Merry Christmas - my gift to you.

At this time of year we count our blessings and look back at the previous year.

This was yet another record setting year for Premier Insurance Partners, every department is up 2x or more. Our Med Sup sales are up hugely, our life insurance has doubled twice, and our annuities are simply soaring!

Thank you for your business.

My gift to you is a FREE ebook of my lastest published book, Extreme Producers: Their Insights and Secrets. Many of you surely will receive a Kindle as a gift - this ebook could be your first read!

Simply reply to me and I will forward it to you. I encourage you to read more about the book at Amazon or Barnes and Noble websites, or go to www.extremeproducers.com.

Merry Christmas,
Jerry

Final Countdown

The final days of Medicare Advantage season are upon us. What we have learned so far:

• MA season has been dynamite for those agents that decided to dive in.
• There has been so many changes in plans that there is a very large number of prospects and many agents simply will run out of time. Too many beneficiaries to call.
• Carriers are really favoring top producers. Coventry has "favored agent" status and is funneling free leads to these agents.
• Stay in the stores. United Health Care has in-store kiosks for Walgreens and others. These are hotspots!

Plus:

• MA season has been a literal gold mine for Medicare Supplements. We are having are best year ever!
• Plan N is the hot ticket - guaranteed issue with one carrier.
• Recently introduced Forethought has likely the lowest rates for Plan F in most states.

Best is yet to come . . . . . Disenrollment Season:

• Starting in January, clients dissatisfied with their MA plan have a limited time to disenroll from MA and make a one-time switch to a Original Medicare and purchase a Med Supp.
• This new season will be a boomer for agents selling Med Supp. The record setting pace of Med Supps will continue into the New Year.

Merry Christmas!

Jerry

Earn $500 for the Holidays!

Many times agents don't realize all the incentives we offer at Premier Insurance Partners, here is a listing of some of them. Please call for details

• Win an IPAD - double credit now most of December- call for low requirements!
• Win a Big Screen TV - same as above
• High 5 Bonus - earn $500 for only 5 final expense apps!
• FREE Leads - get free leads with minimal production of life, annuiy, or med sup premium.

Plus:

• Several carriers are offerring exciting trips at very low qualifications. You are likely closer than you think.

December is the month of rejoicing - these prizes will definitley put you in the rejocing mood!

Tis the Annuity Season - Higher rates announced!

Tis the Annuity Season

November and December are always special to me. Why - it's when loads of annuities are purchased. This year is even more special as carriers are INCREASING rates.

Jerry's reasons to be happy with annuities:

• Just recently, Equitrust, one of our leading carriers announced a solid rate increase.
• Phoenix annuity just released a very HOT product with not only a 10% bonus, but also a 25% income rider bonus. That's a over a 35% gain in the first year! Really helps offset charges/losses in other products.

PLUS:

Don't forget our contests -- which will make the season even more Merrier!

• Win a Free Ipad or Big Screen TV with minimal production!
• Qualify for FREE Leads with only $100,000 of production!

Check out our web site at www.pip1.com for the details or call now at 800-504-7471.

Happy Annuity Season!

Jerry

Free Leads!!!

Premier Insurance Partners recognizes that LEADS are the lifeblood for the selling industry. Many of you use direct mail with great success and even more of you have never tried it.

I want to assist you in either catagory. Premier Insurance Partners will buy you leads simply for submitting a minimal amount of business in any 60 day period. That's right - you submit the biz between any continuous 60 days between November 1, 2010 and May 31, 2011 and we will purchase a lead drop for you. Win as many times as you like.

What does it take you ask? It's easy:

• 10 final expense life apps, 0r
• 15 med supp apps, or
• $100,000 of annuity

Of course you need to call and ask for the official details, but this will definitely get most of you interested.

Try direct mail - it works. Better yet, try it for FREE - call now for details.

Jerry

Medicare Advantage Season

It's Time - R U READY???

I blogged about the start of Medicare Advantage season in early October - that was the time when we could get to selling those beneficiaries who were losing coverage. But now the "real" season begins in a few days.

R U READY??

• Make sure you are certified. You can't get supplies and you don't get paid without certification.
• Make sure you are cerified --- even if you are not going to sell MA plans this year..... you DON'T receive renewal commissions if you are not certified. Yeah, I know that's a bummer, but that is simply the rules.
• Order supplies - most carriers don't let you download applications. If you haven't ordered apps yet, you are really behind and likely stuck in a backlog of orders. Don't delay, order today.

Know the Rules!

• There are plenty of regulations, be sure you are up to date the regs for your area.

The selling season is a very, very profitable time for those partaking in MA's. The busy season is upon us.

Call us or visit our web site to see what plans are approved in your counties.

Happy Selling Season! Jerry

Finally, publishing is complete and Extreme Producers is ready for your viewing. Call our office today and see how you can receive a FREE copy! This book is full of selling ideas from our top producers all over the country. It is also available for purchase at Amazon and other retailers. Do you like ebooks? You can also get it for your Kindle.

Here is the Foreword:

In more than 20 years in insurance and financial services sales, I’ve had the privilege to talk with many of the top producers in the field. These producers, who routinely post huge sales numbers, have shared insightful sales and personal growth ideas that have enriched their personal and professional lives. I, in turn, have shared these success stories with others, hoping they’ll achieve greater success through this shared knowledge. The book is designed to provide quick-and-easy moneymaking ideas that will help you achieve your dreams for yourself and your family.

Below is one of many Insights you will find in the book.

Tip 37. Ask People For More
When making a sales call, emulate the upsell techniques used by fast-food restaurants. What are you always asked when you place an order? “Would you like fries with that?” Or, “would you like a soda with that?” Or maybe, “would you like to make this a Value Combo?”

These restaurants succeed by always looking for just a little more business, especially in these cases where they have a captive audience at the counter or drive-through window. And just like fast-food joints, if you always ask your customers for a little more, you eventually will get a lot more!

Asking for that additional sale opens the door to satisfying your clients’ other unmet insurance and financial services needs. Not everybody, of course, will take you up on your offer. In fact, many will say no. But plenty of clients will say yes, too. That’s why you need to ask every client with whom you are working for that little bit extra.

Don’t be afraid to ask. It’s a key to your successful practice.

CALL today to see how you can get your FREE copy, 800-504-7471. This book is guaranted to get you motivated and give you the Insights to skyrocket your production!

"The Value Meal" of Insurance

Fast Food restaurants changed their profits forever when they introduced the Value Meal. Phone companies increased their bottom lines substantially with the introduction of "bundling".

Bundling and Value Meals are a hit with consumers. It puts together the most popular items in one package. For the fast food chains, it means faster drive-thru times, more money spent per customer, and it is simply easier on employees. For media companies, the bundling of phone, internet, and tv lines, makes for much inproved persistency. People won't drop their phone service as it would "unbundle" their entire package.

Insurance carriers now have introduced their own version of combining two very popular policies together to help the client make a quick, easy purchase. It is called the Combo-App. Now consumers can bundle their Medicare Supplement with a low face amount life policy. The Combo-app is becoming very popular. The consumer recieves a value priced Med Supp and is automatically issued a $2,500 final expense plan. Upon delivery, the customer can increase the face amount with a simple phone call. Easy, Convenient, and Fast.

What does this mean for the agent?

• Two sales on only one application
• More commission
• Substantially increased persistency; clients won't drop their Med Supp for fear of losing their life plan (and vise versa)
• Double the number of policies per household
• lower expenses = greater profitability

If you are like me, you can see bundling has greatly increased profits and persistency for other industries. That certainly means equal success in our business.

Call us today at 800-504-7471 and learn how the Combo-App can benefit your business!

Medicare Supplement Sales Soar

Thanks to all the agents who have jumped on the Medicare Supplement bandwagon! Your production through Premier Insurance Partners has jumped over 250% versus one year ago.

Why are Med Supp sales going skyhigh?

• June 1 - introduction of the new Modernized Plans
• Plan N - Offered as nearly a guaranteed issue plan. This very low premium plan is nearly 40% of our sales.
• Plan N (reason #2) -This plan is much like the insurance baby boomers are accustomed. It lowers the premium by incorporating c0-pays. It also is perfect for most seniors who like Medciare Advantage plans, but want to move back to a Med Supp plan.
• New Carriers - as one of the largest Med Supp marketers in country, Premier Insurance Partners is always asked to help introduce new carriers.
• SENTINEL - introduced in early 2010, is now a major player
• FORETHOUGHT - Just introduced in Sept, it is an A rated player. The low price leader!

However, perhaps the biggest item to hit Med Supp in 2010 is the COMBO application. Now you can "bundle" med supp and life insurance. We call it the "value meal" of insurance. Clients can now get their health coverage and life insurance in one simple, EZ application. Just like a value meal at your favorite fast food franchise, the Combo app allows your client to make a quick easy decision. This means more commission for you!

CALL TODAY and ask about our new COMBO application offered by our two lowest premium Med Supp carriers! 800-504-7471

Med Advantage Season OPEN!!!

Medicare Advantage season officially opens a few days, ARE YOU READY:

• October 1, 2010: You can accept apps for current MA beneficiaries that are losing coverage - and there are hundreds of thousands of them. This is the MA season that all experts are stating will be the best ever.
• ARE YOU AWARE that a new government report states there are more MA beneficiaries than Med supp clients? 28% of the eligible senior population has an MA plan. These plans are here to stay and growing more popular every year.

What you need to do:

• Get Certified - you must be certified to receive RENEWAL commissions as well as first year commissions with many carriers (Coventry is the big one - don't get certified, you won't get renewals)
• Get Certified - so you can order supplies. If you haven't certified, you are days or weeks from getting supplies.
• KNOW how to submit apps - each carrier has it own requirments. Call Premier Insurance Partners for exact details. 800-504-7471

PLUS:

• Offer Med Supps as well. We have new, low priced carriers offerring 22% commissions (most states). Sentinel, Gerber, and the new Forethought (A rated!) have awesome premiums.
• PLAN N is a hit. The new Plan N is a huge seller. In addition, Mutual of Omaha has a 2 year "almost" guaranteed issue program in the majority of states, designed specifically to accept those leaving MA plans. Call us now for details.

Business has never been better - get your share today.

Lastly - my newest book - EXTREME PRODUCERS is now published and will be released shortly. See my previous blog for details and learn how to get your Free copy!

EXTREME PRODUCERS

It's almost here, one of the most talked about books ever written. That's true, my first published book, EXTREME PRODUCERS: Their Insights and Secrets, truly was one of the most talked about books. I talked to agents about it for years, now it is finally being published!

As readers of this blog, you are aware I was asked repeated to put together this book. Over the years, I've had the privilege to converse on the Insights and Secrets from Extreme Producers. Per the request of many producers, this book is the result of those compiled conversations.

Would you like an advance copy?? If you are a contracted agent with Premier Insurance Partners, simply reply to this email. Fifty lucky respondents will be chosen. If you not contracted with us, call us now and get contracted. Premier Insurance Partners represents many carriers, look to us for life, annuity, and medicare supplements/advantage.

Medicare Supplements and Medicare Advantage

It's the Best of Times, It's the Worst of Times. . . . . . . yes, it's Medicare Advantage season again!

Medicare Advantage season is definitely the Best of Times for selling insurance. It doesn't matter if you sell MA plans or Medicare Supplements, all the activity means more selling and more profits for you.

Medicare Advantage season is also the Worst of Times, if you are selling MA plans. As it means you must go through 4 hours (or more!) of certification tests.

No matter how you view the season, Premier Insurance Partners can help. If you want to certify, please call us as we have carriers that will help offset the expense of the certification tests. If you want to know how to certify, call us or visit our web site, www.pip1.com. You can simply go to our Medicare page and learn more.

Speaking of our web site, we update it regularly with new info on Medicare products. Plus we have all the links you need to visit the carriers' sites as well.


COMING MONDAY - August 23rd - New Medicare Supplement from FORETHOUGHT

With the lowest rates in most States, Forethought will introduce a new Medicare Supplement on Monday. It will follow shortly with a new final expense life plan.

Premier Insurance Partners is one of only a very few national marketers with the top contract. We not only can offer you the best contract, but we have a direct line to the carrier - few other marketers can get you the service we can provide.

Call us NOW at 800-504-7471 for a contract.

Don't lose Money

One of the reasons Premier Insurance Partners was started 8 years ago to fill a specific need of most agents - quality training. Nearly every brokerage firm at the time was simply promoting commission or interest rates.

We fill the calendar nearly every month with at least 3 quality webinars. At certain times of the year we invite you to Omaha to learn more - Two of those events are here:


Capitalizing on the Senior Market Aug 26-27

MUST ATEND SEMINAR if you sell Medicare Supplements and Medicare Advantage. You will want to attend this extremely popular annual event.

You will hear directly from the top carriers and also Extremely high producers.

RSVPs are due immediately. Call 800-504-7471

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ANNUITY SECRETS of TOP PRODUCERS OCT. 7-8


Three of our top multi-million dollar producers will share their secrets. Another absolute MUST ATTEND event if you want to take your annuity production to the next level.

You will hear from:

• The very low key seminar King - the easiest seminar you could ever learn. Anyone could do this one. He is low key, but a monster producer
• The Med Supp Master - how he turned his med supp business into an extreme annuity production house. Big first year commissions and an incredible renewal income!
• The LTC Master - how this agent went from zero to millions by learning a few simple index annuity presentations.

Call us today to learn how you can get a discount to attend either Training Camp - 800-504-7471.

I look forward to meeting you in person!

Quick, Easy, Success Stories

Over my two decades in this business I have had the privilege to talk to huge producers across our great country and gather their insights. At the request of many agents, I finally have written a book where I can share all these awesome ideas.

Few, if any, of the ideas are mine. They are all ideas shared with me by the super successful agent.


Very soon you will have an opportunity to read my new book (yet untitled). Below is a couple of the ideas I thought you might enjoy.

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Tip 15. Hire A Social Media Manager
One of the best things I have done for my business is to hire a social media manager. She works for me in another city for 20 bucks an hour at about 20 hours a month. That might sound like a lot of money, but because she’s a contractor (no paid benefits) – and because I only pay her as needed – it’s a surprisingly reasonable cost to help build your personal brand.

Your social media manager can live anywhere. I have never even met mine in person.

If you don’t understand how social media can help your business, you need to learn. These websites are effective and inexpensive tools for building your personal brand and the brand name of your business – keys to successfully earning the respect and trust of your clients.

But establishing and maintaining a social-media presence, and doing it right, can be time consuming. That’s why, like hiring a part-time staffer, employing a freelance social media manager is a better use of your time than handling it yourself. A social media manager will get your name and business before the right people on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc.

You need to become familiar enough with social media to give your social media manager direction. There are hundreds of resources on the Web to help you get up to speed. You don’t want the social media expert you hire to go off in a direction you never intended because you didn’t give him or her enough guidance. Still, be open to their new ideas that you might not have considered.

Social media is an important tool for reaching potential clients through its powerful networking capabilities. Use this new technology to its fullest to help build your business.

What do I want to accomplish with my social media strategy? If I hire a social media manager, how can he or she add value to my business and personal branding efforts?

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Tip 16. Manage Your Day The Night Before
In my experience, I have found that high-end insurance and financial services producers run their businesses better in many ways than small-time producers. One key difference I continually see is that top producers have a plan for each day – and that they devise these plans the night before. That’s when they decide what they will do and how much time to devote to each task, making their days more efficient and profitable while reducing stress and wasted energy.

Poor producers don’t have a plan. They come into each day helter-skelter, reacting to events rather than proactively setting the tone for what they want and need to get accomplished.

Be like a top producer: create a to-do list the night before. That way, it’s on your mind when you go to bed. I even find you can think about your list and what you need to do while you are sleeping. If you wait until you arrive at the office to make your list, it’s too late. Your day starts to take advantage of you before you can tackle what you have planned.

It’s all about being proactive rather than reactive. Reactive tasks, which are a part of conducting business, are for your internal staff. Reactive people get paid a small salary. Proactive people get paid the big money. That’s why you want to proactively run your business and have your staff handle the vital reactive stuff that keeps your business humming.

In addition to creating to-do lists, what else will I do consistently to plan for each workday?

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The Easiest $1,000 Commission

In my nearly two decades in the insurance industry, I’ve sold and marketed an unknown amount of life, annuity, variable, and health insurance premiums. I have been fortunate to work with many highly successful agents/registered reps to help them grow their bottom line without having to prospect for new clients. One thing that has always fascinated me about successful agents is how they became successful.

I’ve worked with agents who are the top reps for their respective companies and agents who are top salespersons in the entire country. What I’ve found is that there truly are dozens of ways to make millions in this industry. Some agents focus on the advanced markets and literally make $500,000 on one sale. Other agents specialize in fixed annuities where the national average commission per sale is about $3,360. These specialized annuity producers find a way to out-sell most their peers and earn well into six figures of income each and every year. Interestingly to me, are the Medicare Supplement producers. They sell literally hundreds of these much needed policies every year. The commissions are low – maybe $300 per policy, but levelized. So over time these levelized commissions add up to the high six figures of income annually. Then there is the registered rep that focuses on money management and builds up millions of dollars under a fee based structure.

All these wealth builders have extremely interesting methods of earning their living. Most of the above have well thought out business plans, perhaps performing many seminars each year and nearly all are excellent networkers.

The Easiest $1,000

Although the top performers mentioned above have interesting business models, I still remain intrigued by the insurance agent who focuses on what I consider, “The Easiest $1,000 commission”.

The “Easiest $1,000” commission is not the hottest annuity. It is not the large estate planning life insurance policy. It certainly is not the latest fee based management concept.

My extended duration in this industry has shown me that the easiest $1,000 is from quite possibly the last product a “sophisticated” agent would offer. This product is the final expense life insurance plan (just like the plans you see the old TV Stars advertise on television). I would guess that your parents, and certainly mine, have purchased final expense or burial insurance to make their kids’ life (yours and mine) easier when our parents pass away and we need to plan the funeral. They probably bought it from an agent (who isn’t very “sophisticated”) but who realized there is $1,000 commission in every sale. This agent either found our parents by networking with the local funeral homes or by direct mail. In either case, our parents purchased a policy to fund their funeral and final needs. We, their kids, are extremely happy they bought the plan as it will make our lives significantly easier during a very mournful time.

The EASY way Top Producers capitalize on “The Easiest $1,000”

The majority of the reps working with Premier Insurance Partners are not networking with funeral homes or using a lead source specifically for final expense plans, so how do they capitalize on “The Easiest $1,000”?

Without question, every rep working with Premier Insurance Partners is saving their client money in one way or another. Perhaps, you just increased the interest rate on your client’s annuity or maybe you just saved your client several hundred dollars on their Medicare supplement or long term care policy.

Now you have found the dollars for your client to buy a simple, simplified-issued, final expense policy. The annual premium is around $880 per year. Your commission will be about 115% or $1,012, plus sizable renewals.

Your Client Will Most Likely Buy It, Shouldn’t They Buy From You?

Final Expense insurance plans (or Burial Plans) are very easy issue, low death benefit plans designed to pay for one’s funeral and other associated expenses. Well informed consumers are pre-planning their funerals and pre-paying for them. Typically the consumer won’t think of asking their “financial planner” for assistance. Most consumers go directly to their funeral home or reply to a lead card and buy from an agent.

Don’t stop your normal prospecting to start providing this service exclusively, simply start talking to your clients about your “new” service. These plans are EASY.
• Easy to write (on short page application)
• Easy to issue (you know from the clients answers whether they will qualify)
• Easy on your client’s pocketbook. (this is not a big ticket item for your client)
• Easy on You (you don’t have to be a “life insurance agent”, the short application form is less paperwork than an annuity!)

For every couple who buys it, you pocket “THE EASIEST $1,000 COMMISSION”. Plus, you provided your client with great peace of mind and they also get a great sense of satisfaction by saving their loved ones the hassle of funeral planning. You will quickly discover that clients buy it not so much for the death benefit, but for the satisfaction they receive of knowing they have saved their loved ones the hassle of not knowing how to pay for the funeral.

At Premier Insurance Partners, we believe in PARTNERING with top producers and providing them with ideas that can be easily implemented into their current marketing plan. We never ask you to stop what makes you very successful, we supply you ways to simply and easily provide added benefits to your existing clients while increasing your bottom line as well. I know many agents who specialize in final expense life insurance and consistently make the “The Easiest $1,000” several times a day or week. We have helped agents make over $100,000 per year selling these plans nearly exclusively.

Having done that, I knew that “sophisticated” planners were missing this “EASIEST $1,000”. They thought they had all their clients’ assets, only to find out later their client purchased a little burial plan. Most planners would think they lost little commission on this “little” policy. “Little” does the top planner realize that they just lost out on the “EASIEST $1,000” in our industry. I don’t care how much one makes, everyone would like an easy $1,000!

To find out how EASY these plans are, call Premier Insurance Partners, LLC at 1-800-504-7471 today. It’s an EASY call to make!

Spring Forward with Free Leads!

Spring Forward With Free Leads
Simply complete and fax or email this form to qualify!

Maximizing the Senior Market Training Camp

Maximizing the Senior Market Training Camp
Click Full Screen to Enlarge. Reservation form for the training camp is linked to the invite. Follow the link and print out the form to register.

Medicare Advantage Season Coventry

Medicare Advantage Season Coventry

Medicare Advantage VS Medicare Supplements (Medigap)

• Medicare Advantage plans offer coverage with little or no monthly premiums. In some instances the client can actually receive money back every month!

• When a client enrolls in a Medicare Advantage plan they are still part of the Medicare Program and retain all of their Medicare rights and protections.

• When joining a Medicare Advantage plan a client will continue to receive all their regular Medicare-covered services. With Medicare Advantage the client will also have access to additional services that neither Medicare Supplements nor Original Medicare can provide.

• Medicare Advantage plans can offer prescription drug coverage whereas Medicare Supplements do not.

• Medicare Supplement premiums continue to rise while the commissions continue to shrink. At the same time most Medicare Advantage premiums are at or near $0.

• Medical providers may or may not accept some Medicare Advantage plans. Agent and clients need to check with the client’s doctor prior to purchasing a Private Fee for Service (PFFS) plan. Some Medicare Advantage plans may have a published network of providers. Whereas most Medicare Supplements are universally accepted.

• Medicare Advantage plans require annual certification and strongly enforced marketing practices. Most Medicare Supplements are free of certification requirements and have less strict marketing guidelines.

• With a Medicare Supplement the client must pay a premium whether they use it or not! With a Medicare Advantage plan the client only makes a small co-pay when they use the services.

• With a Medicare Advantage plan the client only has to answer ONE health question; Do you have End-Stage Renal Disease (Kidney Failure)? Medicare Supplements may have multiple health questions.

Now as a top agent can you imagine how you can help your clients with their other product needs after you have freed up $1500-$2000 per person in a household? Up to $4,000 per couple?

AGENT USE ONLY. Not for use with the public.

NEW 2010 Medicare Deductible and Coinsurance Increases

(Click on table to enlarge)

Medicare Advantage – Make this Your Best Year Ever!

It’s the time of year that thousands of agents live for – the Medicare Advantage selling season. Just like the major box stores love the holiday season, insurance producers love the selling opportunity that comes with the Medicare Advantage season.

This is the fourth big year for Medicare Advantage. Medicare Advantage producers have developed a love/hate relationship for this season. Agents love the season, as it creates a buying frenzy by the public. The consumer has a very limited number of days to make a decision, so activity is very high and a tremendous number of sales are made in a very short time. On the other side, Medicare Advantage has another player, besides the insurer, agent and consumer. That other player is our federal government –led by The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). CMS has taken the lead on all aspects of Medicare Advantage plans, including: design of products, commission amounts, how/when commissions are paid, issuance of plans, and of course, when plans can be purchased. The involvement of CMS has totally changed how agents and insurers have intertwined. CMS has been known to change the rules as the game is played, thus causing the “hate” in an otherwise terrific product and selling opportunity.

Most agents recognize November 15 through December 31 as the “season of choice”. However the entire selling season is much longer than these coveted 46 days, in fact, the actual season can be year round.

Let’s look at the calendar for Medicare Advantage:

• November 15 – December 31: This is the “door buster”, called the Annual Enrollment Period by CMS. At this time consumers can buy anything and everything Medicare Advantage.

• January 1 – March 31: These three months, called the Open Enrollment Period, are ignored by a portion of agents, typically the ones that are new to Medicare Advantage. They simply don’t realize that the season remains in full swing. There are some definite guidelines during this time period that are not applicable in the Annual Enrollment Period. For example, one must be cognizant of the Part D. If a consumer owns a Part D element to their Medicare Advantage plan, they must not delete it from any new plan. However, they can switch to a new Medicare Advantage plan as long as it contains Part D. On the other, if a person does not have a Part D element to their Medicare plan, they cannot suddenly add Part D during this Open Enrollment Period. In summary, if a person has Part D, the agent must make sure the new plan also has Part D. If the consumer doesn’t have Part D, they can still buy a new Medicare Advantage plan; it simply can’t have Part D attached to it.Nearly all agents believe the Medicare Selling season is fully done on March 31. This is very unfortunate as the season continues, with limitations, year round. CMS has provided the following opportunities for the senior citizen to obtain a Medicare Advantage plan:

• Special Enrollment Period: there are no dates attached to this portion of the selling season. There are multiple ways a person can qualify for a Special Enrollment, including:

- Moving out of a service area
- Termination of the plan by the carrier
- Ageing-In: when a person turns age 65, they have 6 months prior to and 6 months after their birthday to join a Medicare Advantage plan
- Special Needs

Without question, the very best opportunity for the agent is the Special Needs Plans. These plans can be sold year round. The available prospects for a Special Needs plan is extremely large. This segment of the eligible Medicare population is the most underserved, thereby creating a unique opportunity for the agent.

There are several varieties of Special Needs plans (sometimes called SNiPs). SNiPs are for people who can qualify with:

- Low Income
- Dual Eligible
- Chronic Illness

According to an insurer in this Special Needs market, over 68% the senior population could qualify in one of these categories! So if you think the “selling season” is over on March 31 – think again.

In this fourth year of Medicare Advantage, it appears the rules are now mostly known – although all would likely agree that they may be changed at any time. The first few days of the season have begun as of the date this article is written and it appears that this will once again be a terrific opportunity for the consumer, agent, insured, and yes – CMS.