Medicare Updates
Welcome Utah Medicare Sales Executives
Please join us in welcoming Greyson Howard and Wendi Harpole to the Medicare sales team.
Greyson is our Medicare sales account executive based in Utah. He will be working with agents in Salt Lake, Wasatch, Summit, Northern Utah Counties and Franklin, Idaho.
Greyson has over 15 years of Sales and Management experience, most recently owning his own independent insurance agency, specializing in all lines of insurance. He enjoys finding ways to provide solutions for customers and clients, whether it be retirees looking for insurance needs or helping agents to better their business. He held a position on a panel of insurance agents that created incentive programs and events for other agencies and looks forward to contributing to agency success.
Greyson lives in Farmington, Utah and is married with 3 kids ages 14, 12, and 8. As a family they love to travel, camp, swim, and cheer for the Utah Utes! Greyson spends his weekends coaching football, playing basketball, or golfing.
Wendi began her health insurance career as a Health Benefits Specialist in 1997 at IHC Health Plans, specifically with Self-Funded plan designs. She has also worked with the Medical Records teams at LDS Hospital, and previously at Select Health where she broadened her knowledge on the Pharmacy and Large Employer Sales team as a Service Coordinator and New Business Analyst. Most recently, Wendi has sharpened her HSA and FSA knowledge at HealthEquity as a Service Delivery Manager, servicing enterprise-sized clients across the United States.
Wendi will be working with agents in Utah, Tooele, Juab and south to Piute and Wayne Counties. She looks forward to building and maintaining strong relationships throughout the Utah area, in conjunction with Select Health’s Medicare Sales Team.
Wendi.Harpole@selecthealth.org or Office: 801-442-1110
Medicare Member Services Hours Extended for AEP
Medicare Member Services have extended their business hours beginning October 1, 2021 through March 31, 2022. Phone lines will be open Monday through Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. MST. Members Services can be reached at 800-538-5038.
5-Star Rating Announcement
We’re proud to officially announce that for 2022, Select Health Advantage plans in Utah, Idaho, and Nevada have received the highest-possible rating awarded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS): five stars! What’s more, we’re the only five-star Medicare Advantage plan in Nevada and Idaho, and the only five-star plan in all Utah Counties except two (Washington and Iron), where there is one additional five-star plan. As a result of being rated a 5-star plan, Medicare members may switch from their current Medicare plan to a Select Health Advantage plan between December 8, 2021, and November 30, 2022.
5-Star Enrollment Period Facts
Medicare uses information from member satisfaction surveys, plans, and health care providers to give overall performance star ratings to plans. A plan can get a rating between 1 and 5 stars. A 5-star rating is considered excellent. These ratings help your clients compare plans based on quality and performance. Medicare updates these ratings each fall for the following year. These ratings can change yearly.
If a Medicare Advantage Plan with a 5-star rating is available in your client’s service area, you can use the 5-star Special Enrollment Period (SEP) to move them from their current Medicare plan to a Medicare plan with a “5-star” quality rating.
If your client moves from a Medicare Advantage Plan that has drug coverage to a 5 star Medicare Advantage Plan that does not, your client may lose prescription drug coverage. The client will have to wait until the next enrollment opportunity to get drug coverage, and they may have to pay a Part D late enrollment penalty.
Agent Activities in a Healthcare Setting
With the Annual Election Period (AEP), agents may look for locations that serve Medicare-age beneficiaries. One common location is a clinic and/or doctor’s office. This activity and partnership may be beneficial to both client and agent when done in compliance with CMS regulations.
Marketing activities and materials are not permitted in areas where care is administered, including exam rooms, hospital patient rooms, treatment areas where patients interact with doctors, and pharmacy counter areas.
Marketing activities and materials are permitted in common areas, including the following: common entryways, vestibules, waiting rooms, hospital or nursing home cafeterias, and community, recreational, or conference rooms.
Agents are permitted to:
- Accept and collect Scope of Appointment forms
- Accept enrollment forms
- Make available, distribute, and display communications materials, including in areas where care is being delivered
If you have questions, contact your Medicare Sales representative today.