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Medicare updates

Select Health Medicare Awarded 5-Star Rating Third Year Running!

Medicare announced earlier this month that for the third consecutive year, Select Health Medicare HMO plans have earned a 5 out of 5 overall star rating. This recognition reflects the dedication of Select Health Medicare to provide access to high-quality healthcare coverage and exceptional services to its valued members, making it a trusted choice for Medicare beneficiaries.

“Achieving a perfect 5-star rating from CMS for a third straight year is a testament to Select Health’s member-centered approach,” said Rob Hitchcock, Select Health president and chief executive officer. “These ratings provide valuable insights into the performance of Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug Plans, helping beneficiaries make informed decisions about their healthcare coverage by identifying health plans who consistently deliver access to high-quality care and services.”

5-Star Special Election Period (SEP)

With the new rating, Select Health Medicare agents can now depend on having a 5-star product that allows for one additional enrollment period in 2024. The enrollment period will end November 30, 2024, unless the plan is awarded five stars for 2025.

2024 Medicare recertification and product training

Select Health will accept both AHIP and NABIP (formerly NAHU) for certification. If you haven’t completed your training, please see details listed below.

This module must be completed by all Medicare appointed agents to be considered ready to sell for 2024.

Both AHIP and NAHU certification are accepted and approved for Select Health.
When beginning your certification with either of these organizations, choose to electronically submit your results to Select Health. There is no need to submit your certificate. You can log back in to either site to request the results be sent.
Please remember that you must complete one of these certifications prior to completing our product certification.

Product training must be completed prior to selling Select Health Medicare 2024 plans. To sell during AEP, complete your training by October 31, 2023.

To access the product certification through our agent portal, Link, follow these steps:
- On the main landing page, hover over the Medicare tab.
- Choose 2024 Medicare Product Training to begin the module.
- At the end of the module, be sure to print and save your completion certificate for your records. You do not need to submit it following completion.
- Be certain to follow directions while completing the module to ensure your training and exam are recorded.
Remember, agents must be licensed, appointed, and certified with 2023 AHIP or NAHU prior to completing our product training module.
Contact Stephanie.Crandall@selecthealth.org for appointment.

Not appointed? Please contact the Agent Experience team at 800-442-5306, option 3.

Medicare sales materials at your fingertips!

Need additional enrollment forms? Want to send an enrollment guide to a client? Look no further than Select Health Link. All our 2024 sales materials are available 24/7. You can also download customizable CMS approved marketing materials. Materials include:

Benefit highlights postcards
Educational seminar postcards
Rack cards
Seminar flyers/posters

2024 Select Health Medicare plan highlights

If you have questions about any of our plans, reach out to your account executive today!

Plan highlight videos:

On-demand webinars

Did you miss the live agent webinars on Select Health’s Member Advocates or Papa benefit? No need to worry! Watch our webinars on-demand.

Don’t forget about our agent expense reimbursement program!

Our program covers allowable services, administrative expenses, and benefits enrollment through December 1, 2023.

Eligibility

After enrolling five new policies, agents receive $500 in marketing support, with an additional $100 in support for each subsequent enrollment.

As a reminder, with Select Health’s 2023 HMO five-star rated plan, Medicare members may switch from their current Medicare coverage until November 30, 2023.

This program is in accordance with current Third-Party Marketing Organization (TMO) rules established by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Medicare Managed Care Manual (MMCM).

Questions? Contact your account executive.

Compliance corner

New regulations for Medicare events.

CMS recognizes three types of events an agent may conduct: educational events, marketing/sales events, and personal marketing appointments. Below is a reminder of the requirements for each type of event along with new requirements.

Educational Events

These must be advertised as educational and be designed to generally inform beneficiaries about Medicare (MA), including Medicare Advantage, prescription drug programs, or any other Medicare program.

At educational events, agents/brokers may not market specific MA plans or benefits.

At educational events, agents/brokers may:

Answer beneficiary-initiated questions pertaining to MA plans.
Distribute business cards. Update: Agent may not request referrals, but may distribute multiple business cards for consumers to share.
Make available and receive beneficiary contact information, including business reply cards. New Medicare regulation: Agents may no longer distribute or collect Scope of Appointment forms at educational events.
Provide a meal.
Distribute original Medicare materials such as 2024 Medicare and You.

Agents/brokers hosting or participating in educational events may not conduct sales or marketing presentations or distribute or accept plan applications.

Marketing/Sales Events

Marketing or sales events are group events that fall within the definition of marketing.

New Medicare Regulation: Marketing events are prohibited from taking place within 12 hours of an educational event, in the same location. The same location is defined as the entire building or adjacent buildings.

MA organizations holding or participating in marketing events may do any of the following:

Provide marketing materials.
Distribute and accept plan applications.
Collect Scope of Appointment forms for future personal marketing appointments.
Conduct marketing presentations.
Provide business reply cards to capture leads that are good for one year from signed date.

Agents/brokers holding or participating in marketing events may not do any of the following:

Require sign-in sheets or require attendees to provide contact information as a prerequisite for attending an event.
Conduct activities, including health screenings, health surveys, or other activities that are used for or could be viewed as being used to target a subset of members (that is, “cherry-picking”).
Use information collected for raffles or drawings for any purpose other than raffles or drawings.
Provide a meal.
Cross-sell at events.
Approach a consumer with the intent to sell (informal events, such as Kroger).
Use or believe a permission to call slip is permission to visit a consumer’s home.
Cold call a consumer.
Distribute materials at a consumer's home or property; with the exception of using US Postal mail.
Arrive at a consumer’s home without a signed Scope of Appointment form signed 48-hours prior to a visit.

Personal marketing appointments

Personal marketing appointments are those appointments that are tailored to an individual or small group (for example, a married couple). Personal marketing appointments are not defined by the location.

At least 48 hours prior to the scheduled personal marketing appointment, the agent/broker must agree upon and record the Scope of Appointment (SOA) with the beneficiary(ies), except for:

SOAs that are completed during the last four days of a valid election period for the beneficiary.
Unscheduled in-person meetings (walk-ins) initiated by the beneficiary.

MA organizations holding a personal marketing appointment may do any of the following:

Provide marketing materials.
Distribute and accept plan applications.
Conduct marketing presentations.
Review the individual needs of the beneficiary including, but not limited to, healthcare needs and history, commonly used medications, and financial concerns.

Agents/brokers holding a personal marketing appointment may not do any of the following:

Market any healthcare-related product during a marketing appointment beyond the scope agreed upon by the beneficiary and documented by the plan in a Scope of Appointment, business reply card, or request to receive additional information, which is valid for 12 months following the date of beneficiary's signature date or the date of the beneficiary's initial request for information.
Market additional health-related lines of plan business not identified prior to an individual appointment without a separate Scope of Appointment, identifying the additional lines of business to be discussed; such Scope of Appointment is valid for 12 months following the beneficiary's signature date. o Market non-health related products, such as annuities.
Share their business card—providing extra for the consumer to share.
Request a referral.

New: Education events and marketing events

Educational events and marketing events must be scheduled 12 hours apart if they are to occur at the same location (defined as the entire building or adjacent building). However, a marketing event can occur within 12 hours if the event is not at the same location. Spacing the events apart (by time and/or location) will reduce any 'pressured' situations that the prospective enrollee may encounter by participating in a marketing event soon after the education event.

2024 Medicare and You.

View the 2024 official U.S. government Medicare handbook: Medicare and You, here.

We want your feedback!

Did you recently have a client request to leave Select Health Medicare? Do you have ideas on how we can better retain and acquire Medicare members? Let us know! Contact us here!