An agent asked me to sign a scope of appointment for before we could discuss my Medicare insurance or part D plan. What is an SOA? Is this normal? Are call centers exempt from this practice?
Answered by 72 licensed agents
The Scope of Appointment (SOA) form is required to be signed 48 hours prior to any scheduled appointment where Medicare Prescription Drug (Part D) plans or Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans benefits are being discussed. The SOA lays out what will be discussed during your appointment with the agent/broker. Only plan types selected on the SOA can be discussed during your meeting. It must be signed by both the Medicare beneficiary and the Medicare agent/broker. The form is a Medicare requirement and all agents, included call center agents, are required to comply with the regulation.
There are three exceptions to the 48 hour rule:
1) Walk in without prior appointment
2) Inbound call initiated by the beneficiary
3) Within 4 days of the end of a valid election period
Having you sign a SOA is not just normal, it is required. This document shows that you have agreed to talk with the agent about different Medicare options and limits the SCOPE of things they can talk about at that specific appointment. The options are listed on the SOA and you have the ability to check off the things you wish to discuss. If it is your first appointment you will likely check all of them so the agent can give you a good description of all the options available to you.
It's important to know that signing the scope does not obligate you to work with that agent. It is not a contract.
As far as call centers go, yes they are required to have you agree to a scope. It is a voice signature they can collect over the phone. However, there are some call centers that are very loose with the rules. If they are calling you unsolicited, then don't talk with them and don't give them permission to help you.
I recommend finding a local agent that can spend time with you to understand your situation and go through your options. The majority of call center agents have a quota and try to get as many enrollments as fast as possible. THis may not be the best alternative for you.
Scopes are required by Medicare to have a client sign. It specifies what the agent is going to talk about with the client. Call centers are not exempt. If they’re getting around that, they should be reported.
Scope of appointments are required by Medicare in order to discuss Medicare plans and this is a normal procedure and nobody is exempt from doing this form.
Call centers are required to do the same as anyone else.
A scope of appointment is permission from you to talk about certain types of plans. The boxes at the top of the scope show what you and the agent have agreed to talk about. This scope must be signed at least 48 hours before you talk about any plan information.
There are certain times when a scope can be signed on the day you talk about the plan. For instance, if you drop into an insurance office with no appointment. Call centers also are not required to do scopes of appointment.
Scope of Appointment forms are required by Medicare to have a client sign. It specifies what the agent is going to talk about with the client. Call centers are not exempt. If they’re getting around that, they should be reported.
It is a form that says you agreed to the appointment to discuss certain products. It is not only normal but is a requirement by Medicare and except for walk ins, should be obtained 48 hours prior to the appointment. Call centers are not exempt and should do a virtual/electronic SOA. Remember anyone calling you without you giving written prior permission is breaking the law and you should never talk to these people.
Do not answer illegal telemarketing calls... PLEASE> IF you do, you are rewarding them for illegal behavior. Please stop it. Contact a local medicare expert and get actual help.
A Scope of Appointment (SOA) is a required form that you must sign before discussing Medicare Advantage or Part D plans with an agent, ensuring transparency about what will be covered in the meeting. This practice is normal and applies to all agents, including those in call centers, which must also obtain a signed SOA before discussing these plans.
Call centers are NOT exempt from this. However, they typically handle this as a verbal SOA. If you place an unscheduled phone call into an agent or call center, they are required to obtain the SOA via voice or electronic methods. CMS (Medicare) does require this form to be obtained before licensed agents may discuss plan benefits and details with you. In most in-person situations, Medicare requires the SOA to be signed at least 48-hours before the appointment.
Medicare is very concerned with bait and switch tactics used by unethical agents. To help minimize this problem, Medicare has strict rules about being very specific regarding what will be discussed in Medicare related meetings. Any agent who discusses anything not previously authorized (in writing) is in violation of Medicare rules. Furthermore, n most cases, the Scope of Appointment form (SOA) must be signed at least 48 hours before discussing Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D. No one is exempt, AND, it is also against Medicare rules for anyone to contact you without your prior approval. Violations should be reported to Medicare.
A Scope of Appointment (SOA) form is required by Medicare to document a beneficiary’s permission for an agent to discuss specific types of Medicare-related products and pricing during a meeting. This helps ensure transparency and protects consumers from being targeted. if you are signing up for Medicare, you will be the beneficiary.
The Center for Medicare Services requires that agents fill out a scope of appointment with you before discussing any plan details. This ensures you understand that you will be participating in an appointment to discuss certain coverage options. Call centers should also be following this practice. In most cases agents are not allowed to discuss plan details until 48 hours after they have you sign the SOA
The Scope of Appointment lays out the parameters of a Medicare insurance meeting and must be completed before the sales appointment. This is normal. Call centers are not exempt from this practice. Currently, there is a 48 hour time delay from the time the SCOPE is completed until the sales meeting can be held. Exceptions are for inbound contacts from the customer such as when a client walks in your office door or calls you directly. The SCOPE must still be completed, however.
A scope of appointment form or SOA is a required form all licensed agents are expected to get signed and reviewed by possible clients, the form spells out what will be discussed at this appointment.
Call centers can be outside the U.S. Basically they don't have to follow the rules and regulations legitimate agents follow.
Agents are required to request clients to complete a Scope of Appointment (SOA) form at least 48 hours prior to discussing their Medicare Advantage options, including Part D coverage. This is done whether in person on the phone or done virtually. This is a practice that is mandated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and is done to be sure that clients are fully informed and consent to the discussion of specific plans and options to meet their needs. Agents obtain the SOA to uphold compliance standards, to maintain transparency and respectful dialogue with clients regarding their healthcare choices. Call centers handling Medicare inquiries must also follow this protocol, reinforcing the importance of ethical practices in the delivery of healthcare information.
A Scope of Appointment is a mandated document that the exact Medicare topics you requested are discussed. This protects you, the consumer. An agent can only discuss the Medicare products that you requested. The Center of Medicare and Medicaid mandates that agents obtain a signed Scope of Appointment, prior to discussion Medicare Prescription Drug plans( Part D), and Medicare Advantage Plans (Part C)
Currently there is a 48 hour where an agent must have a signed scope of appointment prior to your scheduled appointment. There are exceptions to that rule. 48 hour rule does not apply if you initiate the contact or are a walk in to the agents office. Also Time- sensitive deadlines can apply if your enrollment period is about to end.
Call centers are exempt to the 48 hour rule but still must obtain a Scope of Appointment. If you call an insurance company directly or a tele-sales center, they can discuss options and complete your enrollment during the same phone call. CMS does require that these calls must be recorded to protect your rights.
Keep in mind, there is no obligation when signing a scope of appointment that you have to enroll in a plan. You control the topics of the plans you wish to discuss. If someone tries to pressure sell you on products outside the realm of the Medicare Scope of appointment, that is a violation. You should report that person to Medicare or your local department of Aging.
This is a requirement that is put in place by Medicare. Without the scope of appointment the agent could be disciplined or lose their license. The scope of appointment helps narrow down what the client wants to talk about and prevents agents from selling plans to people that are not interested in it. It gives agents proof to provide to Medicare.
An SOA is a form for your protection as it “tells” Medicare that you understand what the benefits of either an Advantage or a Part D(rug) plan are. It can only be exercised by a licensed agent. It ought to be signed 48 hours in advance of the new plan being processed. A call center is mainly involved with taking a prospect's personal data for distribution to an agent. However, some agents may be a part of a call center so that variance has more to do with an individual state’s rules. This is a customary practice.
EVERY trustworthy insurance agent MUST require a SOA signed before ANY details can be discussed for Part C or Part D. NO ONE IS EXEMPT! If you did NOT sign one then your agent has already broke the Medicare guidelines to marketing Medicare plans
A Scope of Appointment is required by all agent/broker prior to discussing any plans specific which is a requirement by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid it is to protect the Medicare Beneficiary and assures transparency in the sales process of the Medicare plan Medicare Advantages or Part D plans to be discussed.
No, call centers aren’t exempt from the SOA but it is captured telephonically for they are still required to get consent from the Medicare Beneficiary
A scope of appointment is a government required document. It is designed to make sure unscrupulous sales agents don't use Medicare as a way to get their foot in the door to pressure you into buying other products. I am not familiar with the regulations for call centers, but it is absolutely normal for field agents.
An agent asking for a scope of appointment is not only normal, it is a Medicare requirement. It is done to help keep seniors from being inundated with sales calls, thus the agent needs a prospects permission to even talk about it.
A Scope of Appointment (SOA) is a form required by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, that you must sign before a Medicare agent can discuss specific private insurance plans with you, and is required 48 hours before the meeting.
This is to protect you from high pressure sales tactics and ensures the agent only talks about the types of plans you are interested in, which helps in preventing call centers or unethical agents from pushing unnecessary products.
This is a normal procedure, so that the customer understands we are discussing medicare options.
As far as call centers go, yes they are required to have you agree to a scope. It is a voice signature they can collect over the phone. However, there are some call centers that are very loose with the rules. If they are calling you unsolicited, then don't talk with them and don't give them permission to help you.
Also agents or call centers should not solicit you without your permission but the call centers seem to try to work around this.
CMS (Medicare) requires agents and brokers to obtain a signed Scope of Appointment from a beneficiary 48 hours prior to meeting to discuss Medicare Advantage or Part D drug plans. The scope will outline what the prospect is interested in discussing and no other business can be discussed. This is to protect the beneficiary from predatory agents who will "bait and switch" to sell more profitable products. There are no exemptions but the 48 hour waiting period does not apply to inbound unscheduled sales calls. A telephonic or electronic SOA must still be obtained.
A CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) form SOA Scope of appointment is required for an agent/broker to discuss Medicare approved plans like Prescription drug plans (part D) or Medicare Advantage plans (part C). This form must be signed 48 hours prior to discussion. The exceptions being a "walk in" or "inbound" call. Or within 4 days of a valid enrollment period.
Call centers are held to the same rules and cannot give specific details to plans in the area without a SOA.
The Scope of Appointment form is a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) compliance form that all agents are required to have signed by a Medicare Beneficiary before the appointment starts. It does not obligate you to any product it is just saying these are the products we are going to discuss in this appointment. Call centers are not exempt from this requirement.
This the required practice for licensed agents. A SOA is a Scope of Appointment which indicates the the topics to be discussed and is required by CMS for licensed agent.
The "Scope of Appointment" defines the parameters of a Medicare insurance meeting and must be completed prior to the sales appointment. This is normal and a requirement according to CMS. Call centers are not exempt from this requirement. Currently, there is a 48-hour delay between the completion of the SCOPE and the sales meeting.
Yes, completing an SOA is a standard practice required by CMS to ensure the medicare recipient is aware of the conversations to be had and consent to discussing the options without any high pressure sales tactics. Think of an SOA as a permission slip for the agent to discuss your options. Call centers are not exempt from this practice.
SOA is a Scope of Appointment, and is a requirement for Medicare Agents to get from prospects before a sales meeting/call/etc.. It is normal, and has been required for years. Since 2024/2025, it became mandatory to get an SOA 48 hours before speaking/meeting w/ someone about Medicare. Although there are some exceptions to the 48hr rule, an SOA must be obtained. Medicare call centers are not exempt from the practice, but they are exempt from the 48-hr rule for inbound calls initiated by a prospect. The form does NOT lock you into any enrollment, etc... It simply states that you agree to speak about the products cited in the SOA.
A SOA is a document that CMS who governs Medicare requires that all agents have prior to discussing plan specifics. It authorizes the agent to discuss Medicare Advantage, supplements, drug plans, dental, hearing, vision, and hospital indemnity plans. Call centers are not exempt from this practice.
This is very normal. Medicare requires agents to collect a SOA when scheduling an appointment and it has to be collected 48 hours before the appointment. The goal of a SOA is to give the client control over what products are specifically discussed at the appointment to prevent agents from trying to sell and discuss products you are not interested in.
Call centers are technically not exempt but a SOA is not required for an inbound call. They usually will transfer you to an agent so you would be an inbound call for the agent, therefore removing the requirement for a SOA.
This is 100% normal. Scope of Appointment forms are legal requirements put in place for your protection. Brokers need to have this signed at a minimum of 48 hours prior to your meeting (in most instances) and then keep it on file for 10 years. This states what you will discuss at your meeting, and is a safeguard to make sure that no additional lines of coverage are being sold during that meeting.
As licensed Insurance Agents/Advisors, it’s our responsibility to make sure you’re fully informed and taken care of. The SOA also protects you by ensuring we only discuss the topics you’ve agreed to—and it protects us by documenting that the meeting was conducted properly.
It’s also important to know that Medicare Part D can carry penalties if enrollment timing isn’t handled correctly. Completing the SOA helps us make sure everything is done the right way and on time.
Yes this is a normal part of helping seniors. In fact this shows that the agent is doing their job the correct way.
The soa is just a form that says they are not medicare, are a licensed agent, and that you do not have to sign up for a plan it just gives the agent the ability to present plan options that you agree to in advance of the meeting.
A call center is not exempt but they typically read a verbal one that is recorded. Since you can into them they are exempt from the 48 hours wait a local field agent would need.
Before any marketing appointments with you as a potential enrollee, Medicare brokers are required to complete a Scope of Appointment (SOA) form. This measure is in place to protect you from scams and unethical sales practices. Brokers must fill out and submit the form to you at least 48 hours before the appointment.
No, call centers are not exempt from obtaining a Scope of Appointment (SOA). Both telephonic and electronic communications, including those from call centers, are subject to the SOA requirements and the 48-hour waiting period, unless specific exceptions apply.
A Scope of Appointment (SOA) is a Medicare-required form that documents what products you’ve agreed to discuss with an agent, such as Medicare Advantage or Part D plans. Yes, this is completely normal and helps protect beneficiaries from being pressured into discussing plans they didn’t ask about. Call centers that market Medicare plans are generally required to follow the same CMS SOA rules as independent agents.
Yes, this is normal, it's a requirement of CMS to document the plans to be discussed and does not enroll you in anything. Call centers are NOT exempt from this rule! But my advice is to NEVER deal with a call center! You will never get customer service form them after! Only use a local agent, not even an agent out-of-state!
Yes a scope of appointment is required prior to discussing Medicare plans & prescription drug (Part D) plans per CMS. The SOA - A gives the agent permission to discuss plans with the potential client/beneficiary.
Call centers usually have to record the call and have the client call into an inbound call.
Yes it is normal and is a requirement to be signed at least 48 hours prior to meeting with a prospect to discuss any Medicare plans and then the agent is only allowed to discuss the products checked. If anything is to be discussed a new scope of appointment is required. The requirement was relaxed during Covid but was put back in place last year. There are a few exceptions such as a prospect walking into an agents office or if it’s the last few days of an enrollment period. Call center rules are slightly different because you are agreeing to the terms prior to be connected to an agent or you called them yourself and that’s treated similar to a walk-in.
A Scope of Appointment form is designed to let the client know what will be discussed in the meeting. The products to discuss are limited to health policies, so no life or annuities. It is a requirement of Medicare. Currently an agent needs to have a SOA signed and wait 48 hours before completing the sale. If you call into a call center they are supposed to record a scope at the beginning of the call.
SOA is a scope of appointment. It defines what products your agent is going to discuss in relation to Medicare coverage. It is required for all agents, including telemarketers. The rule in 2025 requires all agents to have this signed by the medicare beneficiary 48 hours prior to a Medicare meeting. There are a few exceptions to this rule. It is Medicare's requirement, and all agents licensed to sell Medicare must comply.
A scope of appointment form is normal, and it is required to be signed every year before your agent can review your plan with you, even if you’re an existing client. The scope of appointment form is intended to protect you from agents coming in and selling you things that you are not interested in by allowing you to choose what topics we may may discuss at your appointment. If you change your mind and want to discuss more than you signed the scope of appointment for, a new scope of appointment must be completed before the agent discusses those additional items with you. Call centers are not exempt from scope of appointment requirements. They will capture scope of appointment forms telephonically in most cases. It is very important that you be careful about what information you provide over the phone to anyone that you do not know. Your Medicare ID number is not required for the scope of appointment form. Scope of appointment forms must be kept by the agent for at least 10 years and produced upon request.
The Scope of Appointment (SOA) for 2025 is a federally required document that outlines the specific Medicare plans and products a beneficiary agrees to discuss with an agent. This requirement is enforced by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to ensure transparency and prevent high-pressure sales tactics. Agents must document the SOA before any face-to-face sales meeting to ensure both parties understand what will be discussed.
An SOA is a Scope of Appointment. It is required by CMS that an agent receive your permission to discuss your Medicare plan options with you. It is absolutely normal and as I said, required.
Call centers are recording your calls and you as the beneficiary are calling in to their center, therefore they do not need a written SOA. They should be asking your permission over the phone and recording it.
Scope of Appointment. It outlines what will be discussed between you and the agent. Typical have to be signed 48 hours prior to the appoinment date with the agent ,unless you call them or approach them first, then the 48 hours SOA rule doesn't apply. Call centers are not exempt from them.
It is a form giving the agent permission to discuss only the plan types marked with you during your appointment. It is to make sure agents are only discussing plans you are interested in. Currently Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) requires then 48 hours in advance unless you called them, then they can get the SOA at the time you call in.
Hey there. An SOA is a Scope of Appointment and it details which products will be spoken about in the meeting. Not only is it the usual, it's the STANDARD, and we brokers have to keep it in our records for 5 years. So yeah, it's ok.
The Medicare insurance practice is highly regulated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). They require all agents to have a signed Scope of Appointment for every appointment that we do. The scope obligates you to nothing but does limit the agent from talking with you about anything but Medicare. If you'd like to talk about life insurance or annuities, he has to wait 48 hours before he can come back and discuss those issues with you. As agents, we must keep that scope in your file, whether you work with us or not, for 10 years. If our files get audited and that scope is not in there, we can be fined heavily or, in some cases, lose our license to sell Medicare products.
As for call centers, they are held to the same standard, but every call is recorded and reviewed randomly to make sure they are following CMS rules.
Congratulations to your agent for following the rules.
The SOA specifies which Medicare plans (e.g., Medicare Advantage, Part D, Medigap) the beneficiary wants to discuss. In essence, the Scope of Appointment form is a crucial tool for ensuring that Medicare beneficiaries are protected and informed during the sales process, allowing them to make the best decisions about their healthcare coverage.
An SOA or Scope of Appointment is normal and is actually required by Federal law. It documents the only type(s) of coverage you wish the agent to speak with you about. It also provides a 48 hour "cooling off" period if you should change your mind about speaking to an agent. Call centers must also process an SOA, although the 48 hour requirement is waived. The Federal SOA requirement is waived only under the following 3 conditions: 1) Waived for phone calls YOU initiate. 2. Waived when you walk into an agents permanent office or any place they are conducting a registered "informal sales event", like a table setup at a local retail store. 3) Another exception to the 48-hour rule include beneficiaries in the last four days of their enrollment period, although an SOA should be collected.
This is very normal and no agents are exempt from this document. The purpose of it is to prevent rogue agents from hard selling a plan on an outbound phone call. But more importantly it's a form that allows you to designate specifically what you would like the agent to cover with you, and prevents them from trying to sell you products you have no interest in hearing about.
This is common procedure if the agent is going to meet with you face to face, then the Scope of Appointment would need to be signed 48 hours before meeting with the beneficiary. If the conversation is by phone then the Scope of Appointment can be verbal.
A question came in. An agent asked me to sign a scope of appointment before we could discuss my Medicare insurance or Part D plan. What is an SOA? Is this normal, and are our call centers exempt from this practice?
So first, what is an SOA? An SOA is a scope of appointment form. And as we will see here, it is actually a government-required form. Is this normal? Yes, it is normal.
Now, who is required to perform or obtain a scope of appointment? It's going to be an independent agent or broker. They are required by the federal government, CMS, to ensure that they have this form that simply allows them to discuss Medicare options with you. And so you'll have to check all the boxes that apply, and they can only discuss those items that you have checked off. And then you sign and date.
If you are not able to make decisions on your own, then your power of attorney, medical power of attorney, would sign the form and date it.
Because let's see here who is not required to provide a scope of appointment form. That would be call centers. So your question is, why are our call centers exempt from this practice? And yes, call centers are exempt from this practice because you are making an inbound call to the call center. They are basically considered order takers and not truly marketing their services.
And even if you call in to your agent or broker, they still have to obtain that form, the scope of appointment form, because it is still considered a marketing practice, even if you are initiating that call to them. They do have to keep this form on record for ten years as well, which is quite a long period of time.
So that answers your question of what the scope of appointment form is all about, why you have to complete it. If you refuse to complete it, you can certainly do so, but they will not be able to speak with you. They will have to direct you to 1-800-MEDICARE to speak with Medicare or some other type of service or call directly to the insurance company. They will not be able to assist you without that form in place.
The Center for Medicare Services requires it, our government entity that establishes the rules for all sales of Medicare Part C and Part D plans. The Scope of Appointment(SOA) limits sales to the items you, as the client, agree to be educated on! NO, call centers use a telephonic agreement.
SCOPE OF APPOINTMENT IS BASICALLY A REQUIRED STEP AND IS WRITTEN NOTIFICATION ON WHAT WILL BE DISCUSSED IN YOUR ACTUAL MEDICARE MEETING CONFINING AGENTS FROM COVERING OR OFFERING SOMETHING YOUR NOT INTERESTED IN. This is 💯 normal and required by Medicare as part of the process to prevent spamming telemarketers. It is okay to offer other offerings as long as it is agreed to after and not done as part of Medicare offerings. No one is exempt from this requirement but it can be done prior to starting spefic conversation.
Independent agents must have a scope of appointment (SOA) signed by the client 48 hours prior to the appointment unless the client is a walk-in into an office. A call center must still obtain a Scope of Appointment.
The Scope of Appointment (SOA) is a standard form or recorded verbal agreement required by Medicare that outlines the specific types of plans an agent is permitted to discuss with you, making it a normal practice for agents before discussing Medicare plans. While SOAs are generally required to ensure beneficiaries are prepared for the discussion.
A signed Scope of Appointment (SOA) is required by the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services a minimum of 48 hours prior to any agent discussion about Medicare Options. The SOA assist the agent in narrowing the focus of the conversation about Medicare.
NO, call centers are not exempt from getting a SOA, but there are specific exceptions which can negate this requirement.
SOA stands for Scope of Appointment. CMS ( Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services ) require an SOA be completed at least 48 hours prior to the appointment except in a couple of circumstances. The items selected such as part D, medicare advantage, medicare supplements etc. are the only items that can be discussed. By signing an SOA you are not obligated to anything. You are just giving them permission to tell you about the products you want them to. As far as call centers are concerned, they are not exempt from this practice. Most call centers accomplish SOA's verbally over the phone and are always recorded. I hope this helps
Excellent question, thank you for the opportunity to shed some light on these questions. A 'Scope of Appointment' {SOA} is a Center for Medicare and Medicaid {CMS} requirement to discuss Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug Plans. While it does list other products as well the primary focus is Medicare Part C {Medicare Advantage} and Part D {Prescription Drug Plans}.
And the second question regarding Call Centers is excellent also. Inbound calls whether to a call center or an Independent agent require a SOA but there is no waiting period and it can done when the inbound call is received.
So, yes SOA's are perfectly normal and a good industry practice to protect Medicare Beneficiaries and agents alike.
BTW, the SOA's must be stored for 10 years just in case a of dispute about what permission the Beneficiary gave for the topics, products and solutions to be discussed.
Scope of Appointment (SOA), is normal and required before any in-person or telephone marketing appointment to ensure that the agent is only discussing the products that the person is interested in and avoid any surprise sales pitch. This includes the call centers.
In essence, the Scope of Appointment is a consumer protection measure designed to empower beneficiaries by giving them control over the discussion topics and safeguarding them from unwanted Medicare sales solicitations. It ensures transparency and a focused interaction with a Medicare agent. An SOA is a form that outlines the specific topics an agent can discuss with a beneficiary during an appointment or sales call about Medicare plans, including Medicare Advantage and/or Part D prescription drug plans.
CMS regulations require agents to obtain a signed SOA at least 48 hours before any scheduled personal marketing appointment. No, call centers are not exempt from this practice.
According to CMS. all Brokers are required to have the beneficiary sign a Scope of Appointment prior to discussing any Medicare Advantage or Drug plan. This gives the agent permission to discuss these plans.
Center for Medicaid and Medicare requires all agents to have a signed Scope of Appointment (SOA) and agents are required to schedule the appoint 48 hours from time of the SOA is signed to give the consumer time to think about the coverage and agents can only discuss what is checked on the SOA. Call centers are exempt from waiting the 48 hours due to the prospective client calling in to speak about cover. However, they still need to do the SOA.
An SOA is not mandatory for a Medicare appointment however some advisors do require them. In my practice, we do not. I’d be happy to answer any questions or discuss your Medicare options with you.
An agent must have a Scope of Appointment (SOA) signed currently 48 hours prior to meeting one-on-one with a beneficiary either by the beneficiary or an authorized representative. This is a form that the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has designed to protect the beneficiary. All the information provided on the form is kept confidential and retained by the agent for a number of years set forth by CMS. You either initial or check the box of the type of product you want the agent to discuss.
Keep in mind that by signing the form it does not obligate the beneficiary to enroll in a Medicare Advantage Plan nor does it affect current or future Medicare enrollment. If You call the 'Call Center' then they are exempt from requiring you to sign the form.
Yes, a SOA is required by CMS (government body that regulates Medicare/Medicaid) before an agent is able to speak to you about certain Medicare plans. It is documentation showing what scope (Medicare options) you are willing to discuss during the appointment. It is designed to protect you, the consumer, from an agent trying to direct you to a type of Medicare option that you are uninterested in discussing. Call centers are not exempt. There are some variances as to when the scope is required (inbound vs outbound call, etc) and the call center may not ask for it at the beginning of the conversation if it is not yet deemed necessary.
Yes, all agents selling Medicare plans must first read a mandatory script to the customer and send a scope of appointment form to be signed before we can help a client. Agents also have to wait 48 hours AFTER receiving the scope of appointment form back before we can reach out to the customer to obtain information in order to send them Medicare quotes. This is to protect the customer so that an agent is not going to try to cross sell meaning trying to sell you another product i.e. Life Insurance, Annuities, that they offer besides the Medicare plan or RX plan. Note: This is mandatory to protect the customer
Scope of appointments or SOA is normal and legal practice for any broker or agent to ask for if you are wanting to talk with them regarding medicare. We are legally required to get this from you before we start talking to you about any plans. Yes, I completely understand it can be annoying and seem pointless at times. However we are legally required to get one and to send that SOA when we submit your application. When you sign one know you are not obligated by any means to accept the plan you and your agent go over in your appointment. Most SOA are invalid after 48 hours if an application is not submitted.
