What's the biggest frustration Medicare agents have when helping clients enroll?
Answered by 23 licensed agents
Medicare and Social Security do not do a good enough job helping clients understand that Social Security and Medicare are two different things. Many people are waiting past the age of 65 to retire because full Social Security benefits comes much later at age 67. If you are not yet collecting your SS, then you are not automatically enrolled. Clients need to enroll early and allow 4-6 weeks sometimes to show up in the system. Waiting for clients to finally get in system, even when they already had Part A and are waiting to get Part B, can be frustrating for clients, and I am frustrated for them.
One of the biggest frustrations is when clients come in with misinformation or partial knowledge, often from friends, family, or the internet, and are convinced they already know what’s best.
When the client doesn't have their Medicare Card or VA Benefits cards with them to enroll. It would be much better if all Medicare agents had access to a system that contains this information and is available to get via username and password security.
There seems to be a tendency for “about to be eligible for Medicare” people to go for the government-subsidized Medicare Advantage plan (MA) because it has no monthly premium. The dilemma with that is that there’s always a fairly steep deductible which is the responsibility of the member! Plus, it would be increased every calendar year due to the expected inflationary pressures. The Medigap plan IS the best choice especially if the new member has concerning health issues.
Insurance companies don’t fill in Medicare brokers on changes that a client may make. The biggest frustration ends up being a lack of communication, Because when the client calls up and says that they’re frustrated with Something, they have to fill in the Medicare broker on what’s going on. This can be alleviated with simple open communication.
The most frustrating part is working with someone who has done some research and is sure they know as much as I do. Or consulting with someone who has a friend or family member that is telling them what is good and what is bad.
Once people realize how much time I have spent studying Medicare and all of the rules and all of the Insurance Carriers who provide Plans…they start to trust me more than the limited research they have done and then they listen. And that is enormously satisfying.
Clients want information, yet do not take the brokers advice, and end up self enrolling into a plan that is not a good fit for them. When their actions do not work out and they come back for help, it's often too late to help them.
"Hum... interesting question." I think that a challenging issue for me to overcome is when a client simplify doesn't care. They're not interested is understanding Medicare, the options that they have and how it works. They're pretty apathetic and probably frustrated with Medicare and/or Insurance as a whole. As understandable as this might be, its not helpful when meeting with an Agent. I do my very best to keep things as simple as possible and still give you all the information you need to make an educated decision about your Medicare coverages. This is a big and important decision and an Agent/Broker can help guide you through this process.
If a client has enrolled in Part A at age 65 but delayed Part B coverage until later, the processing of that Part B effective date can be quite time-consuming from the Social Security Administration. After that, obtaining the correct information from clients, like ALL of the medications taken and ALL of the doctors a client may see helps the agent make sure they get the best plan for them if they are considering a Medicare Advantage plan.
I don't have frustrations actually. I appreciate that people don't understand this. It's complicated. I try to boil it down to simple terms determine based on their income if they can afford a Medicare supplement plan, which I always recommend typically a Medicare supplement plan N.
If their income is low and they can't afford it, then a Medicare advantage plan is their better choice.
However, I feel compelled to explain the risks with Medicare advantage plans. A lot of agents. Just try to sell them on. You get this for free. You get that for free. Well, there's nothing for free. You're paying for it somewhere
I would say it can be challenging and not frustrating; is the client providing you with the correct and all the information needed to help them select the best plan.
Forgetting to ask for the enrollee's PCP's name. address and phone in advance. Or when you find out a Specialist they have is not in Network with the Carrier that offers the plans that are excited about.
One of the biggest frustrations agents have is when Medicare automatically enroll clients into prescription drug plans. Then the agent has to explain why this happened and fix the problem by enrolling the client into the correct Medicare plan.
I don’t think there is really any huge frustrations. If a potential client has an idea of what they want is helpful. I always recommend talking to friends and family to see what they have since you trust them most:)
My job revolves around what is best for my client. I think the most frustrating part is people not knowing that competent, caring people exist to help them through this process. They don't have to do this alone and if they work with a good broker they don't need to worry!
After the beneficiary has called me personally, and I spend time driving to their house, and researching everything out to meet their needs down to the “T”, and it may take about 2 hours of my time, they still say “I want to think about it.” Then, they say they want to talk it over with their friends. If I’m the licensed agent, and a professional at what I do, and take multiple certifications yearly, then what is their friend gonna say that’s going to make it any better. All plans are not cookie cutter. What their friend has may or may not be a good fit for everyone else. Everyone’s financial situation is different, and they need to do what’s best for them and what they can afford. Medicare is expensive enough as it is.
I would say that confirming medications being covered and providers being In-Network among different carriers is the hardest part. Fortunately, there are tools available to make it easier.
Helping clients differentiate between "price" vs "cost," and helping them understand insurance needs during maintaining your health is different from insurance during a need, urgent, or an emergency event!
One of the biggest themes I hear is "my friends have X plan and I'd like the same one," or "my family members told me to stay away from this plan or that company." Without question, it's important to consult others when making your Medicare decisions. However, and above all, everyone's situation and preferences are different. Knowing this, you should consider your personal factors when selecting your Medicare coverage.
It is concerning to agents, like myself, that some companies obscure the distinctions between Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plans and Medicare Advantage plans. Therefore, I prioritize educating my clients on these differences, enabling them to make well-informed decisions regarding their health coverage options.
From my experience navigating evolving technology and frequent Medicare plan changes are among the most challenging obstacles for Medicare agents. With the rapid pace of technological advancements it can be difficult to guide Medicare participants to the best resources for them.
