(502) 742-4979 | info@ImagineInsAdv.com

Scope of Appointment explanation

As in the past, Medicare continues to require that we document signed permission to discuss Part D drug plan and Part C Advantage Plans before we actually share plan-specific benefit information, like premiums, what your prescriptions cost or what your costs at the doctor/hospital would be. This is call the Scope of Sales Appointment Confirmation Form, or Scope of Appointment (SOA) for short. You must initial or put a check/X in the box for the products you want to discuss and sign and date your name. We are not allowed to tell you which boxes to check. The purpose of a Scope of Appointment is for you to have the power to only talk about the types of plans you are interested in and not be presented marketing material on types you aren’t. Helps to protect you from unwanted phone calls and unethical marketing practices.

Signing a SOA does NOT obligate you to enroll in a plan or change your plan. It only provides legal proof that you asked that agent to present that material and answer your questions. Agents are not allowed to “cold call” or “door knock.”  You must have asked them to call you (or asked an entity to have someone call you.) Agents must be able to provide a signed SOA to insurance carriers or authorities relating to a specific enrollment application or sales phone call if asked. The SOA protects both you and us.

Medicare is reinstituting an old rule called the “48-hour cool off” period. An agent must wait 48-hours from the time they receive the signed SOA before we are allowed to call/email information about a plan other than the one you are enrolled in. This means that if you call about a plan you just saw, you have to wait at least 48-hours to hear the benefits from the time you sign and send us the SOA.

A signed SOA is good for 12-months. This means we could answer questions about any plans for the products you check for 12-months.

If we are having a discussion about one product and you want to talk about the other, you can sign a new SOA at that time and then the discussion may continue.

We can do a paper form or an electronic SOA. With paper, we can mail a form or email a PDF (you print) and you physically sign it and mail or email/fax it back to us.
With an electronic SOA (e-SOA), you get an email from a carrier with a means of signing your name using the mouse on the screen or typing your name as an attestation. Then you press a complete and return button to have the site send it back to us.

The SOA is available for you to open and print right now from our website. https://www.imagineinsadv.com/resources/  It is included at the end of each Review Packet.

2022 Medicare Basics seminar video

Hello! If you ever have questions about television ads or phone calls saying you are entitled to more benefits, this is the webinar for you. Lots of people wonder what the differences between a Medicare Supplement and Part C Medicare Advantage Plans are and we’re here to make it nice and clear for you.

This video is also a great resource for relearning the basics of Medicare and the main things to think about when you are selecting the type of coverage you feel most comfortable with.

2022/2023 Plan Finder Tool Guide Video

Hey, everyone! We’re back again this year with an updated recording of our Medicare.gov Plan Finder Tool Guide seminar! All you have to do is press Play on the video below to begin your journey into Medicare.gov’s Plan Finder Tool as it works in 2022/23.

The Plan Finder Tool is the most reliable way to simultaneously compare your drug costs across all the available Part D drug plans and Part C Advantage plans. In this video, we will start from the beginning with how to input your medicines correctly, then move into understanding how to read the Plan Details which shows what the costs for your medicines will be.  By knowing how to use the Plan Finder Tool, you can determine if your drug plan will still be the most cost-effective for you for the coming year and help you to decide if you might benefit from a change.

This is how we review your drug coverage and are certainly still here and available to review your plan for you like we’ve always done. To request a review from us, or if you’d like us to double-check any plan changes you’d like to make, download our review forms from www.imagineinsadv.com/resources.    If you’d like to change your plan, we would love to be able to continue supporting your policies. We can only support your policy if you allow us to help you complete the enrollment. We can send you an electronic application or paper signature pages to sign to complete that change. Just reach out to Madeline or Allison to let us know which plan you want to enroll in.

Thank you for spending your time with us! Hopefully you’ve learned something new or have refreshed your education. We are here for you as things change with Medicare and look forward to continuing our relationship with you as a trusted resource for Medicare coverage options.

Have a great day.

2021 Medicare Basics seminar video

Hello, clients and friends! This video will answer most of the questions you have about the different options you have to completing your Medicare coverage. If you have questions about ads you see on television or phone calls you receive saying you can “get a plan for $0” or “are entitled to benefits you are not receiving,” then this is a must-watch for you.   If you wonder why your drug costs may fluctuate throughout the year, this video will explain the reasons.

To make the video big, just click the box in the lower right hand corner of the video.

Have a lovely day!

2021 Medicare.gov Plan Finder Tool video

Here is our recorded webinar for how to use the Medicare.gov Plan Finder Tool to compare Part D drug plans (and the drug coverage in Part C Medicare Advantage Plans) and to investigate your plan’s drug costs. No need to be taken to Youtube, just press play and learn something new today. (To make the video full screen, just click the box in the bottom-right corner in the video.)
Have a lovely day, everybody!

Changing your Medicare Supplement – video

We had some online seminars in May about how if you feel your Medicare Supplement premium is getting too high, what are your options? In case you couldn’t attend one of our live sessions or would like to watch it at your leisure, the link to our Youtube video is below.

To change your Medicare Supplement, even if you stay with your same insurance carrier, you have to go through underwriting (health questions and a three-year lookback at your medical records.)  If you are willing to reduce your benefits to lower your premium, you have that option as long as you can pass underwriting.

Click this link to learn about the underwriting questions and if you could pass to change your plan, and what the coverage differences are between your plan options.

https://youtu.be/Rua16ZypK2I

 

BCBS Class Action Suit: what we know

You may be receiving a letter from Anthem about a class action suit. You will get this letter if you have Individual coverage or were on an Anthem Group plan from Feb 7, 2008 to Oct 16, 2020. Apparently, two different Blue Cross companies agreed to not compete in certain markets which violated anti-trust laws. You need to fill out a form to participate in the settlement. If you have questions about filling out the form, call the toll free number below.
MEMBER RESOURCES:
• The settlement website, at www.BCBSsettlement.com
• A toll-free inquiry number, which is 888.681.1142
• An email address, which is info@BCBSsettlement.com
To learn more and to file an online claim, visit www.bcbssettlement.com. Although we anticipate that policyholders will receive a notice regarding the opportunity to participate, you don’t need to wait to receive that notice before submitting your claim.
Here’s what you’ll need to file:
• Company information:
o Company name
o Primary address
o Name and title of company contact
o Phone number and email address
• Plan information:
o Plan name (Anthem Indiana you will choose Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc. d/b/a Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield)
o BCBS group number
o Coverage start date
o Coverage end date

A Medicare Advantage Plan will pay my Part B premium? What’s up with that?

There have been a number of ads on TV about a Medicare Advantage plan paying your Part B premium. This is known as the “Part B Premium Giveback.” These plans vary by state and county. Not all areas will have a Giveback plan. In KY, there is currently only one plan that offers this. As you know if you’ve met with us, a Medicare Advantage plan is where a private insurance company is paid money by the government to provide your Medicare benefits (outsourcing Medicare, essentially.) They receive a fee each month for each member of the plan. These plans’ benefits can vary each year as they are a one year contract with Medicare, but they must cover at least what Original Medicare does. Advantage Plans have copays for all visits and services up to a maximum-out-of-pocket.

The way the giveback works is that the amount that Medicare is deducting from your check is reduced. So, if the giveback on a plan is $50, then your Part B premium they take from your check will not be $148.50 but will be $98.50. If the state is paying your Part B premium because you have the Medicare Savings Plan (a form of Medicaid), then this type of plan will not benefit you. You will not get an extra $50 from Social Security.

If you think this sort of plan is appealing, you need a valid Special Election Period to enroll in the plan outside of the Annual Enrollment Period (Oct 15th – Dec 7th.) During the Annual Enrollment Period, you would have a chance to enroll in a Giveback plan if it is available in your area.  If you have a Medicare Supplement, you must drop it in order to enroll in the Advantage Plan. There could be consequences to getting your Supplement back in the future.

We are familiar with all the plans available in this area. If you would like to review your options, please give us a call. We are here to help you determine if an Advantage Plan is right for you. There is no obligation or pressure to chat or meet with us and as always, there is no fee for our assistance.

Imagine’s Covid Guidelines

Our Office’s Covid Guidelines

Per the CDC and KY Commonwealth guidelines and for the safety of everyone, we are changing the way we physically do business. We offer, and prefer virtual appointments via Webex, Zoom or a phone/e-mail appointment at this time and the intermediate future.

We are taking every precaution to keep you, our clients and ourselves healthy. Since some of our clients have vulnerable health conditions, we are taking protection seriously.

These are the things our office is doing to ensure we do not contribute to the spread of the virus:

  • Employees take their temperature before they come to the office every day.
  • All employees have been provided masks to wear.
  • We disinfect all surfaces (like the employees’ desks, conference room, chairs, copiers, door knobs, and light switches) at the end of every day.
  • No one (except our employees) are allowed beyond the waiting area. Clients are only permitted in the conference room and restroom. This has been our protocol since March 18th.
  • Our office is fully cleaned every week.

If you require an in-person appointment, we have instituted the following process and have installed safeguards to minimize the risk for potential virus spread:

  1. If you are not feeling well, are coughing or have a fever, please reschedule your appointment when you are not sick or opt for a virtual appointment.
  2. Only one client in the office at any time.
  3. Enter the office and stop at the X on the floor. This is 8 feet from our receptionist, Gina.
  4. Let Gina know your name and go back through the door to wait in the foyer for your agent. The chairs in the foyer are disinfected after every appointment.
  5. Your agent will receive you through the opposite door that goes directly to our conference room. We disinfect the table, chairs and pens after every appointment.
  6. You will sit at one end of the table and the agent will sit at the other. This is an 8 foot distance with a plexiglass barrier in the middle.
  7. It is recommended that you wear a face mask while in the meeting unless your health precludes it. The agent will wear their mask as another layer of protection.
  8. You may use the restroom, but cannot go anywhere else in the office. Our restroom is right next to the conference room.

 

We appreciate your understanding and participation in the safety of everyone.
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