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Think of Medicare.gov as your sales asset

Most independent agents offering Medicare Advantage and Part D prescription drug plans are at least generally aware of Medicare’s official website, though relatively few of them think of it as a sales asset.

Medicare.gov is a handy tool for determining MA plan availability by ZIP code, and it also offers filtering options to determine a client or prospect’s Medicaid and/or Prescription Help eligibility level for a Special Needs Plan. Additional filters can display Chronic Illness Plans available for qualified beneficiaries. It’s the perfect resource for helping your clients or prospects find the best plan for their budget and health needs.

Prescription medications can be entered into the program to compare both MA and PDPs against the formularies on record with CMS. The drug list and plan comparison can be retrieved anytime with a simple, anonymous code and entry date auto-generated by the site. 

Medicare.gov’s Plan Finder is a great way to give your clients and prospects credible information about MA and PDP availability and eligibility for Medicaid and Prescription Help. Photo courtesy of iStock

Some agents are not aware they can print detailed comparison information from the site on behalf of their client or prospect. This very credible CMS-generated information comprises general copay details for both medical and prescription benefits, star ratings and reduced premium quotes for beneficiaries awarded LIS Prescription Help. More detailed information can display monthly medication costs, drug restrictions and even an estimate of when a plan member might enter the prescription “donut hole” and exit into catastrophic medication coverage.

Medicare.gov is a tool that can be especially beneficial to agents who represent a broad offering of MA plans and PDPs in his or her marketing area. An agent printing a side-by-side comparison of up to three plans from Medicare.gov can let your client or prospect know they can be confident you are giving them valid and useful information. This personalized comparison can be saved and retrieved from the website at any future time.

Independent agents affiliated with RB Insurance who’d appreciate a more detailed tour of Medicare.gov can give me a call at (800) 997 3107 or email me to schedule a personalized, 15-minute training tour of this site with an emphasis on closing sales with this fully compliant client-facing information.

Here’s a helpful video I’ve found from The Oregonian that gives a good rundown of Medicare.gov’s Plan Finder.