Medicare@work
A blog about Medicare. What you and your employees need to know
Insurance Tug-Of-War: How to Get the Winning Strategy

Author: Lora Drummond
Medicare Transition Specialist
Posted: 05/11/2020
When you work with a Medicare transition team you get…well… A team.
Why is that important?
That means even after you attend a workshop, or meet with a Certified Medicare Planner™, or sign up for a plan, we continue to be your advocate. We build a relationship with you similar to what you enjoyed with your Human Resources Manager.
-We are here for you!
Having a team creates one place to go with your Medicare inquiries.
-We make it easy.
Insurance Tug-of-War
The story below is a great example of our Client Care Team coming through to solve, what could have been, a very costly error!
A client had recently attended a workshop, and several days later met with a Certified Medicare Planner™ for an online meeting to get answers to questions specific to their personal healthcare needs.
During the meeting, the Certified Medicare Planner™asked essential questions to help guide plan options that would most appropriately manage the client’s specific needs. Along with medical questions, primary care doctor, preferred pharmacy location, and drug lists, the Certified Medicare Planner™ also asks lifestyle and cost questions that might impact a decision to go on a Medicare Supplement or Advantage plan.
After a broad review of the plans, options, plan pricing available in the area, and the client’s medical needs, the choices were narrowed down. The client selected a Medicare Supplement and Drug Plan. The paperwork to initiate the enrollment process began and the transition team submitted the applications from the client to the various insurance carriers…
All good… or was it?
The client called the Medicare Helpline (800-568-1095) six-weeks later after a bill arrived from the insurance carrier. The premium on the bill and the premium quoted at the meeting were different. Nearly $90 different! How could that happen?
“Did my health condition come with a surcharge,” the client asked anxiously?
Here is the rub… Medicare supplement insurance carriers can be sneaky at times. Since the state has control of the carriers’ ability to raise and lower rates, it is common practice for large insurance carriers to offer many blocks of business. The brand name may look similar, the phone number might be directed to the same helpline, but the plan itself could be offered at a very different price!
The worst part? A product comes on the market so fast even the insurance companies don’t always have time to alert their customer service representatives that a new plan even exists!!!!
Oh my…
Luckily for this client, they had us. We were able to leverage our deep network connections, seek the root of the issue to discover that the underwriting department submitted the application under the wrong plan, the old block of business (more expensive) rather than the new block of business intended by the client and their Certified Medicare Planner™️.
We were able to remedy their error quickly and get the client the plan, with the premium they needed in the first place.
All the while, the client could rest easy knowing they had a team fighting to get the problem resolved.
Certified Medicare Planners™ are more than educators and plan advisors, they are also strong advocators. Your transition team should include easily accessible Client Care support for plan and payment inquiries, confident followup, timely communications, and guidance as healthcare, finances, and other life changes occur.
We do Medicare so you can do other things.
Pick a transition team with Certified Medicare Planners™.
We are here to help!
Ready to get started?
Check out our blog weekly for new resources, and helpful tips and tricks to build your Medicare transition strategy.
Your Medicare Transition Partner
– Lora
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