Register: Tuesday, 3/24 @ 2p CST
Register: Wednesday, 3/25 @ 3p CST
Register: Thursday, 3/26 @ 11a CST
Register: Friday, 3/27 @ 1p CST
Recently, UHC was made aware of questions regarding the Walmart / Solutran Over-the-Counter (OTC) ancillary benefit. This issue has been escalated to leadership and are working diligently to improve the member experience.
Below is a list of the issues members are experiencing with best practices to help them work through them
Agents may need to assist members with the registration process.
Find additional information on the UnitedHealthcare® Toolkit; search Health and Wellness Catalog Benefit and click on the link to download.
2. Shipping:
All orders come with free shipping- no matter how much or how little the member orders
3. Price Changes:
UHC will be covering topics ranging from the new rates, At Your Best by UnitedHealthcareTM (including Renew Active for AARP Medicare Supplement Plans) and the Authorized to Offer program, among MUCH more!
Register to John Herbut @ johnherbutfromthedeskof@uhc.com, for the session that best accommodates your schedule.
*MUST REGISTER VIA EMAIL BECAUSE SPACE IS LIMITED!
Can’t make any of these sessions?
Fret not, because WebEx meetings are coming soon! And John from UHC will be back in Ohio the week of February 24th in Dayton, Toledo and Akron- more info to come!
Tuesday, January 14, 2020
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM ET
Holiday Inn Independence
6001 Rockside Rd.
Independence, OH 44131
REGISTER TO JOHN HERBUT– please indicate which training date you will be attending
Wednesday, January 15, 2020
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM ET
Hilton Garden Inn
6165 Levis Commons Blvd.
Perrysburg, OH 43551
REGISTER TO JOHN HERBUT– please indicate which training date you will be attending
Thursday, January 16, 2020
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM ET
Hilton
8700 Lyra Dr.
Columbus, OH 43240
REGISTER TO JOHN HERBUT– please indicate which training date you will be attending
In late September, UHC notified of an exclusive offer for select former AARP Medicare Supplement members to return to the plan without being underwritten.
Effective immediately, this offer has been discontinued for any applications received beginning December 5, 2019 for consumers residing in the state of Ohio. Former members can still enroll into an AARP Medicare Supplement Plan to take advantage of beneficial services with At Your Best by UnitedHealthcare™ and receive the improved Enrollment Discount (if eligible); however, they will likely be subject to underwriting, unless they qualify for a Guaranteed Acceptance situation.
Cornerstone Senior Marketing’s agents who have an active appointment with UnitedHealthcare may have received an email communication from UHC regarding a hierarchy level change.
We want to be clear that you will NOT be impacted by this, and can disregard this message. The letter was generated due to an internal hierarchy change with our contracts from Cornerstone Broker Services Insurance Agency to Cornerstone Senior Marketing LLC.
See below for a sample letter of what you will receive:
Contact your Cornerstone Senior Marketing Sales Representative if you have any questions.
In Ohio, this effects only Dual Plan H5322-028 (Light Blue banded kit), which is now Closed to New Enrollment for 2020. Members on this plan can remain for as long as they like. Agents will continue their AOR status and be paid their renewal commissions.
The reason for this sanction is: the aggregate medical loss ratios of the 9 states included in this plan number, were less than the CMS required 85%. So in essence UHC didn’t lose enough money on that plan.
To note: Ohio was not a contributor to the low losses ratio, UHC had plenty.
UHC has replaced H5322 with H8125-002 for those 75 counties, so they can continue to serve Dual beneficiaries in the State of Ohio.
This does not affect the other Dual Plan H5253-059 (Purple banded kit) which serves Metropolitan 13 counties in Ohio.
All UHC Ohio Plans starting with: H5253 are all 4.5 stars plans and not effected!
By
UnitedHealthcare is facing enrollment restrictions next year in one of its Medicare Advantage health plan contracts, regulators say, because the insurer hasn’t been spending a large enough share of revenue on the health care needs of enrollees.
The sanction from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) applies to just one of United’s many contracts with the federal government to sell Medicare Advantage health plans and doesn’t apply to coverage sold in Minnesota.
Minnetonka-based UnitedHealthcare, the nation’s largest health insurer, says it fell out of compliance due to federal legislation that reduced the insurer’s tax liability last year. The sanction applies to a health plan contract for coverage sold in nine states to less than 1% of the company’s roughly 6 million Medicare Advantage members. The states include Florida, Georgia, Kansas, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas and Virginia.
“CMS imposed enrollment sanctions on a subsidiary of UnitedHealthcare … because the organization did not meet a Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) of at least 85% for a third consecutive year,” CMS said in a response to Star Tribune questions.
“This enrollment suspension will be in effect for contract year 2020,” the federal agency said. The federal MLR rule “requires that a percentage of revenue should be used for patient care, rather than for other items [such] as administrative costs or profit.”
UnitedHealthcare is one of the nation’s largest sellers of Medicare Advantage plans, a newer form of Medicare coverage in which enrollees opt to receive federal health insurance benefits through a private managed care company. In 2019, roughly one-third of Medicare beneficiaries are opting for Medicare Advantage coverage, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, as opposed to receiving benefits through the original Medicare program.
The federal government monitors the share of revenue that Medicare Advantage plans spend on patient care needs, vs. the amount spent on administration and kept as profit. This measure is called the “medical loss ratio,” and it’s a standard way for regulators and consumers to assess the profitability of health plans.
When a Medicare Advantage plan’s MLR drops below 85% for three consecutive years, the government can suspend new enrollment in the plan while letting current enrollees maintain the coverage. In a Sept. 11 letter to UnitedHealthcare, CMS said the medical loss ratio (MLR) was 71.3% in 2016, 83.9% in 2017 and 84.1% in 2018 for health plans within the contract that’s being sanctioned.
In a response to Star Tribune questions, UnitedHealthcare said the MLR last year fell below the mark — despite added benefits — because the company saw a financial benefit from the federal Tax Cut and Jobs Act, which became law in late 2017. The company says it subsequently factored the change into its calculations and anticipates achieving an MLR above 85% in 2019.
“While we won’t be enrolling new members in [this contract] for 2020, existing members will continue to receive the same level of care and support, including an increase in their coverage and benefits,” the insurer said in a statement. “UnitedHealthcare also has additional Medicare Advantage plans available in many of these markets.”
“We anticipate that we will achieve the MLR threshold in 2019 for [this contract], which will allow us to resume enrollment in these plans in 2021,” UnitedHealthcare said.
The health plan contract that’s being sanctioned primarily provides coverage for people who quality for benefits from both Medicare and the state-federal Medicaid program. UnitedHealthcare officials have said these products for “dually eligible” enrollees are an important growth area for the company.
If the MLR for a Medicare Advantage plan falls below the 85% mark for five years, the government can terminate its contract with the health plan. CMS says the regulatory action against UnitedHealthcare is the first time the agency has suspended enrollment in a Medicare Advantage plan due to noncompliance with the MLR rule.
Effective Oct. 1, 2019, agents will receive a payment for a qualifying Health Assessments when you use LEAN to submit an application.
How to get started
Once you’re registered
Note: Refer to FAQ for additional eligibility requirements
Benefits for Members and Agents Members
The Health Assessment has several benefits, from providing a health summary that members can share with their primary care physician (PCP) to helping identify members who may be eligible for UnitedHealthcare programs that assist them with managing their health. It’s important to note that results from the Health Assessment do not impact enrollment eligibility, membership or costs.
As always, complete a thorough needs assessment to ensure you are offering the most appropriate UnitedHealthcare Medicare plan for the consumer.
Disclaimer
Not all MA/MAPD, DSNPs or CSNPs are eligible for this Health Assessment payment program. If a member becomes ineligible due to a non-qualifying chronic condition, DSNP ineligibility or other reason, you may not be eligible for payment.
UnitedHealthcare recently changed vendors that process its Medicare Advantage (MA) and Prescription Drug Plan (PDP) paper enrollment applications, not including UnitedHealthcare Senior Care Options (SCO) and People’s Health plans.
If you have any questions, please contact your Cornerstone Senior Marketing representative.
As UHC kicks-off the Annual Enrollment Period, they wanted to make you aware of several key things to note to assist you in understanding the application and underwriting process for AARP® Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans, insured by UnitedHealthcare® Insurance Company.
Changes for Guaranteed Issue – Plan G
Starting with January 1, 2020 plan effective dates, Plan G (as well as Plans D and Select G if offered in the state and Extended Basic 2020 Plan in MN) will not be available without underwriting for certain previously eligible individuals with Guaranteed Issue (GI) Rights. Previously eligible individuals are those who turn 65 prior to January 1, 2020, or whose Medicare Part A plan effective date is prior to January 1, 2020.
! When completing the paper application within the section labeled “Is your Acceptance Guaranteed”, complete as instructed (i.e. complete the health status questions, if required).
When completing an online enrollment application via LEAN™, if the consumer does not have guaranteed issue rights for the plan selected or is unsure, select “no” to the question “Do you have guaranteed issue rights, as listed in the Guaranteed Acceptance section of ‘Your Guide’?”. He/she will then need to answer questions about his/her health status.
If this question is answered “yes”, LEAN, the online enrollment tool, will skip over the health status questions. For those who respond “yes” and we are unable to confirm guaranteed issue rights for the plan selected, we will contact the consumer to answer questions about his/her health status. (Note: Plan availability varies by state.)
NOTE: If the applicant does not qualify for guaranteed issue for Plan G but would qualify for another plan, we will reach out the applicant to complete underwriting questions, or they can choose another plan.
Here to Help – For Applicants Who Do Not Have Guaranteed Acceptance
The enrollment applications for the AARP Medicare Supplement Plans offered by UnitedHealthcare include questions about medical conditions and treatments that are used to determine an applicant’s eligibility to enroll and their rate level (where applicable).
As part of UHC’s underwriting process, they review prescription drug history of the applicant because prescription drugs may indicate the presence of a medical condition listed on the application. In order to assist you in completing an application for your client, and identifying if the applicant has one of the listed conditions, please see the Partial Prescription Drug List linked below for your applicable state. This list will also be found in the appendix of your 2020 Producer Handbook, when available.
FOR ALL STATES: CALIFORNIA, FLORIDA, MAINE, MINNESOTA, OREGON, AND WASHINGTON
If you have any questions please contact your Cornerstone Senior Marketing representative.
Please register below for any of UnitedHealthcare’s upcoming webinar training in August.
| August National Web Training Calendar | |||||||
| Date | Day | East | Length | Course Title | WebEx Link |
Dial-In # | Trainer |
| 8/1/19 | Thurs | 2:00 PM | 60 min | Hassle Free Selling during SEP | Click to register | 1-763-957-6400 | Gary Jones |
| 8/1/19 | Thurs | 4:00 PM | 60 min | UnitedHealthcare Toolkit | Click to register | 1-763-957-6400 | Gary Jones |
| 8/1/19 | Thurs | 11:00 AM | 60 min | LEAN for AARP Medicare Supplement | Click to register | 1-763-957-6400 | Gwen Swift |
| 8/2/19 | Fri | 4:00 PM | 70 min | Complaint Reduction | Click to register | 1-763-957-6400 | Gary Jones |
| 8/2/19 | Fri | 2:00 PM | 120 min | Low Income Subsidy; My Advocate check up tool | Click to register | 1-763-957-6400 | Vickie Mitchell |
| 8/5/19 | Mon | 11:00 AM | 60 min | New Agent Orientation | Click to register | 1-763-957-6400 | Jim Barrett |
| 8/5/19 | Mon | 3:00 PM | 60 min | Marketing Guidelines With a Dual Special Needs Plan (DSNP) Focus | Click to register | 1-763-957-6400 | Anna Pine |
| 8/6/19 | Tues | 2:00 PM | 60 min | Steps to Sales Success – 1 | Click to register | 1-763-957-6400 | Stephanie Roberti |
| 8/7/19 | Wed | 2:00 PM | 60 min | Steps to Sales Success – 2 | Click to register | 1-763-957-6400 | Stephanie Roberti |
| 8/7/19 | Wed | 11:00 AM | 90 min | LEAN – Landmark Electronic Application Navigator for MA/PDP | Click to register | 1-763-957-6400 | Jim Barrett |
| 8/7/19 | Wed | 2:00 PM | 60 min | 60 Minutes to Success – For brand new AARP Medicare Supplement Agents | Click to register | 1-763-957-6400 | Erin Bailey |
| 8/8/19 | Thurs | 2:00 PM | 60 min | Steps to Sales Success – 3 | Click to register | 1-763-957-6400 | Stephanie Roberti |
| 8/9/19 | Fri | 2:00 PM | 60 min | Steps to Sales Success – 4 | Click to register | 1-763-957-6400 | Stephanie Roberti |
| 8/9/19 | Fri | 11:00 AM | 60 min | Dual Special Needs plan (DSNP) Basics | Click to register | 1-763-957-6400 | Anna Pine |
| 8/13/19 | Tues | 2:00 PM | 60 min | New Agent Orientation | Click to register | 1-763-957-6400 | Stephanie Roberti |
| 8/13/19 | Tues | 12:00 PM | 90 min | Building Your Business Plan | Click to register | 1-763-957-6400 | Vickie Mitchell |
| 8/13/19 | Tues | 2:00 PM | 60 min | 60 Minutes to Success – For brand new AARP Medicare Supplement Agents | Click to register | 1-763-957-6400 | Erin Bailey |
| 8/13/19 | Tues | 12:00 PM | 60 min | Dual Special Needs plan (DSNP) Basics | Click to register | 1-763-957-6400 | Stuart Beardman |
| 8/14/19 | Weds | 12:00 PM | 90 min | Hassle Free Selling during SEP | Click to register | 1-763-957-6400 | Vickie Mitchell |
| 8/14/19 | Wed | 2:00 PM | 60 min | Presentation Skills 101 | Click to register | 1-763-957-6400 | Stephanie Roberti |
| 8/14/19 | Wed | 3:00 PM | 60 min | Dual Special Needs Plan (DSNP) Marketing Made Easy | Click to register | 1-763-957-6400 | Stuart Beardman |
| 8/15/19 | Thurs | 12:00 PM | 70 min | Complaint Reduction | Click to register | 1-763-957-6400 | Vickie Mitchell |
| 8/15/19 | Thur | 2:00 PM | 45 min | Health and Wellness Resources for AARP Med Supp Plans | Click to register | 1-763-957-6400 | Cindy Nori |
| 8/21/19 | Wed | 2:00 PM | 45 min | Benefits of the Authorized to Offer Program and A2Oh! Rewards | Click to register | 1-763-957-6400 | Carin Goodemote |
| 8/27/19 | Tues | 7:00 PM | 90 min | LEAN – Landmark Electronic Application Navigator for MA/PDP | Click to register | 1-763-957-6400 | Jim Barrett |
| 8/27/19 | Thurs | 12:00 PM | 120 min | Low Income Subsidy; My Advocate check up tool | Click to register | 1-763-957-6400 | Vickie Mitchell |
| 8/27/19 | Tues | 2:00 PM | 60 min | Refresh Your Success | Click to register | 1-763-957-6400 | John Herbut |
| 8/28/19 | Wed | 7:00 PM | 90 min | Steps to Sales Success, Sessions 1 & 2 | Click to register | 1-763-957-6400 | Jim Barrett |
| 8/28/19 | Weds | 2:00 PM | 60 min | Six Key Enrollment Conversations | Click to register | 1-763-957-6400 | Gary Jones |
| 8/29/19 | Thurs | 2:00 PM | 70 min | Building Loyalty After Enrollment | Click to register | 1-763-957-6400 | Gary Jones |
| 8/29/19 | Thu | 7:00 PM | 90 min | Steps to Sales Success, Sessions 3 & 4 | Click to register | 1-763-957-6400 | Jim Barrett |
| 8/29/19 | Thu | 2:00 PM | 60 min | Agent Directed Group Sales | Click to register | 1-763-957-6400 | Erika Brummett |
| 8/29/19 | Thu | 12:00 PM | 60 min | **SPANISH**Dual Special Needs Plan (DSNP) Basics | Click to register | 1-763-957-6400 | Maricela Alvarez-Montes |
| 8/29/19 | Thu | 4:00 PM | 60 min | **SPANISH**Dual Special Needs Plan (DSNP) Marketing Made Easy | Click to register | 1-763-957-6400 | Maricela Alvarez-Montes |
| 8/30/19 | Fri | 2:00 PM | 60 min | UnitedHealthcare Toolkit | Click to register | 1-763-957-6400 | Gary Jones |
| COURSE NAME | THEME | DESCRIPTION |
| 60 Minutes to Success | Business/Sales Skills | It is an onboarding program designed to educate them on the tools available such as the Agent Portal and Toolkit and provides insight about product features, the Authorized to Offer program and valuable sales and marketing information. (Presentation) |
| Agent Directed Group Sales | Business/Sales Skills | Agents are now eligible to offer AARP Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans to employer groups with 10 or more eligible retirees. With the new Agent-Directed Group Sales opportunity, agents have the choice to assist with the enrollment for group sizes up to 99 retirees or simply let UnitedHealthcare complete the enrollment application process for any group size. (Presentation) |
| Benefits of the Authorized to Offer Program and A2Oh! Rewards | Business/Sales Skills | Learn more about the Authorized to Offer Program and the great benefits that agents can take advantage of such as the A2Oh! Rewards Program. We will discuss eligibility requirements to reach the Level 1 and Level 2 status, and review current marketing materials available. (Presentation) |
| Building Loyalty After Enrollment | Business/Sales Skills | Learn how to build loyalty and what tools exist to help drive member loyalty and retention. (Presentation) |
| Building Your Business Plan | Business/Sales Skills | Join this course to understand how to build a successful business plan that helps you set and reach your goals. This course provides the tools and process to develop a realistic business plan with measurable goals; growing your book of business; and alignment with your agent manager.(Presentation) |
| Chronic Special Needs Plans (CSNP) | Products | Learn about CSNP plans and how you can help consumers with chronic health issues. (Presentation) |
| Complaint Reduction | Compliance | This course provides an overview of sales activities that drive complaints to CMS, best practices to prevent complaints, and case studies which will help you to be more compliant. (Presentation) |
| Conducting Formal Events – 2019 | Compliance | Formal Event: Best practices when conducting Formal Sales Meetings, sometimes called sales meetings, community meetings or neighborhood meetings. Formal Events are structured in an audience-presenter style where you formally provide specific plan information via a presentation on the products being offered. (Presentation) |
| Conducting Informal Events – 2019 | Compliance | Informal Event: Best practices when conducting an Informal Event. Informal marketing/sales events are less structured and in a less formal environment. They typically utilize a booth, table, kiosk or recreational vehicle (RV) that is manned by one or more agents who can discuss the merits of the plan’s products. (Presentation) |
| Dual Special Needs Plan (DSNP) Marketing Made Easy | Business/Sales Skills | In this course, we discuss the how to utilize the UnitedHealthcare Toolkit as a valuable resource for an agent’s DSNP business. (Presentation) |
| Dual Special Needs Plans (DSNP) Basics | Products | In this course, we discuss the basics of Medicare vs Medicaid, the myths of Dual Special Need Plans (DSNP), who the DSNP member is, general benefits of a DSNP plan, and what next steps are to being successful in the DSNP field. (Presentation) |
| Dual Special Needs Plans (DSNP) Compliance | Business/Sales Skills | Being empowered through compliance will guide a successful sales career. In this course, we discuss the importance of the do’s and don’ts of compliance. Scenario based learning drives the importance of compliance in the field. License, DSNP certification and appointments are also explained as well. (Presentation) |
| Dual Special Needs Plans (DSNP) UHC Toolkit | Business/Sales Skills | In this course, we discuss the how to utilize the UnitedHealthcare Toolkit as a valuable resource for an agent’s DSNP business. (Presentation) |
| Election Periods | Foundational | This course is a review of previous Election Period material and introduces the OEP and OEP Newly Eligible as well as the Dual SNP LIS Maintaining SEP changes. (Presentation) |
| Health and Wellness Resources for AARP Med Supp Plans | Business/Sales Skills | Members enrolled in an AARP Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan, in one of our Health and Wellness states, may take advantage of resources in addition to their Medicare supplement insurance plan coverage. These resources offer a wide range of support including: 24/7 Nurse access, telephonic wellness coaching, classes and activities, and online resources. (Presentation) |
| Jarvis | Systems & Technology | This course provides instruction on how to access Jarvis (our agent portal) and navigate all its functionality – from commissions to application status, training to communications, and everything in between. (Demonstration) |
| LEAN – Landmark Electronic Application Navigator | Systems & Technology | Learn more about the online enrollment tool for AARP Medicare Supplement Plans via LEAN including all three signature options; electronic, remote and voice. See how you can verify or renew AARP memberships for consumers. Learn how LEAN can make submitting an application faster, easier and better than a paper application. (Presentation & Demonstration) |
| Low Income Subsidy; My Advocate Check-up tool | Programs | This course presents the fundamentals of LIS and your opportunity grow your book of business while assisting consumers with unique needs. We review LIS program qualifications, the LIS enrollment process, and why follow up is a necessity. My Advocate Check-Up tool is a demonstration of a website data base or programs in local communities geared to provide financial assistance, discounts, and more. Developed Change Healthcare and available to all UHC agents. This session will give you a solid foundation of the LIS marketspace, information on qualifications and assistance available for consumers, help you identify financial challenges, provide steps to guide the consumer through the LIS application, and guide you on how to track properly within bConnected. (Presentation) |
| Marketing Guidelines With a Dual Special Needs Plan (DSNP) Focus | Business/Sales Skills | Being empowered through compliance will guide a successful sales career. In this course, we discuss the importance of the do’s and don’ts of compliance. Scenario based learning drives the importance of compliance in the field. License, DSNP certification and appointments are also explained as well. (Presentation) |
| New Agent Orientation | Foundational | This course sets the stage for new agents to understand Medicare and UnitedHealthcare processes and tools. (Presentation) |
| Presentation Skills 101 | Business/Sales Skills | Come learn the basics of presentation skills. With an understanding of how to present, you’ll see your confidence grow! (Presentation) |
| Refresh Your Success | Business/Sales Skills | This training session is designed to provide agents with the marketing tools, tactics and know-how they need to help effectively sell AARP Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans. This select training offers valuable sales and marketing information including understanding the product, leveraging competitive advantages, and tips for getting started on your marketing and lead generation efforts. (Presentation) |
| SEP Hassle Free Selling | Business/Sales Skills | Join this course for a condensed overview of the sales process and let us help you start selling! This course answers questions like “Why UHC” and where are you stuck, to simplified selling from setting effective appointments through a compliant close, your most vital asset, and a high level overview of resources & tools that impact your daily business activities. (Presentation) |
| Six Key Enrollment Conversations | Business/Sales Skills | Learn how to build loyalty and what tools exist to help drive member loyalty and retention at enrollment and beyond. (Presentation) |
| Steps to Sales Success Parts 1-4 | Business/Sales Skills | Come learn the steps to a successful sale. Topics include goal setting, selling you, questioning, presenting using features and benefits, resolving objections, closing, and next steps. (Presentation) |
| UnitedHealthcare Toolkit | Systems & Technology | Learn how to use the UnitedHealthcare Toolkit to grow your business with CMS approved materials. (Demonstration) |
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