Aetna Offers NEW HMO & DSNP Plans in NE Ohio for 2020

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For 2020, Aetna has a new $0 premium MAPD plan, the Aetna Medicare Premier (HMO) H0628-005.  Aetna  also has a new 2020 Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan, the Aetna Medicare Assure (HMO D-SNP) H5337-001. Both plans offers your Northeast Ohio clients a strong provider network and impressive supplemental benefits!

Learn more about our new Aetna Medicare Premier (HMO)

The 2020 Aetna Medicare Premier (HMO) H0628-005 is available in Ashland, Belmont, Columbiana, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Harrison, Jefferson, Knox, Lake, Lorain, Mahoning, Medina, Morrow, Portage, Richland, Stark, Trumbull, Tuscarawas and Wayne counties. Benefits include:

  • Comprehensive provider network  
  • No referrals required
  • $0 annual medical deductible
  • $10 PCP/$30 Specialist (in-network)
  • Plan allowances on dental, vision & hearing benefits—No dental network
  • Over-the-counter (OTC) benefit—$45 allowance per quarter
  • 24 one-way non-emergency trips per year
  • SilverSneakers® fitness benefit—Free membership at participating
    fitness facilities

Discover the new Aetna Medicare Assure (HMO D-SNP)

The 2020 Aetna Medicare Assure (HMO D-SNP) H5337-001 is available in Belmont, Carroll, Columbiana, Coshocton, Cuyahoga, Franklin, Fulton, Guernsey, Lake, Lorain, Lucas, Mahoning, Medina, Montgomery, Morgan, Muskingum, Ottawa, Portage, Stark, Summit, Trumbull, Tuscarawas, Wayne and Wood counties. Benefits include:

  • $0 or low-cost monthly premium
  • Access to the Aetna HMO statewide provider network
  • $3,000 dental allowance, including dentures and crowns
  • Robust hearing and vision benefits
  • 40 one-way non-emergency trips per year
  • 28 home-delivered, post-discharge meals, at no cost
  • 40 one-way non-emergency trips per year
  • SilverSneakers® fitness benefit
  • OTC benefit—$210 per quarter
  • $150 fall prevention package

 

For more information contact Cornerstone’s Jaime Lebron, Sales Director of NE Ohio.

Aetna Medicare Supplement November Updates

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NEW AND EXCITING:

New underwriting process and application tracker

Starting October 1, our underwriting process will give you faster decisions for underwritten Aetna Medicare Supplement applications. We have not altered our underwriting philosophy in any way. Most applications will have a decision within a few minutes. This exciting change also comes with an updated online application tracker, to give you clearer visibility to those decisions.

Changes: Point-of-sale telephone interview and voice signature option

To help make the underwriting process even easier for you, we’ll no longer require or offer a point-of-sale telephone interview as of October 1, 2019. We’ll also be discontinuing the voice signature option.

  • If any point-of-sale interviews are still pending after October 1, the phone line will still be available to use until those interviews are complete.
  • Instead of a voice signature, you’ll continue to have 3 easy signature options for your electronic applications: security question signature, in person signature, email signature.

Our new underwriting process

Once we receive your Medicare Supplement electronic application, we will provide one of the following underwriting decisions within a few minutes:

  • Approved
  • Needs further review
  • Declined

We will also provide decisions on your paper applications once we have verified all required information has been included with the submission. This review may delay how soon the decision is displayed on the website.

  • Approved applications will be processed as normal.
  • If an application needs further review, the application will be reviewed by our underwriting staff.  And if necessary, our associates will call your client with targeted questions for clarification. This new telephone interview process will be easier for your client, as we will not need to review all health questions.
  • If an application is declined, we’ll send the applicant (and you) a letter with details about how to get a copy of the information used to help with the underwriting decision. The application tracker on the agent website will show if an application is declined. A copy of the letter will be accessible within 24 hours.

MACRA 2020

Are you wondering how MACRA works and how it will affect you and your clients?  I have attached a cheat sheet that will help you have a better understanding of MACRA.

Aetna has launched their MACRA 2.0 strategy in 15 states with more coming either later this year or early next year.  Watch for your e-bulletins for more information.

August launches for MACRA 2020 – SC, IL, LA, AZ and TN

July launches – AL, GA, IA, MI and MS

September launch – FL

October launches – OH, NC, KS and PA

 What does all this mean?

Aetna plan F rates will be on average within $15-$20 a month of our plan G rates and our plan F rates have been lowered. You will be able to offer a high deductible G with effective dates after 1/1/20

 Why is Aetna putting out rates that are so competitive on plan F?

There are tens of millions reasons why.  After 1/1/20 anyone on a Medicare Supplement currently or Medicare eligible by 12/31/19 will still be able to purchase plan C, F and HIF after 1/1/2020. These clients that would like to receive a very competitive plan F rate with us will need to go through underwriting so this with be a very healthy group of insureds which can mean lower rate increases.

 

Aetna has a new agent services phone number: 866-272-6630

New Quoting App!

Aetna has launched their new app for quoting all products.  You no longer have to save the link to you home page. All you need to do is download our “quote on the go” app from the app store.  You can quote every product Aetna offers in one easy format!

Aetna to WellCare Billing Transition for Members

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Members transitioning from Aetna to WellCare will need to complete a new EFT form for WellCare. The completed form must be mailed (not faxed) and include a copy of a voided check. The mailing address is on the EFT form.

MORE: Important….and encouraged!
Members can also go on to the Member WellCare Portal and select credit card payments, or choose to draft their online checking or savings to make payment on their desired date.

IN THE WORKS: Notification to transitioning members
Aetna is planning a post card campaign to those Aetna EFT transitioning members notifying them to re-register via the portal or call center.

WELLCARE – EFT FORM

Aetna’s First Look at 2020 Benefits & Certification is Available

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Aetna’s MA/MAPD 2020 Certification is Now Available! You can also request a first look at benefits for 2020.

Aetna has released their Medicare MAPD and PDP plans for 2020 – Don’t miss your chance for a sneak peak at their plan benefits.

Request a first look to Danielle.Flesch@cornerstoneseniormarketing.com

2020 Certification

You can now complete Aetna’s 2020 producer certification process for MA/MAPD products! Click here to learn how to become ready to sell. Remember, Aetna’s certification process includes AHIP which costs $125 going through Aetna- that’s a savings of $50 off the retail price of AHIP!

Want to Sell Silverscript PDP?

Are you contracted for Aetna MA/MAPD? If so, good news! Your current contract will enable you to sell both 2020 Aetna MA/MAPD & 2020 SilverScript PDP. That means, in order to sell 2020 SilverScript plans this AEP, all you need to do is complete 2020 SilverScript certification and receive a SilverScript ready-to-sell notice.Learn how to complete 2020 SilverScript producer certification.

 

Not contracted with Aetna? Reach out to your Cornerstone Senior Marketing Sales representative to get appointed! 

Aetna DSNP Training | August 6

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Aetna’s DSNP sales tools will help you sell year around- Learn more!

Do your Northeast Ohio clients have both Medicare and Medicaid? If eligible, our DSNPs provide special benefits and services that can help improve health care and manage costs.

Training details

August 6, 
10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Location
Embassy Suites by Hilton Akron Canton Airport
7883 Freedom Ave. NW
North Canton, OH
Snacks and refreshments provided.

In this in-person training, we’ll discuss:

  • Sales tips, tools and resources
  • Eligibility requirements
  • Aetna DSNP model of care
  • The local provider network

Register today

Seating is limited, so register today. To sign up, go to aetnamedicareagenttraining.com and search for events in Ohio. Aetna then send a confirmation email.

Aetna Medicare Advantage is Expanding in 2020

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Aetna Medicare released the news they are expanding their footprints in 2020 in OH, KY, & MI*. Plan to certify with Aetna for 2020 starting July 10th, 2019!

*Subject to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services approval. Confidential and proprietary. For agent use only. Do not distribute. 

OHIO COUNTIES:

Allen, Coshocton, Crawford, Darke, Defiance, Fayette, Hardin, Knox, Mercer, Morgan, Morrow, Paulding, Preble, Putnam, Richland, Van Wert, Williams, and Wyandot.

KENTUCKY COUNTIES:

Barren, Bracken, Carroll, Christian, Floyd, Gallatin, Grant, Grayson, Harrison, Hart, Hopkins, Knott, Larue, Letcher, Lewis, Martin, Mason, McCracken, Nicholas, Ohio, Pendleton, Pike, Pulaski, Robertson, Russell, Taylor, and Wayne.

MICHIGAN COUNTIES:

Antrim, Bay, Benzie, Charlevoix, Crawford, Kalkaska, Leelanau, Manistee, Missaukee, Montcalm, Otsego, and Wexford.

 

If you have any questions, please reach out to your Cornerstone Senior Marketing representative.

Important Message from Humana & Aetna: Members Who Requested to Have Premiums Withheld by SSA/RRB in 2019

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FROM HUMANA MARKETPOINT: 

  • Humana has taken action for our impacted members and worked quickly to re-trigger deductions with a 6/1/2019 effective date (next available date).
  • Members were sent a letter on 5/9 (verbiage below) that states we have requested a future date (6/1/19) due to a SSA delay and the amount they owe – letter contains a remit slip.
  • Customer Service has been ramped up for potential calls and no collection actions will take place due to them being on SSA/RRB.

Please see the letter verbiage below. Members should call our Customer Care Team at 1-800-457-4708 if they have questions.

Thank you for choosing Humana for your Medicare coverage.

You asked us to deduct your monthly premium from either your Social Security (SSA) or Railroad

Retirement Board (RRB) benefit check. Your request could not be processed in time for the next

premium payment. We requested your premium deduction to begin with the next available premium

payment for 06/01/2019. It can take SSA or RRB up to 90 days to process this request. At that time,

you may see up to three months of premiums deducted from your check.

You are responsible for paying the monthly premium(s) due prior to 06/01/2019. Please make a

payment for the amount due of $.

To PAY YOUR PREMIUM:

Go to Humana.com/pay or use the MyHumana mobile app

Detach and mail the payment slip below with your payment

Call our Customer Care Team at 1-800-457-4708. If you use a TTY, call 711.

FROM AETNA: 

We want to notify you about an issue affecting all Medicare members who elected to pay plan premiums from their Social Security Administration (SSA) or Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) check.

Background

Normally, when members select this premium payment option, the SSA/RRB withholds funds from members’ SSA/RRB checks to cover their plan premiums.

Unfortunately, due to a system issue, this did not occur for two or more months starting February 1, 2019. This issue affected all carriers, not just Aetna. Although the system issue is now fixed, the SSA/RRB cannot retroactively deduct premium payments from members’ checks.

What do members need to do?

Because these members now have past-due accounts, their premium payment method has changed to direct billing, effective February 1, 2019. This means they now need to pay any past-due premium amounts to Aetna directly.

Member communication

Members will receive a letter explaining what happened and what they need to do later this month. Letters are being mailed in waves, between May 10-24, so members will receive them over several weeks. View the member letter.

What happens next?

  • We’ve already submitted a new request to restart SSA premium deduction for the affected members, effective June 1, 2019. If the request is accepted by SSA, they will send members a letter of approval. Please be aware this can take up to 90 days.
  • Please explain to your clients that SSA will only deduct future premiums from their Social Security check as of the effective date noted in their approval letter, so any balances owed up until that effective date must be paid to Aetna directly. Members need to pay premiums directly to us for any months the SSA or RRB doesn’t cover.

While these members are not currently at-risk for termination due to nonpayment, they do need to begin making payments to ensure their plan does not face termination for nonpayment in the future.

 

 

 

Please contact your Cornerstone Senior Marketing representative if you have any questions.

Oak Street Health Joins Aetna Medicare Provider Network in MI

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Aetna/CVS Health is excited to announce the addition of all Oak Street Health locations to their Southeast Michigan provider network. Effective April 1, 2019, they’re part of Aetna’s existing relationship with Oak Street Health of Chicago, for all Medicare Advantage products.

Aetna Medicare plans offer hometown health care that’s focused on your clients. Aetna works with Oak Street Health to:

  • Address total health needs
  • Make care convenient and effective
  • Maximize Medicare plan benefits

Oak Street Hospital locations in Southeast Michigan:

Cherry Hill
27155 Cherry Hill Rd
Inkster, MI

 Hazel Park
1142 E. 9 Mile Rd.
Hazel Park, MI
Jefferson Village
11260 E. Jefferson Ave.
Detroit, MI

Rosedale Park
18610 Fenkell Ave.
Detroit, MI 

Southgate
13667 Eureka Rd.
Southgate, MI

Need help finding in-network providers?

Don’t forget, Aetna Medicare members have in-network access to over 600,000 PCP/Specialists and 2,900 hospitals across the U.S.

Want a complete list of network providers (including Oak Street Health locations)? Just visit: aetnamedicare.com/findprovider.

 

If you have any questions please reach out to your Cornerstone Senior Marketing representative.

Aetna’s Med Supp 2020 Incentive Trip Update

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Aetna has made a few changes regarding their 2020 Broker Incentive trip. The new destination will be at San Francisco, California.

Click below for a few communciaitons that Aetna has provided to explain the changes.

Some  Highlights of the Updates:

  • Aetna is  lowering overall qualifications for agents to $175,000 in placed premium.
  • They will still offer 3-for-1 on production for ancillary products and 2-for-1 on production for Final Expense.
  • The San Francisco highlights email will include a video featuring a celebrity guest that will share all the reasons we’re excited about San Francisco!

If you have any questions please reach out to your Cornerstone Senior Marketing representative.

Aetna Medicare Network Update: ProMedica to Continue in Ohio

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Aetna has reached a new 3-year agreement with ProMedica Physician Group. Effective January 1, 2019, ProMedica and its affiliated providers will continue to participate in Aetna’s Toledo/NW Ohio Medicare network.

There’s been no interruption to member access as an agreement was reached before the contract’s termination date. ProMedica and its affiliated providers are also included in our online provider search tool and current printed provider directories.

ProMedica Physician Group will continue to participate in the following Medicare products:

·         Aetna Medicare℠ Plan (HMO) ·         Aetna Medicare℠ Plan (PPO)

If you have any questions please reach out to your Cornerstone Senior Marketing representative!