What if I find a carrier I want to contract with but you don’t offer that contract?
That is not a problem. Daniel Medicare doesn’t hold our agents captive to sell only our contracted carriers. We realize there may be carriers in your market that are essential to your success and we encourage you to get any contracts that you feel you need. We are happy to provide you with any insight we may have about the carrier prior to you contracting. We believe agents do NOT need every carrier in their market to be successful, so we normally generally advise agents to only contract with the most reputable carriers in their market. These carriers are the most stable and typically have the fewest plan changes and/or premium increases.
What is AHIP and why do I need it?
Background
America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) formed in 2013 when the Health Insurance Association of America (HIAA) and American Association of Health Plans (AAHP) merged. Now, AHIP represents nearly 1,300 companies that offer health insurance to more than 200 million Americans. As a national trade association in the health insurance industry, AIHP lobbies to create a more affordable health care system through research and policy.
In order to sell Medicare Advantage and Part D prescription drug plans during the Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) and throughout the year, most insurers require completion of AHIP;s Medicare training courses. Insurers generally require AHIP to ensure that agents selling their plans are compliant with the latest CMS guidelines and regulations.
So, how do I get compliant?
You will need to complete the AHIP Medicare certification. The certification consists of two courses: Medicare and Fraud, waste & Abuse (FWA).
AHIP Medicare training covers the basics of eligibility and benefits, along with the different types of Medicare Advantage and Part D prescription drug plans. Teaching compliance with the marketing guidelines and proper enrollment procedure is an important part of this course.
FWA training covers industry efforts and tools to detect fraud in the Medicare program. The federal government takes fraud very seriously. This training educates you on the human and financial cost of FWA, as well as the proper reporting techniques.
Most Medicare Advantage insurers require their own product certifications in addition ti AHIP. These vary from carrier to carrier and focus on that insurer’s specific plans. Agents can complete these certifications through the specific carrier’s portals. You can learn more about the carrier specific training by going to our Medicare Resource Page.
If you go direct to the AHIP page www.ahipmedicaretraining.com to take the AHIP certification course, it will cost $175. But, many carriers offer a discounted rate if you take the exam through the carrier portal. The discount is typically $50.
Fulfilling your AHIP certification should never be what holds you back from selling Medicare Advantage and Part D plans. In fact, completing certification is what separates quality agents like you from the others! Stay tuned to Daniel Medicare’s Medicare Resource page for any other certification information as it becomes available.
