make sure you have different carriers and plan types to offer beneficiaries. I always like to have a few competitive HMO’s, a good PPO option, a DSNP, plus any CSNP’s that are available. It’s your job to research the plans available in your market and determine which ones are likely to be competitive. Four things about all MA plans to consider are Network, Formulary, MOOP and cost sharing. If you need help deciding which carriers you need in your market, ask us, WE CAN HELP! Typically carriers will start to release ‘sneak peeks’ of their plan offerings for the new year towards the end of summer (July/August-ish).

Medicare Supplements

It seems like there’s as many Medicare Supplement carriers as there are stars in the sky. When looking at which Medicare Supplement carriers to add to your portfolio, rates aren’t the only thing you should be looking at. You’ll want to see what their outlook as a company is by using the market analytics in our quoting tool. You will want to look for companies that have been more stable with their rates and have a substantial number of lives insured in case the carrier has a bad year in claims. Click here to watch a demo of what RBI’s quoting software can do! 

Discounted AHIP and Carrier Certification

You will also need to take and pass the AHIP certification or an equivalent test. Just like the past two years RB Insurance will be offering all agents a $50 discount off your AHIP exam, all you need to do is subscribe to our blog and register for the AHIP with using the RBI link. Additionally, all RBI agents had the opportunity to be completely reimbursed. The AHIP exam is usually released the third week in June, so be sure to keep your eyes on the look out for our discount to be released in the coming weeks. Shortly after AHIP is released, carriers generally release their roll out schedule and let us know when we can begin the carrier certification process as well.

Goals – the Start of any Serious Plan

Like I said earlier, you can’t expect to have a great AEP without a plan in place. At RBI we develop marketing plans with our agents the M.A.P.S. way. Your plan should be Measurable, Actionable, Profitable, and Scalable. I’ll be doing a more in-depth article strictly about developing a marketing plan, but the basics of building a good plan starts with a goal. Long-term goals like, “I want to buy a Mercedes” are great, but I’m talking short term. Specifically, how many sales or how much money do you want to get out of the upcoming AEP. Who knows, maybe you’ll hit your long-term goal sooner than expected.

Brainstorming with agents on how they can grow their Medicare business is part of my job, so if you have any questions about how RBI can help you get started or grow your book of business, then give me a call directly at 1-800-997-3107!

New Agent: Getting Started

About the Author: With his signature common sense, quiet good humor, and brilliant customer service, Jim is an integral part of the RBI team — we’d go so far as to say we’d be lost without him! An Arizona native, Jim manages agent relationships for the East Coast and specializes in the RBI agent tools, especially the Agent Market Edge. Jim has been a licensed health insurance agent for 2 years, and has worked at RBI for almost 3 years. An accomplished bassoonist, he is known around the office for his amazing musical skills. In addition to keeping busy around the office, Jim frequently contributes to our blog, bringing a new agent’s perspective to the RBI online presence.

New Agent: How to Get Started

So you just got your Health Insurance License and now you’re wondering where you go from here.  Let RB Insurance Group help you avoid many of the pitfalls a new agent can fall into.

Prime the “Pump”

Zig Ziglar said it best, you have to think of your sales pipeline like an old water well. You’re going to have to work hard to prime that old well’s pump before anything starts coming out the other end. But once that water DOES start flowing, it doesn’t take much work to keep it going. The idea here is that acquiring new business is always the most difficult and typically the most expensive cost for an agent. Once you’ve built your Book of Business to a considerable size, you can use your existing clients to bring in new business!

If you’ve done your job right, your clients will trust you as their Senior Insurance Adviser and ultimately refer their friends and family to you. The key here is, you must be proactive. Agents across the US would all be starving if we just sat by our phones waiting for them to ring with a prospective client on the other end. In the famous words of (okay, maybe not so famous… YET) RBI National Sales Manager, Charlie Ferrell. “He who climbs the tree and hollers, is the one that gets the dollars.”

New Agent

Getting your First Clients

I can see it on your face, you’re thinking, “This sounds great and all, but where do I actually start?” Like I said above, when you’re first starting out as a new agent, you’re going to have to work for it. There’s a few different ways you can go about building that precious *Smeagle’s voice from LOTR* Book of Business.

Buying Leads

This is probably the first thing that goes through your head when I talk about getting started. There’s a reason why there are so many companies selling leads: it works. But there is a catch here that’s no secret, it’s expensive. There are a few different routes you can go when buying leads for Medicare Advantage: Direct Mail, Online, and more. Which avenue you choose is going to be largely determined by your target market.

Buying leads a fantastic way to “prime your sales pump”, especially if you have some extra cash to invest in your business. But your best bet is to combine a few different strategies to find new clients and not put all your eggs in one basket so to speak.

Educational Events

Educational events are a fantastic way to fill your sales pipeline with leads. The approach with educational events is more of a long term approach than simply just buying leads. The number one reason for that is, you can’t enroll or accept applications at a Medicare Educational event. So how effective are educational events you ask? Last year one of our agents made over 250 enrollments with leads from educational events. The goal is to put on an amazing event so that the attendees will look to you as a trusted adviser. It’s simple, people buy from people they trust. Now, you do have follow CMS regulations regarding educational events to remain compliant.

One of my favorite reasons for putting on educational events, especially for a new agent? They don’t break the bank!  Your local public library will typically have space available to hold seminars at very little to no cost.

So how do you get people to show up? I like to get permission and put up flyers at different businesses (that are close to your event) to advertise, think of places where seniors are more likely to be. Think of any groups you belong to, church, book clubs, golf buddies, etc. The trick is to let everyone know what you do! Even if they’re not Medicare eligible, I can guarantee you that they know someone that is. Word of mouth is hands down the cheapest way to get people to show up. Last but not least, cold calling. Just the words “cold calling” leave a bad taste in a lot of people’s mouths, but it is a great skill to have, especially if you plan on doing Medicare educational events. You have to be careful here though, as you cannot discuss Medicare Part C and D plan specifics with prospective beneficiaries, even if they ask you about it. If you called them and they bring up Medicare Advantage, you cannot talk about specific benefits. You are ONLY trying to get them to attend your educational event, DO NOT try to sell these people over the phone.

Upcoming Webinar on Thursday, March 21st, 2019!

Join RBI National Sales Manager, Charlie Ferrell, for our webinar: “Medicare Educational Events for Newbies!” Use the Button below or click HERE to RSVP!

Also be sure to check out my blog post about the “Power of Voice Inflection” for great tips to improve your phone skills!

Words of Wisdom

Here’s a story from Bob Bever, CEO at RBI. It was November of 2017. Bob was pumping gas, filling up before heading to an appointment across town when the guy next to him asked him about his “Medicare Compare” shirt. Bob spends 3 minutes with him telling him exactly what he does and how he helps people, then hands him a business card. A few days pass and the guy ends up calling Bob and enrolls in a plan that fit his needs. Not bad for a lead that only cost him 3 minutes of his time.

Agents tend to minimize their experience and ignore the people around them every day. People you know, people who you meet in your daily life, have no idea what you do. Spend 3 minutes with these people and tell them exactly what it is that you do and how you help people. Then hand them a business card. Being a new agent doesn’t have to be a struggle! RB Insurance Group has the tools and experience to help you! With a little hard work you’ll be on your way to what we all strive for, that six-figure residual income.

Are you a new agent that’s looking to get started in the Medicare industry? RB Insurance is here to “Make it Happen for You.” We love helping new agents succeed in the Medicare market. Give us a call today to see how you fit in the RBI family at 1-800-997-3107!

Annual Enrollment Period Checklist

RBI’s Senior Sales Coordinator: James Gramp

About the Author: With his signature common sense, quiet good humor, and brilliant customer service, Jim is an integral part of the RBI team — we’d go so far as to say we’d be lost without him! An Arizona native, Jim manages agent relationships for the East Coast and specializes in the RBI agent tools, especially the Agent Market Edge. Jim has been a licensed health insurance agent for 2 years, and has worked at RBI for almost 3 years. An accomplished bassoonist, he is known around the office for his amazing musical skills. In addition to keeping busy around the office, Jim frequently contributes to our blog, bringing a new agent’s perspective to the RBI online presence.

Annual Enrollment Period Checklist: Are you Ready to Sell?

Can you believe that it’s almost August already? It seems like every year the Annual Enrollment Period creeps up on us faster and faster.  Don’t be that agent that is scrambling to finish his AHIP and carrier certifications in September and then wants to know why he can’t pick up sales materials because he’s not showing up as “Ready to Sell.”  Without further ado I present to you, my personal AEP checklist.

AHIP

It’s that four letter word we all love to hate.  Unfortunately it’s just one of many requirements to sell Medicare Advantage and it’s also the first step you should be taking in order to prepare for the Annual Enrollment Period.  Now, if you’re one of those agents that doesn’t sell MA then I have news for you, you’re leaving money on the table.  In a previous blog post, I talk about why agents should consider adding Medicare Advantage products to their portfolio, just follow the link above to read more!

Haven’t taken your AHIP yet?  Look no further, follow this AHIP link to receive your $50 discount… But wait, there’s more!

100% AHIP Reimbursement

Annual Enrollment Period

  1. Use RBI’s AHIP link to take the 2018 certification
  2. Contract with 2 MA carriers through RBI
  3. Make 5 MA sales with RBI carriers
  4. After the plans become effective, receive a $125 check in the mail!

OR

  1. Use RBI’s AHIP link to take the 2018 certification
  2. Contract with Bright Health
  3. Make 1 Bright Health sale during the Annual Enrollment Period
  4. After the plan becomes effective, receive a $125 check in the mail!

Carrier Certifications

If you didn’t quite get your fill of online testing from the AHIP, there’s always carrier certifications as a nice dessert.  Not sure when the specific carriers are launching their certifications?  Follow this link to our 2018 Master Certification page where you will be able to see if and when the various Medicare Advantage carriers plan on releasing their certifications.

Be sure to knock out carrier certifications as they become available.  The reason for doing them right away is, if you’re not marked as “Ready to Sell” with a carrier, you will not be able to pick up any marketing materials or sales kits for the upcoming AEP.

Do I need to Add any Products to my Portfolio?

Now is the time when carriers are releasing benefit information for the 2018 plan year.  In fact, Aetna, Humana, and United Healthcare have already released first look benefits for the new plan year.  Curious to find out how these carriers are looking in your market?  We’re always one call away!

Is my FMO holding up their end of the Bargain?

Now is also the perfect time to evaluate whether your FMO is holding up their end of the bargain, they should work for you.  If your Field Marketing Organization doesn’t provide anything in the way of marketing support, it might be time to re-evaluate your relationship.  Check out this blog article from RBI Director of Marketing, Justin Bever, where he talks about how your FMO should be working for you.  These are things I consider when choosing who to put my Medicare business with:

  1. Sales Training + Coaching
  2. Marketing Support
  3. Compliance Support
  4. Accessibility

Develop a Marketing Plan for AEP

The most successful agents don’t go into the busiest time for Medicare brokers without a plan of attack.  At RBI, we routinely develop marketing plans with our agents the M.A.P.S. way.  We call it the M.A.P.S. method because we believe that your marketing plan should be Measurable, Actionable, Profitable, and Scalable.  Check out my blog post that I linked to above to learn all about the M.A.P.S. method for success.

A few things your plan might include:

  • Direct Mail campaign
  • Educational/Sales Events
  • Establishing Community Referral Networks

A lot of agents I speak with only look for referrals from their existing book of business but are totally ignoring a HUGE opportunity when it comes to getting referrals within your community.  The easiest place you can start is your very own doctor’s office.  If you’ve ever wondered how an agent is able to be successful in this industry without breaking the bank by purchasing leads, here’s your answer: Community Marketing.  Not sure how, or where to start?  Check out my blog post, “Building Your Referral Network” and download the free white paper where I demonstrate how to get started!

Annual Enrollment Period

Sing it with me now, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.”  I know, I know, it’s way too early for Christmas songs.  In all seriousness, the most successful agents don’t go into the Annual Enrollment Period without a plan, and if you’ve done it right you’ll be singing along with Andy Williams after AEP is over.

Don’t let another AEP pass you by without meeting your sales goals!  RBI has the tools, marketing support, and most importantly, the expertise to turn you into a “Sales Champion.”  Give RBI a call today to learn all about how we do things differently than our competitors. 1-800-997-3107.

M.A.P.S. Method for Success: AEP Planning

RBI’s Senior Sales Coordinator: James Gramp

About the Author: With his signature common sense, quiet good humor, and brilliant customer service, Jim is an integral part of the RBI team — we’d go so far as to say we’d be lost without him! An Arizona native, Jim manages agent relationships for the East Coast and specializes in the RBI agent tools, especially the Agent Market Edge. Jim has been a licensed health insurance agent for 2 years, and has worked at RBI for almost 3 years. An accomplished bassoonist, he is known around the office for his amazing musical skills. In addition to keeping busy around the office, Jim frequently contributes to our blog, bringing a new agent’s perspective to the RBI online presence.

M.A.P.S. Method for Success: AEP Planning

You’ve probably heard us folks at RBI talk about M.A.P.S before and are probably wondering what a map has to do with Medicare.  Look no further!  When we talk about M.A.P.S, we’re referring to how we build our agents marketing plans, particularly for AEP.  What does M.A.P.S. stand for you ask?  At RBI, we believe your marketing plan should be:

AEP

M – measurable

A – actionable

P – profitable

S – scalable

This is by no means a one size fits all approach.  We will sit down with you, analyze your business and what your goals are in regards to your Medicare business and will tailor it to your specific needs and goals.

But wait, there’s more!

Every 5 Sales Drive

In addition to helping you develop a successful marketing plan, RB Insurance Group will actually make your marketing dollars stretch further with our Every 5 Sales Drive.  Here’s how it works:

  • Must be contracted with at least 2 Medicare Advantage carriers with RBI to participate
  • Earn $125 marketing credit for every 5 MA sales you submit with RBI as your upline
  • Credits roll over from month to month and across calendar years; you will never lose your credits!
  • Program available for direct contracted agents only
  • Similar programs available for agencies.  Credit amounts will differ

You can keep track of your credits through the Agent Market Edge portal, which is RBI’s own marketing portal where agents keep track of their marketing credits and can purchase marketing collateral.  We produce all of our marketing collateral through our partner, Touchstone Marketing, and are able to offer these services at steep discounts and wholesale pricing to our agents!

Watch our “Medicare Marketing Madness” webinar where RBI Director of Marketing, Justin Bever, shows you exactly what a successful marketing campaign looks like.  Simply click the link above, register for the webinar, and the recording will start playing automatically!

Now is the time to develop your plan of attack for the upcoming Annual Enrollment Period!  Don’t get caught off guard, give us a call to ensure that you have the most competitive products in your senior portfolio! 1-800-997-3107

Senior Insurance Acronyms for New Medicare Brokers

Senior Insurance Acronyms


RBI’s Senior Sales Coordinator: James Gramp

About the Author: With his signature common sense, quiet good humor, and brilliant customer service, Jim is an integral part of the RBI team — we’d go so far as to say we’d be lost without him! An Arizona native, Jim manages agent relationships for the East Coast and specializes in the RBI agent tools, especially the Agent Market Edge. Jim has been a licensed health insurance agent for 2 years, and has worked at RBI for almost 3 years. An accomplished bassoonist, he is known around the office for his amazing musical skills. In addition to keeping busy around the office, Jim frequently contributes to our blog, bringing a new agent’s perspective to the RBI online presence.

Senior Insurance Acronyms

for New Medicare Brokers

Compiled by RBI’s Senior Sales Coordinator: James Gramp


Are you a newly licensed Health producer?  Can’t wrap your head around the seemingly endless list of Senior Insurance Acronyms? Look no further!  This post is just for you, a new agent who’s looking to get started in the Senior Health Insurance (Medicare) market.

Consider your options: Best Contracting Partners

A few things before we jump in that you should be thinking about when choosing to work with an agency or contract directly with the insurance company:

  1. Do new agents receive training opportunities?
  2. Does marketing support come with the contract?
  3. Are the most competitive products in my area available with this partner?
  4. Does this partnership include CRM systems or other tools to keep track of your clients and potential clients?

The bottom line is, your FMO should work for you.  In the post I just linked to, Justin Bever, our Director of Marketing, highlights exactly how your FMO should work for you and ultimately help you reach and exceed your business goals!

Without further ado, I present you with the ultimate abbreviation cheat sheet!

Senior Insurance Acronyms for New Medicare Brokers:

MA – Medicare Advantage

MAPD – Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug plan

HI – Hospital Indemnity

FE – Final Expense

SOA – Scope of Appointment form: Permission slip to talk to beneficiaries who aren’t already your clients about specific benefits of MA plans.  The SOA should be signed by the beneficiary 48 hours prior to appointment.

HMO – Health Maintenance Organization: Type of Health plan, must use plan doctors for covered services.  Members are assigned a Primary Care Physicians and require referrals to see Specialists (dermatologists, cardiologists, etc.)

PPO – Preferred Provider Organization:  Type of Health plan where members can go out of network for care.  Going to in-network providers offers better co-pays/co-insurance

PFFS – Private Fee For Service: type of MA plan that may or may not cover prescriptions.  Only MA plan that you can buy a stand-alone PDP as long as the PFFS doesn’t already cover prescriptions.

SNP – Special Needs Plan: Medicare Health plans for people with special needs.  There are 3 different kinds of SNP’s; I-SNP, D-SNP, and C-SNP.

I-SNP – Institutional Special Needs Plan: plan for beneficiaries needing treatment from a LTC facility for more than 90 consecutive days.

D-SNP – Dual Special Needs Plan: Designed for people with Medicare and Medicaid

C-SNP – Chronic Special Needs Plan: Designed for people with chronic health conditions

Med-supp/Medigap – Medicare Supplement: offers plans A through N.  These plans are standardized and offer the same benefits regardless of carrier.

PDP – Prescription Drug Plan: Rx coverage, typically sold with Medicare Supplements.

LIS – Low Income Subsidy: Federal program to help with Rx costs.  Need to make under 150% of the Federal Poverty Level to qualify.

MSP – Medicare Savings Program: Federal program designed to help with premiums, co-pays, and co-insurance. Different levels of help are: QMB, SLMB, QI-1. Make under 135% of the FPL to qualify.

AHIP – America’s Health Insurance Plans: company that provides the core medicare certification required to sell Medicare Advantage plans.

AEP – Annual Enrollment Period: 10/7 through 12/7, period when Medicare beneficiaries can enroll in a MA/MAPD or a PDP.

SEP – Special Enrollment Period: period that you can enroll in an MA/PDP plan outside of AEP

IEP – Intial Enrollment Period: 3 months before, the month of, and 3 months after your 65th birthday.  Can enroll in any Medicare Health Plan during this time.

OEP – Open Enrollment Period for Medicare Supplement: 6 months after a Medicare beneficiary is enrolled in Medicare Part B and is 65 or older.


If you’re looking for a partner to grow your new business, look no further! We love helping agents get started — whether you’re a brand new agent, or you’re getting back into the market after being away: welcome! Call us today to learn about opportunities to work together: 1-800-997-3107

The Latest: 2019 Medicare Advantage Certifications

 2022 Medicare Advantage Certifications

It’s that time of year again, folks! Time to dust off the keyboard, brew a strong pot of coffee, and plow through the annual Medicare Advantage Certification training! As dull and monotonous as it can be, certifications are critical part of keeping up to speed on the most recent plan and policy changes. (Also, you won’t get paid if you don’t complete them!)

Every MA carrier likes to do things a little bit differently, so in an effort to make your life a little easier, we’ve rounded up the most current information available to us. Check back frequently, we will continue to update as more plans release their 2022 certifications!

Medicare Advantage Certifications by Plan

Click on a Carrier or Scroll Down

Aetna  | AllWell | Amerigroup | AnthemBright Health |  Cigna Healthspring  |  Gateway  |  Humana | SilverScript | United Healthcare  |  WellCare


2022 Aetna Certification

Product Training: Released June 29th, 2021

 Click Here for Aetna’s Certification site

Compliance Training:

Carrier Support:

1-866-714-9301


2022 AllWell Certification

Product Training: Available July 7th, 2021

Click here to access AllWell’s Certification portal


2022 Amerigroup Certification

Available in: NJ, NM, TN, TX, WA

Product Training: Released June 30th, 2021

Click Here to access Amerigroup’s certification portal

Compliance Training:

Carrier Support:

1-800-633-4368


2022 Anthem Certification

Avialable in: CA, CO. CT, GA, IN, KY, ME, MO, NV, NH, NY, OH, VA, WI

Product Training: Released June 30th, 2021

Click Here to access Anthem’s certification portal

Carrier Support:

1-800-633-4368


2021 Bright Health Certification

Product Training:

Click here for certification login

Compliance Training: 

Carrier Support: 

1-888-325-1747


2022 Cigna HealthSpring Certification

Cigna HealthSpring Medicare Advantage Certifications

Product Training: 2022 certification TBA

Cigna’s training site

Compliance Training:

Carrier Support:

1-800-973-9183 opt 2


2022 Gateway Certification

Product Training:

TBD

You should receive instructions from Gateway.

We will update all agents as soon as we receive the new contracting and certification information from Gateway.

Target Certification Release Date is August.

If you receive an error or do not receive the email, please contact agent support

Click here for instructions

Compliance Training:

Carrier Support:

1-888-871-0417


2022 Humana Certification

Product Training: Released June 29th, 2021

 Humana Broker Portal

Compliance Training:

Carrier Support:

1-800-309-3163


2022 United Certification

Product Training: Released June 28th, 2021

 United Health Producer Portal

Compliance Training:

Carrier Support:

Producer Help Desk: 1-888–381–8581


2022 WellCare Certification

Product Training: Available July 7th, 2021

All agents should have received an email with Username and password

Compliance Training:

 WellCare Certification Portal

Carrier Support:

Wellcare Producer Contacts

2018 Medicare Broker Compensation Limits Now Released!

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2018 Medicare Broker Compensation Announced!


The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services released a memo on May 30th, 2017, detailing the compensation limits for 2018.

The CY 2018 FMV cut-off amounts for all organizations are as follows:

2018 Medicare Broker Compensation

CMS’s 2018 Medicare Broker Compensation

Policies sold for a January 1st, 2018 effective date will be eligible for this new compensation as long as the selling carrier decides to pay the Maximum CMS Allowable Commission.

Needless to say, Medicare Advantage is more attractive than ever to sell as a Broker. If you’ve never thought about selling Medicare Advantage, it’s a good time to consider getting into this side of the business. The 2018 Medicare Broker Compensation is more robust than ever with this new memo. Many beneficiaries prefer a Medicare Advantage plan, and with the new broker compensation for 2018, the gains for brokers are obvious.

Give us a call at 1-800-997-3107 to find out which carriers pay Top Commission in your market! Click here to contract now!

See below for the entire actual memo entitled “Contract Year 2018 Agent and Broker Compensation Rate Adjustments, Submissions, and Training and Testing Requirements.”

CY 18 Agent Broker CompensationTraining Testing Requirements