CMS Call Recording Guidelines For 2023

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The new CMS Call Recording guidelines are here for the 2023 enrollment period! Starting October 1st, 2022, all Medicare agents will need to abide by these guidelines for any interactions where Medicare Advantage or Part D plans are discussed. These guidelines include:

  • Recording all calls, for clients AND prospects
  • Storing calls for 10 years in a HIPAA-compliant manner
  • Using standard disclaimers

This is going to have a massive impact on your prospecting and enrollments. Here is what you need to know and how to stay compliant.

Why CMS Made New Call Recording Guidelines

As with most regulatory changes, the new CMS call recording guidelines are a result of a few bad apples. Last year, CMS reported over 39,000 CTMs (complaints to Medicare), which are essentially allegations of misconduct

Shockingly, 70% of CTMs came from large call centers of third-party marketing organizations (TPMOs). The TPMOs used extremely misleading ads to funnel customers into a call center, where they would be pressured into changing their health plan. 

The problem? The TPMOs would often promise plans that didn’t cover the customer’s prescriptions, primary care provider, or even any doctors in their area. 

 

As a result, CMS not only cracked down on the call centers, but also made a sweeping change: all independent agents are now considered TPMOs. That’s right, a single agent now has to abide by the same regulations as a multi-million dollar call center.

What This Means For Independent Agents

So what will agents need to do in order to stay compliant with CMS? Let’s check out the details:

Using a Disclaimer

As of October 1st, 2022, every call will need to have this standard disclaimer in the first 60 seconds:

“We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options.”

Pretty awkward, right?

But wait, there’s more! You’ll also have to use this disclaimer prominently in your:

  • Electronic communication (email, online chat, etc)
  • Marketing materials
  • Website

Recording Your Calls

After that awkward disclaimer, you will need to record all of your calls with your clients and prospects. And then you will have to store all of those recordings for ten years.

“But what about personal calls?” you might be thinking. Like most people in the 21st century, you probably use a cell phone to make calls. Well, you’ll have to get a separate number with call recording and storage.

What About Texts and Emails?

The CMS Final Rule means that you will have to keep ALL of your interactions, including text messages and emails. So if you’re trying to only work off your cell phone and your texts get deleted—you could be in for some big trouble.

How To Stay Compliant With CMS Call Recording Guidelines

Seems like an expensive and time-consuming process to comply with the CMS call recording guidelines, doesn’t it? Don’t worry, there is a great solution for agents. 

As an FMO with decades of experience, RB Insurance Group has been preparing for this new change. Our agents get free access to a complete virtual call center, the Medicare Sales Engine, that solves this problem. 

The Medicare Sales Engine:

  • Records and stores every call
  • Can play a recorded disclaimer before your calls
  • Saves your text messages and emails

In addition to great technology, RB Insurance Group also offers in-depth help on remaining compliant. Rob Bever, our chief compliance officer, not only trains agents on compliance but also helps you deal with any CTMs you may receive.

Conclusion

Even though they seem intimidating, the new CMS call recording guidelines are nothing to be afraid of. Eliminating the false promises from shady TPMOs will allow consumers to trust Medicare agents again. 

And if you need the technology, training, and support to be ready for October 1st, give us a call at 1-800-997-3107 or fill out our contracting form. We would love to show you how RB Insurance Group can help you grow your Medicare business and build the lifestyle you deserve.

2019 Medicare Cost-Sharing

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Medicare cost-sharing

RBI National Sales Manager: Charlie Ferrell

Charlie started his senior insurance career after a brief 30-year stint in the restaurant industry. In the 13 years since then, he has been blazing trails and setting standards for excellence all over! A native son of Utah, he has been a state manager for RBI as well as a managing general agent for UHC, Coventry, Molina and other carriers! Charlie came to RBI as the National Sales Manager in 2015, and is an invaluable resource for our agents and staff for marketing, compliance, and sales topics! Charlie’s field experience with senior insurance sales has made him an expert in our insurance CRM: Medicare Sales Engine. If all of that wasn’t enough, Charlie specializes in the Dual-Eligible market and is leading the charge behind RBI’s new “Dual Eligibles for Newbies” seminars!

2019 Medicare Cost-Sharing

Medicare has released the 2019 Medicare cost-sharing amounts and MOOP for standardized Medicare Supplement Plans. Without further ado, here it is!

Medicare cost-sharing

Part A: Hospital Insurance

Hospital

  • $1,364 (+$24) deductible per benefit period.
  • $341 (+$6) for days 61-90.
  • $682 (+$12) for 60 lifetime reserve days (days 91-150.)

Skilled Nursing

  • $170.50/day (+$3) for days 21-100.

Part A premium

  • $437 if you’ve worked less than 30 quarters.
  • $240 if you’ve worked over 30 quarters but less than 40.

Part B: Medical Insurance

  • $135.50 premium. Deductible remains at $185.
  • Cost-sharing remains the same for Part B services, Medicare pays 80% and the beneficiary pays 20%.

Part D: Prescriptions

Deductible: $415

  • The standard part D deductible for 201 is $415.  Many plans however have eliminated the deductible entirely.

Initial coverage limit: $0 – $3,820

  • After the deductible has been met, beneficiaries enter into stage 2, the Initial Coverage Limit.  At which point beneficiaries will either pay 25% or more typically they will have co-pays for tiers 1 – 5.
  • Once the retail amount (what you pay + what the carrier pays) of your prescriptions reaches $3,820 for the year, beneficiaries will enter into gap also known as the “doughnut hole.”

Coverage Gap/Doughnut hole: $3,820 – $5,100

  • Once in stage 3, more commonly referred to as the “Gap” or the “Doughnut-Hole” beneficiaries will be paying 25% for brand name drugs and 37% for generics.
  • After out-of-pocket (what you and the manufacturer pay) costs reach $5,100 beneficiaries will enter into stage 4 or “Catastrophic Coverage.”

Catastrophic Coverage

Medicare cost-sharing

  • Once in stage 4, beneficiaries will pay the greater of:
    • 5% OR
    • $3.40 copay for generics and $8.50 copay for all other drugs.

Prescription drug coverage premiums range from $12.70 and up.

Part C – Medicare Advantage plans

Premiums for Medicare Advantage plans range from $0 and up.

Max-out-of-Pocket: $6,700

Cost sharing for Medicare Supplement plans

  • Deductible for the High Deductible plan F is $2,300
  • MOOP
    • Plan K: $5,560
    • Plan L: $2,780

We hope everyone is having a successful AEP and thank you all for your hard work!  While AEP ends in a little over a week, it’s important to remember that there is an incredible year-round opportunity in the Medicare market that most agents aren’t taking advantage of.  To jump start your business in the new year, the time to start is RIGHT NOW!  Plan out community events and any marketing necessities to keep the momentum going.  If you want help with marketing, contact us to do a MAPS plan.

Not yet contracted with RB Insurance Group?  Give us a call today to learn how RBI will take your Medicare business to new heights! 1-800-997-3107!



S.S.D.Y. – Same Stuff Different Year – Here’s Your 2019 AEP Checklist

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S.S.D.Y. – Same Stuff Different Year

Getting Ready for 2019 AEP & OEP – Agent Success Checklist


RBI Senior Sales Coordinator/Independent Agent: James Gramp

With his signature common sense, quiet good humor, and brilliant customer service, Jim is the other half of the RBI phone answering dynamic duo! 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 over a year, and has worked at RBI for 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.

Hooray, it’s that time of year again where agents spend hours blankly staring at their computers – Medicare Certification Season! Cue the collective groan from agents across the US. That’s why I’m here, to give you a handy 2019 AEP Checklist to get you ready for a successful Annual Enrollment Period!

It’s very important that you get your ducks in a row EARLY! Waiting until September to complete your AHIP and product certifications is a sure-fire way to increase stress levels this fall. The closer it gets to AEP, the more bogged down carriers get with processing new contracts, background checks, and product certifications.

Speaking from personal experience, I’ve seen it take as long as 4 weeks for agents to receive their “Ready to Sell” status after completing their product certifications. There’s nothing more frustrating than losing a sale just because you were still waiting to show up as “Ready to Sell.”

Without Further Ado, Here is Your 2019 AEP Checklist!

AHIP

That dirty four-letter word that spikes agent’s blood pressure far and wide. Unfortunately, it’s a necessary evil in our industry and is required to sell Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug Plans. If you’re an agent that doesn’t sell MA, then I have news for you – You’re Leaving Money on The Table! Read my Blog Post from last year to learn why you should consider adding MA plans to your portfolio. Quick update, there are now over 21 million Medicare Advantage members compared to roughly 14 million Medicare supplement members nationwide.

Haven’t taken your AHIP yet? Follow this AHIP link to receive your $50 discount… But wait, there’s more!

Picking up Additional Products

Now is the time carriers are releasing first-look benefit information for the 2019 plan year. Head on over to our Events Calendar to register for our upcoming webinars. Curious to find out how these carriers stack up in your market? I’m just one phone call away!

Carrier Certifications

2019 Medicare AEP Certifications RBI

More online testing and certifications! Are you excited yet? No? Not sure when each of the carriers are launching their certifications, head on over to our 2019 Carrier Certification page. You’ll be able to see when all the 2019 Medicare Advantage Certifications are released.

Certainly don’t wait until the last week in September to do these! If you’re not marked as “Ready-to-Sell,” you will not be able to pick up any sales kits or marketing materials for the upcoming Annual Enrollment Period.

Evaluate your FMO Relationship

evaluate you FMO Medicare Advantage

If your FMO isn’t holding up their end of the bargain by providing you the support you need to grow your Medicare book of business, then now is the perfect time to re-evaluate that relationship. If your Field Marketing Organization doesn’t provide anything in the way of marketing support, they’re really just a Field Organization. The bottom line is, your FMO should work for You! These are things you should consider when choosing who to work with.

  • Sales training + coaching
  • Marketing support
  • Compliance support
  • Accessibility

“If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail.”

The most successful agents don’t go into AEP flying by the seat of their pants. At RBI, we develop marketing plans with our agents the M.A.P.S. way. Your marketing plan should be Measurable, Actionable, Profitable, and Scalable. Check out my blog post that I linked to above to learn more about the M.A.P.S. method for success.

A lot of agents I speak with only look for referrals from their existing book of business but are totally ignoring a HUGE opportunity, 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!

AEP + OEP

With our selling season lasting almost three times as long than in previous years – OEP lasts from January 1st through March 31st, now is the time to start planning! You’re probably thinking, “wow, that’s a lot to think about.” That’s because it IS a lot to think about. But, if you really want to be successful in this business, then don’t let another Annual Enrollment Period pass you by without doing everything in your power to make it happen!

RB Insurance Group has the tools, marketing support, and most importantly, the expertise to turn you into a Medicare selling machine.

Give me a call today to learn all about how we do things differently than our competitors! (800)-997-3107 .



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Advise your client on hospital observation stays

Save Big: Medico + USA Senior Care Network

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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.

Save Big with Medico + the USA Senior Care Network

Medico is introducing a brand new program that is designed to save your client’s money. This new program, the USA Senior Care Network program, is a completely voluntary program designed to help save you money when you obtain inpatient services at a USA Senior Care Network hospital. Best of all, this new program costs absolutely nothing!

About the Program

USA Senior Care Network has contracted with hospitals across the U.S. to waive all or a portion of your client’s Medicare Part A deductible if they’re admitted into a participating hospital. This allows them to pass some of those savings on to your clients in the form of a $100 premium credit on their next months Medicare supplement premium payment. For a list of participating hospitals in your area, click here!

USA Senior Care Network

How do You Receive the Premium Credit?

Beginning on June 22nd, 2018, when your clients are admitted into a hospital in the USA Senior Care Network, show your new insurance card with the USA Senior Care Network logo on the back (mailed on June 7, 2018). When Medicare applies a Part A deductible to their claim, the hospital will waive all or a portion of that deductible and will notify your client that an upcoming premium payment will be reduced by $100.

There are two groups of policyholders who will not be eligible for this program:

  1. Medicare Supplement Plan A policyholders are not included, because Plan A does not pay the Medicare Part A deductible.
  2. For legal reasons, this program is not available in the state of Missouri.

Current Coverage

Your clients Medicare supplement policy will remain unchanged by this program. They are not required to use a participating hospital, and you can still go to any hospital you choose. Your clients can now access their policy information on Medico’s secure customer portal at www.gomedico.com or they can call Customer Care Center at 1-800-228-6080.

Medico offers a whole suite of products that are designed to protect your clients from a multitude of situations! If you would like to get contracted, or learn more about their product offering, give me a call directly at 1-800-997-3107!

events are a great way to generate medicare sales leads

Get out there and market yourself! Part Two

Take the fast-track for senior insurance sales success

Market Yourself

Get out there and market yourself! Part One

ICYMI: Our senior sales seminar was a smash!

Tom O'Neil

This year, save time and ace the AHIP on your first try

2019 AHIP Update Plus $50 Discount!

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AHIP Certification 2020 discount training medicare


2019 AHIP Update

Get Your $50 AHIP Training Discount TODAY!



Nobody wants to be that agent that’s scrambling at the last minute to complete their AHIP certification in late September. A successful AEP starts with a plan, so plan on knocking out your AHIP as soon as possible. AHIP is now open! 

Get your 2019 AHIP Discount TODAY!

A lot of you may have heard about our $50 discount, because this will be our third year providing this discount. Now I know what you’re thinking, “big whoop, a lot of carriers provide the same discount.” Unlike most carrier discounts that are not available until several weeks after AHIP is released, you can use our discount now!. Last year, RB Insurance reimbursed all directly affiliated agents that submitted at least 5 new Medicare Advantage enrollments. This year you will have that same opportunity to be fully reimbursed on your 2019 AHIP certification, see below for details!

AHIP Reimbursement Details

  • Contract with 3 Medicare Advantage carriers directly through RBI.
  • Make 5 Medicare Advantage enrollments with RBI during AEP.
  • Enjoy that sweet $125 check after the policies go into effect!
  • Reimbursement applies to Agencies as well, Contact us for details!



Looking for 2020 AHIP Certification information?

RB Insurance Group is proud to announce that we will once again, in 2020, give Agents a $50 Discount & the opportunity to receive a full reimbursement.

Register for Your Discount Now Click Here: 2020 AHIP Discount

2020 AHIP Important Information & Announcements Click Here: 2020 AHIP Certifications

2019 AHIPAce the 2019 AHIP

It’s been proven that AHIP and certification season have been known to cause widespread misery, the CDC has warned that it’s even contagious. Not to fear, RBI has the cure for you!

Looking for the latest news about Medicare Advantage certification? Be sure to check out your one-stop certification shop. You will be able to access all of your Medicare Advantage certifications from this one page, so make sure you check back often as the carriers start to release their MAPD product certifications. If you have any questions about our AHIP discount/reimbursement program, feel free to call our office: 1-800-997-3107!



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ICYMI: Our senior sales seminar was a smash!

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Medicare enrollment is mostly a matter of time

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New Medicare Cards, Changes to Medigap, and Scammers; Oh my!

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Medicare cost-sharing

Charlie Ferrell, National Sales Manager

About the Author: Charlie started his senior insurance career after a brief 30-year stint in the restaurant industry. In the 12 years since then, he has been blazing trails and setting standards for excellence all over! A native son of Utah, he has been a state manager for RBI as well as a managing general agent for UHC, Coventry, Molina and other carriers! Charlie came to RBI as the National Sales Manager in 2015, and is an invaluable resource for our agents and staff for marketing, compliance, and sales topics! If all of that wasn’t enough, Charlie specializes in the Dual-Eligible market and is leading the charge behind many of RBI’s new training initiatives!

New Medicare Cards, Changes to Medigap, and Scammers; Oh my!

As you have probably heard by now, the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is scheduled to begin issuing new Medicare cards this month. New cards will be issued in phases, mailed by geographic location, beginning in April 2018. The goal is to reduce fraud, fight identity theft, and protect taxpayer dollars by removing the current SSN-based HICN, and replacing it with a new, unique Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI) number. By April 2019, all Medicare beneficiaries should possess an updated card with their new, unique MBI.

Click here for a regional schedule to help your clients anticipate when to expect their new card. CMS has also released a Medicare Card Messaging Guidelines document which you can reference to help your clients better understand the new changes. It is important to note that the new MBIs are confidential and should be protected as Personally Identifiable Information. New cards will arrive in an envelope from the Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. See below for a sample.

Medicare CardsMedicare CardsMedicare Cards

Help Protect Your Clients!

Ironically, scammers are already taking advantage of this new measure intended to protect beneficiaries against them. There have already been reports of telephone phishing scams, viral social media alerts and emails from individuals claiming to represent Medicare or CMS, attempting to extract personal information or even “processing fees” from vulnerable senior citizens.

It is our responsibility as agents to help protect our clients from scammers by educating them. CMS has extensive resources on how Medicare beneficiaries can protect themselves on their website, including this flyer with details about the new cards. For more information, check out the official CMS webpage for the new Medicare Cards.

Are you a licensed agent looking to grow your business and better serve your clients? Then I encourage you to call our office today to learn all about the RBI family and more importantly how we can serve your business! 800-997-3107.



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2018 Medicare Cost-Sharing

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Medicare cost-sharing

RBI National Sales Manager: Charlie Ferrell

Charlie started his senior insurance career after a brief 30-year stint in the restaurant industry. In the 12 years since then, he has been blazing trails and setting standards for excellence all over! A native son of Utah, he has been a state manager for RBI as well as a managing general agent for UHC, Coventry, Molina and other carriers! Charlie came to RBI as the National Sales Manager in 2015, and is an invaluable resource for our agents and staff for marketing, compliance, and sales topics! Charlie’s field experience with senior insurance sales has made him an expert in our insurance CRM: Medicare Sales Engine. If all of that wasn’t enough, Charlie specializes in the Dual-Eligible market and is leading the charge behind RBI’s new “Dual Eligibles for Newbies” seminars!

2018 Medicare Cost-Sharing

Medicare has released the 2018 Medicare cost-sharing amounts and MOOP for standardized Medicare Supplement Plans. Without further ado, here it is!

Medicare cost-sharing

Part A – Hospital Insurance

Hospital

  • $1,340 (+$24) deductible per benefit period.
  • $335 (+$6) for days 61-90.
  • $670 (+$12) for 60 lifetime reserve days (days 91-150.)

Skilled Nursing

  • $167.50/day (+$3) for days 21-100.

Part A premium

  • $422 if you’ve worked less than 30 quarters.
  • $232 if you’ve worked over 30 quarters but less than 40.

Part B – Medical Insurance

  • $134 premium. Deductible remains at $183.
  • Cost-sharing remains the same for Part B services, Medicare pays 80% and the beneficiary pays 20%.

Part D – Prescriptions

Deductible – $405

  • The standard part D deductible for 2018 is $405.  Many plans however have eliminated the deductible entirely.

Initial coverage limit – $3,750

  • After the deductible has been met, beneficiaries enter into stage 2, the Initial Coverage Limit.  At which point beneficiaries will either pay 25% or more typically they will have co-pays for tiers 1 – 5.
  • Once the retail amount (what you pay + what the carrier pays) of your prescriptions reaches $3,750 for the year, beneficiaries will enter into gap also known as the “doughnut hole.”

Coverage Gap/”Doughnut hole” TROOP- $5,000

  • Once in stage 3, more commonly referred to as the “Gap” or the “Doughnut-Hole” beneficiaries will be paying 35% for brand name drugs and 44% for generics.
  • After out-of-pocket (what you and the manufacturer pay) costs reach $5,000 beneficiaries will enter into stage 4 or “Catastrophic Coverage.”

Catastrophic Coverage

Medicare cost-sharing

  • Once in stage 4, beneficiaries will pay the greater of:
    • 5% OR
    • $3.35 copay for generics and $8.35 copay for all other drugs.

Prescription drug coverage premiums range from $12.70 and up.

Part C – Medicare Advantage plans

Premiums for Medicare Advantage plans range from $0 and up.

Max-out-of-Pocket – $6,700

Cost sharing for Medicare Supplement plans

  • Deductible for the High Deductible plan F is $2240 (+40)
  • MOOP
    • Plan K – $5240 (+$120)
    • Plan L – $2660 (+$60)

We hope everyone is having a successful AEP and thank you all for your hard work!  While AEP ends in a little over a week, it’s important to remember that there is an incredible year-round opportunity in the Medicare market that most agents aren’t taking advantage of.  To jump start your business in the new year, the time to start is RIGHT NOW!  Plan out community events and any marketing necessities to keep the momentum going.  If you want help with marketing, contact us to do a MAPS plan.

Not yet contracted with RB Insurance Group?  Give us a call today to learn how RBI will take your Medicare business to new heights! 1-800-997-3107!



Free Appointment Prep Sheet

Just the facts, ma’am: Get your free appointment prep sheet

Medicaid Expansion

Fed, states push and pull over Medicaid expansion

Dementia can affect how you sell senior insurance

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2017 Sales Champion Summit Wrap-up

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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.

2017 Sales Champion Summit Wrap-up

You missed it!  Do you know what we did with the brokers that missed last year’s Sales Champion Summit?  We made them take the AHIP… a second time… Okay, that may or may not be a lie.  All kidding aside, LOTS of people are busy on a Tuesday morning, so hopefully this wrap up does our Sales Champion Summit justice because I know I had a great time!  Without further ado, I give you a brief summary of the once in a lifetime a year event that you missed.

The Value of TRUST – Presenter: Charlie Ferrell

Have you ever wished you had a personal sales coach to help you with setting business goals, making sales action plans, and being more effective in home visits.  Charlie Ferrell introduced RBI’s new TRUST Training, a program designed around 15+ years of senior insurance experience.  So what does TRUST stand for?

T – THINK: Put yourself in the client’s shoesSales Champion Summit

R – RESPECT:  Build rapport

U – UNCOVER:  Needs analysis

S – SOLVE:  Overcome objections

T – TAKE ACTION:  Ask for the sale

The bottom line is, if people don’t trust you, they will never buy from you.

Marketing to Fill Your Appointment Book – Presenter: Justin Bever

A lot of independent Medicare brokers in the industry today see the need for marketing, but don’t know how to take that need and translate it into action.  Marketing for your business should be about building a system that fits your budget, your schedule, and is easy to maintain.  After all, the goal is to scale your marketing to fit YOUR business growth.

Usually when I say marketing, agents tend to think of $$$.  But what they may not realize is the most effective marketing/advertising is word of mouth.

7 Habits of Sales Champions – Presenter: Charlie Ferrell

If you’re like me, building strong habits that work for you is a struggle. Charlie Ferrell, broke down how to be a real sales champion by building habits like a ladder to success! My number-one takeaway from this event was S.M.A.R.T. goal setting, always focused on learning, and are passionate about their work.  (Don’t know what SMART goal setting is?  We’re just a phone call away!)

Here’s a taste of this presentation:

The most successful agents I know are masters of #7 on our list, follow-up.  Whether it’s simply following up with clients, referral sources, or returning phone calls, following-up is always my top priority when it comes to just about everything…except for maybe returning that phone call from your mother-in-law.

DSNP’s: Who They Are & Why Work Them – Presenter: Rob Bever

This presentation captured the many reasons that Dual Eligibles are a great market for any agent. A quick recap:

Most agents I talk to don’t like working with Dual Eligible beneficiaries and want nothing to do with them.  The most common reason I hear is that they fall off the books too easily.  This got me thinking, “How was RBI’s Sales Manager, Charlie Ferrell, able to build his business on Dual Eligible’s while I’m talking to agents who can’t even get them to stay on the plan for 1 year?” The answer is usually a combination of a couple things like, not following-up, and not returning phone calls.

If you ask me, working with Dual Eligible beneficiaries is more fulfilling than selling regular MAPD’s or Medicare Supplement policies, because these are people that truly need help and in a lot of cases have no one else to turn to.

Grassroots Campaign: Business Growth Through Educational Events – Presenter: Charlie Ferrell

This presentation was all about the radical idea that a truly GREAT Educational Events will pay dividends with referrals and building a reputation in your community.

Here’s the exceprt:

Imagine you hosting a great educational event every 3 months at the same location.  If you’re doing it right by, making them fun and interactive, being engaging, and of course presenting good information then the people who attend are that much more likely to tell their friends and family about a great free event (your event if you’re still following me) and even more likely to reach out to you when they have questions about their Medicare or want to switch plans.

Intentional Scheduling: How Efficiency Increases Sales – Presenter: Justin Bever

How do you ensure that you’ll have a great open enrollment?  It’s all in the preparation. 

In this presentation, we talked about managing back-end office processes like, turning in all your applications at the end of the day while making sure everything gets documented and saved along the way.  You’ll be amazed at just how much time you can save by working smarter, not harder, to stay organized and on top your crazy workload during the Annual Enrollment Period.

My bottom-line takeaway? Hire a temporary assistant (or get a family member to help for cheap labor!) to help stay organized during AEP. Even if they just call and set appointments with your clients and potential clients, you’ll be able to see more clients in a day.

How to Succeed in a Commission-only Business – Presenter: Justin Bever

The focus of this presentation was an answer to the question: how do Medicare brokers survive until late January and sometimes early February before they even see a dime from their Medicare Advantage enrollments from last year’s AEP?

Short Answer:  Burn through your savings account.

Long Answer:  Very carefully!  All kidding aside, if you don’t have a good amount of cash that you can live on for 3+ months, what do you do for the Annual Enrollment Period?  There’s a couple options:

  1. Look for an agency that will advance your commissions (usually career agent programs will offer this — call RBI to learn about this option, ask for Charlie!)
  2. Cross-sell ancillary products like Hospital Indemnity, First Diagnosis Cancer, and Short Term care that typically pay in 7 – 10 days, MUCH quicker than MA plans.

Turning Your Business Into an LLC – Presenter: Charlie Ferrell

The two major reasons ANY agent should run their business as an LLC are tax advantages and to protect you and your assets with an extra layer of liability protection. Another reason is the ability to provide for your family should something happen to you. For example, if you were to pass away suddenly and you are contracted directly with a carrier as an individual, those commissions would cease to be paid upon your death. If you were contracted as an LLC and you were to pass away, your commissions would continue to be paid as long as your entity remains in compliance with the carrier contract.

We’ve actually partnered with the ASU Alumni Law Group to get you a discounted rate when forming your own business entity.  If you  would like their contact information, please give us a call (1-800-997-3107) and we’d be happy to help. Don’t forget to tell them that RB Insurance Group referred you.

Thank You!

A special thanks to those of you that were able to attend our 2nd annual Sales Champion Summit!  We truly appreciate you taking the time out of your busy lives to attend.  Hopefully you had a lot of good takeaways from the event that will help take your Medicare business to the next level.  We hope you will be able to join us for next year’s Sales Champion Summit!  Check out some pictures below from this years event.

Sales Champion Summit

Sales Champion SummitSales Champion Summit



It’s our goal as an FMO to “Make it Happen for You”.  Read more from RBI Director of Marketing, Justin Bever, about how and why your FMO should work for you.  Interested in partnering with RB Insurance Group?  Give us a call today to get started! 1-800-997-3107



15% off Medicare leads until May 1!

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2018 Anthem Certification

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2018 Anthem Certification2018 Anthem Certification

Ready to jump head-first into your Medicare Advantage certifications?  

Today’s big news is that the 2018 Anthem Certification launched on Wednesday, June 28th, and is now live! Have you taken your certification yet? A couple things to keep in mind as more carrier certifications become available:

  1. Get them done as soon as they come out!  Yes, this includes your AHIP too – Click Here to claim your $50 discount and have the opportunity to get the remaining cost of your AHIP reimbursed!
  2. “Do I have the most competitive products in my area?” Have you evaluated your portfolio recently? If the answer is no, now’s the time to get moving on research for the cornerstone carriers in your area. It’s time to get started on contracting!
  3. “What is my Upline doing to help me be a more successful Medicare broker?” – There are 5 criteria for a truly successful FMO-agent partnership. Learn how RBI is a “Different Kind of FMO” today!
  4. Think about your marketing strategy going into AEP.  Do you have a marketing plan laid out that is Measurable, Actionable, Profitable, and Scalable? If you said “no” or that you didn’t know, it’s time to call and get an appointment with our Sales and Marketing team. We can help your AEP be the best yet!


2018 Anthem Certification Portal


Webinar Wednesday + Thursday:

Stressing out about taking the 2018 AHIP certification?  Join RBI National Sales Manager, Charlie Ferrell, on July 13th at 9:00am PST and learn how you can ace your AHIP on the very first try – Click Here to register!

Curious to know how RBI can take your Medicare business to new heights? Join Onboarding Manager, Rebecca Howard, on July 6th at 9:00am PST and learn about all of our proprietary tools, technology, and outstanding service – Click Here to register!

Want to find out how Anthem fits in your portfolio?  Give us a call today to get contracted and learn how our RBI will take your Medicare business to new heights! 1-800-997-3107



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2018 Amerigroup Certification

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2018 Amerigroup Certification

I bet I know what you’ll be doing over this 4th of July weekend.  Taking your 2018 Amerigroup certification!  All kidding aside, it’s always best to get your certifications done as they are released.  Not only will you rest easy in September, knowing that all of your certifications are done, but it will also let you finalize any last details of your marketing plan.



2018 Amerigroup Certification


Don’t have a marketing plan you say?  Look no further!  When you partner with RB Insurance Group, we will sit down with you and develop a customized marketing plan with you.  We will evaluate your current business and help you reach your sales goals by developing a plan that plays to your strengths!  RBI truly is a “Different Kind of FMO.”

Webinar Wednesday + Thursday:

Stressing out about taking the 2018 AHIP certification?  Join National Sales Manager, Charlie Ferrell, on July 13th at 9:00am PT and learn how you can ace your AHIP on the very first try – Click Here to register!

Curious to know how RBI can take your Medicare business to new heights? Join Onboarding Manager, Rebecca Howard, on July 6th at 9:00am PT and learn about all of our proprietary tools, technology, and outstanding service – Click Here to register!

Looking to grow your Medicare business?  RB has the tools, technology, and more importantly the expertise that you need to take your business to the next level! Call us today at 1-800-997-3107