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



USA Senior Care Network
2019 AHIP
2019 Medicare Broker Compensation
2019 AHIP
AEP

Video: RBI Carrier Hall of Fame Week 3

Video: RBI Carrier Hall of Fame Week 3 (ICYMI)

Hey, you! We’re back again! As you know, this whole month we’re bringing you the scoop on our RBI Carrier-Partners with “Carrier Spring Training” month! It’s been a great month so far (we’ve definitely learned new things every day!) and we cannot believe that next week is our last week! The time certainly has flown by. If you missed the webinars this week and don’t have time to re-watch them, here’s the RBI sales team to break down the highlights of each carrier, and what they do for your portfolio. Watch the videos below: RBI Carrier Hall of Fame Week 3!

To start things off this week, we heard from Mutual of Omaha, on Monday! Then Tuesday, we had a webinar from GTL or Guarantee Trust Life, followed by RBI’s own Quoting Tool on Wednesday, and wrapped up the week with a presentation on SilverScript on Thursday! Our presenters this week — thanks a million: you guys are the best! — were Ken Colvard (Mutual of Omaha and SilverScript), Greg Esposito (GTL) and Brien Welch (RBI Quoting Tool). We watched these webinars and were so impressed with the knowledge base that they bring to the table, as well as some of the great new plans available to agents and members. There was a lot to go over, so here’s the four highlight videos from this week!

RBI Carrier Training Highlights Team:

  • Mutual of Omaha by Charlie Ferrell
  • Guarantee Trust Life by James Gramp
  • RBI’s Quoting Tool by Justin Bever
  • SilverScript by Rebecca Howard


Monday, April 17, 2017 at 9 AM


Tuesday, April 18, 2017 at 9 AM


Wednesday, April 19, 2017 at 9 AM


Thursday, April 20, 2017 at 9 AM

Video: RBI Carrier Hall of Fame Week 3

Look for this symbol on all our new “Carrier Hall of Fame” videos!

When you think about these three carriers, it’s important to understand how each brings something different into your portfolio. Whether you focus on Medicare Supplements, Hospital Indemnity or PDP plans, it’s important to have products that fit well together. And not just each other, but products that will serve the needs of your clients. In addition, this week you may have noticed a bit of a technology theme developing. Each carrier this week has a focus on making your life as an agent easier with online enrollments. And RBI’s quoting tool fits right into this theme. If you aren’t taking advantage of the technology and tools available to you at RBI, now is the time!

Watch the recording: Mutual of Omaha. Watch the recording: Guarantee Trust Life. Watch the recording: RBI Quote Tool. Watch the recording: SilverScript.

Click here to get contracted. Click here to see all our contracted carriers.

Sign up for the next webinars today! Click here to see the full calendar.

  • Monday, April 24 at 9 AM MST/12 PM EDT – “Hit a Fastball with Molina” Register
  • Tuesday, April 25 at 9 AM MST/12 PM EDT – “Be a Power Hitter with Cigna” Register
  • Wednesday, April 26 at 9 AM MST/12 PM EDT – “Be a Clean-up Hitter with Gateway” Register
  • Wednesday, April 26 at 10:30 AM MST/12:30 PM CDT – “Pitch a Shut-Out with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas” Register
  • Thursday, April 27 at 9 AM MST/12 PM MST – “Be a Hometown Slugger with Harbor Health Plan” Register
  • Thursday, April 27 at 10 AM MST/12 PM CDT – “Load the Bases with Allegian” Register

Subscribe to the RBI Agent’s Advantage Blog today!

Did you miss last week’s webinars? Watch the full recording: Aetna. Watch the full recording: United Healthcare. Watch the full recording: Humana.


All videos are for agent use only.



Unlock Your Best AEP Yet
Video: RBI Carrier Hall of Fame Week 4
Video: RBI Carrier Hall of Fame Week 4
Selling Final Expense Insurance

Video: RBI Carrier Hall of Fame Week 2

Video: RBI Carrier Hall of Fame Week 2 (ICYMI)

So if you’ve been following along this week on all our emails and event calendar, you know that April is “Carrier Spring Training” month! We are so excited for this new initiative, and just finished up our second week of webinars! But if you missed these webinars and don’t have time to re-watch them, here’s the RBI sales team to break down the highlights of each carrier, and what they do for your portfolio. Watch the video below: RBI Carrier Hall of Fame Week 2!

This week, we collaborated with Aetna, Humana, and United Healthcare. A huge shout-out to our presenters, Daniel Santos (Aetna), Kirk Sanich (Humana), and our own Charlie Ferrell stepping in for Ken Colvard (United Healthcare), who did a fantastic job showcasing their products and what makes them compelling for members.

RBI Carrier Training Highlights:

  • Aetna by Rebecca Howard
  • Humana by James Gramp
  • United Healthcare by Charlie Ferrell
Video: RBI Carrier Hall of Fame Week 2

Look for this symbol on all our new “Carrier Hall of Fame” videos!

The RBI bottom line is that all three of these carriers offer something different and that they work together nicely to fill out your portfolio as a senior insurance advisor. We recommend that you contract with all three today because everyone is different and it’s important to have the products that fit the needs of your clients.

Watch the recording: Aetna Webinar. Watch the recording: Humana Webinar. Watch the recording: United Healthcare Webinar.

Click here to get contracted. Click here to see all our contracted carriers.

Sign up for next week’s webinars today!

  • Monday, April 17 at 9 AM MST/12 PM EDT“Hit a Homer with Mutual of Omaha” Register.
  • Tuesday, April 18 at 9 AM MST/12 PM EDT“Steal Second with GTL” Register.
  • Wednesday, April 19 at 9 AM MST/12 PM EDT“Bat 1.000 with RBI’s Quoting Tool” Register.
  • Thursday, April 20 at 9 AM MST/12 PM EDT“Out of the Ballpark with SilverScript” Register.

Subscribe to the the RBI Agent’s Advantage Blog today

Did you miss last week’s webinars? Watch the full recording: American Continental Webinar. Watch the full recording: Equitable webinar. Watch the full recording: Medico webinar.


All videos are for agent use only.




2019 United Healthcare
USA Senior Care Network
2019 Medicare Broker Compensation
2019 AHIP
AEP

Video: RBI Carrier Hall of Fame Week 1

Video: RBI Carrier Hall of Fame Week 1 (ICYMI)

So if you’ve been following along this week on all our emails and event calendar, you know that April is “Carrier Spring Training” month! We are so excited for this new initiative, and just finished up our first week of webinars! But if you missed these webinars and don’t have time to re-watch them, here’s the RBI sales team to break down the highlights of each carrier, and what they do for your portfolio. Watch the videos below: RBI Carrier Hall of Fame Week 1!

This week, we heard from three tremendous carriers: Aetna/American Continental, Equitable and Medico. A big thank you to our presenters, William Davis (American Continental), Bill Ellsworth (Equitable), and Carrie Haubensak (Medico) who did a really amazing job introducing their products and telling us why members like their plans!  We have three videos below so you can get all the highlights on what makes each carrier a perfect fit for your portfolio!

Video: RBI Carrier Hall of Fame Week 1

Look for this symbol on all our new “Carrier Hall of Fame” videos!

When you think about these three carriers, each has something a little different to offer. And at RBI, we like having all three carriers in our portfolio so that we can speak to any client’s individual needs.

Watch the recording: American Continental. Watch the recording: Equitable. Watch the recording: Medico.

Click here to get contracted. Click here to see all our contracted carriers.

Sign up for the next webinars today! Click here to see the full calendar.

Subscribe to the RBI Agent’s Advantage Blog today!


All videos are for agent use only.



Unlock Your Best AEP Yet
Video: RBI Carrier Hall of Fame Week 4
Video: RBI Carrier Hall of Fame Week 4
Selling Final Expense Insurance

Video: Mastering Hospital Indemnity Roll-Up

Did you miss a Webinar Wednesday? Check out our Mastering Hospital Indemnity Roll-up below!



This week, we focused on Hospital Indemnity: so here is Charlie Ferrell, in our Mastering Hospital Indemnity Roll-up! But first, here’s a quick summary:

Are your clients struggling to pay for a hospitalization, chemotherapy or skilled nursing? Hospital Indemnity is the answer, especially relevant for those struggling to cover the financial gaps in traditional Medicare Advantage. A hospital stay comes with ancillary costs that are a burden to many Medicare Advantage clients. Hospital Indemnity works as cash-in-hand for these clients, and provides the peace of mind they need! Watch below for a 60 Second Roll-up of the details!

Hospital Indemnity Roll-up

Look for this symbol on all our new “60 Second Roll-Up” videos!

Register here to watch the full recording of the “Mastering Hospital Indemnity” webinar. For other great tips on why you should pick up a Hospital Indemnity product, or how to sell Hospital Indemnity, subscribe to our blog!

RBI has a number of great Hospital Indemnity carriers that we work with, including Equitable, Medico, as well as GTL.  If you would like to pick up a carrier, please click here for contracting information, or call our office at 1-800-997-3107.

Cigna-Healthspring Sanctions Lifted
Humana certification
2018 certification prep
Stay Focused on Earning Money

Think Outside the Box: Hospital Indemnity for ACA Clients

Here at RBI, we are using the month of January to focus our thinking outside the standard AEP-box, with lots of training and materials to increase your sales. Earlier this week we heard from Tom O’Neil with a closer look at Hospital Indemnity products, with a highlight on Guarantee Trust Life (GTL). But there’s more to Hospital Indemnity.  Let’s go deeper.

Why Hospital Indemnity for ACA clients?

Young Indemnity Couple

Some carriers have very affordable options for people under age 65.

As senior insurance agents, we often don’t think about folks in the age group under age 65. These folks are “young people,” and therefore usually outside our focus.  But many are struggling with health plans under the Affordable Care Act that feature high deductibles and out of pocket expenses. These folks are looking for alternatives.  And if you have a Hospital Indemnity product, like GTL, Medico, or Equitable, these clients could actually be a gold mine.

Hospital Indemnity is a great gap product for people in this age group. Most of the time, Hospital Indemnity carriers have very affordable options for people under age 65, often as low as $30-40.  Furthermore, most clients would be willing to pay this monthly premium, just so that they are protected from getting hit by a high deductible payment if they needed to visit the hospital.  In my opinion, overlooking this demographic is the same as leaving money on the table.

Where to find these clients

The best way of reaching this type of client is to talk about what you do.  For example, I actually got a client during AEP simply from wearing my button down shirt with my business logo on it.  A gentleman at the next gas pump asked me about it, and before you knew it, he asked for a business card. When the time was right, he called me up and I was able to get him enrolled in a plan that fit his needs.  Agents tend to minimize their experience and ignore the people around them every day. People who know you, people who you meet in your daily life, have no idea what you do. Spend 3 minutes with these people, tell them exactly what it is that you do, hand them a business card.  It will be the least expensive lead you ever have.

Brand Package Image

RBI can help you update your business cards and more!

 RBI can help you get started with Hospital Indemnity for ACA clients

We can help you plan out your approach to getting into Hospital Indemnity products. If you are thinking, “well, I don’t have a Hospital Indemnity plan,” contact RBI at 1-800-997-3107 for information about contracting with carriers in your area. RBI works with a great design team who can help you updateyour business cards, letterhead and so on, at discounted prices.  Above all, get comfortable talking about your own expertise, and practice your elevator speech.  I know you’ll see results.

Keep an eye on our event calendar for great webinars and in-person events to up the ante with your business this year! Click here to see full details.

Don’t leave money on the table this AEP: Sell Hospital Indemnity with Medicare Advantage

My first insurance sales trainer loved to tell me, “Don’t leave money on the table.” When it comes to coupling hospital indemnity plans with Medicare Advantage, his advice resonates a little louder. Hospital indemnity plans are very affordable for your clients and pay excellent first-year commissions, often in the 50 percent range (Of course, commission varies by states).

Most hospital indemnity plans offer inpatient confinement benefits ranging from $100 to $600 as well as an ER benefit. Depending on the carrier, optional features include benefits for skilled nursing facility days, follow-up appointments, outpatient surgery and even payment for the dreaded observation status. A cancer rider is an important option you can review with clients when discussing hospital indemnity.

Guarantee Trust Life, Equitable and Medico are carriers we are proud to affiliate with and offer to our agents. Just click on our Carriers page for more information or contact us at the number below. For those of you who concentrate on the T-65 market, note that GTL’s Advantage Plus plan is guaranteed issue for ages 64 ½ to 65 ½.

Bill Ellsworth, VP of Equitable, recorded an excellent presentation last year on how to give a good explanation of hospital indemnity during a Medicare Advantage appointment. Frankly, it’s the best training example I’ve seen, and I refer all of our Equitable agents to Bill’s training located on the password-protected Equiline.com broker site. My contact information is below if you’re an Equitable agent and are interested in learning more about Bill’s winning presentation.

In fact, Bill came out to our Arizona office last year to give us additional pointers on presenting Equitable’s EquiCash product. He definitely made me a believer. If you follow Bill’s outline, you should be able to double your MA commission for a surprisingly large number of your AEP and Lock-In appointments.

Cross selling you say! Presenting a hospital indemnity plan with a Medicare Advantage plan is totally compliant with the Medicare Marketing Guidelines.
Hospital indemnity plans are right there on the Scope of Appointment form. If the CMS-approved Scope form you are using does not list hospital indemnity, Medicare Supplements and DVH products, I’ll be glad to email you a copy.

Finally, don’t forget the younger members of the household. Many of these hospital plans are offered from 40-80 years of age. They’re particularly reasonable for the younger folks and can really help fill in those hefty ACA deductibles. Just remember that hospital indemnity coverage is not minimum essential coverage.

For contracting opportunities with GTL, Medico and Equitable, and to receive more useful training content, call RB Insurance at (800) 997 3107 or email me.