Post AEP Guidance

Remain certified with carriers to retain renewals

Now that AEP is over, review your carrier certifications. Make sure you're certified with all carriers you've ever sold - even if you didn't sell that carrier this AEP - to retain renewals. You can check your CareFree Contracting status by logging into CareFreeAgency.com and reviewing the Carrier Contracts panel on the lower right side of the screen. Reach out to individual carriers with questions about your contracting status.

Assistance with Commission Statements

Soon you'll have access to commission statements, and they can be confusing if you don't keep track of your business. To help, CareFree is providing you with an excel spreadsheet template tool to track your Book of Business (BOB). We've set a default password of CareFree on the document to ensure the information remains safe. This BOB can be filtered so you can track your clients by carrier, plan type, and even birthdays. Compare the information in your BOB to your commission statements. If you find any discrepancies, call the Carrier's Broker Services. The number can be found by logging into CareFreeAgency.com, clicking on Carrier Contacts and then the carrier

Customer Care Starts Now

Agents who service their clients tend to retain their clients. Now is a good time to start calling your clients to ensure they're set up for success on their new plan. Common questions agents ask their clients include:

• Have you received your ID card and plan documents?
• Have you scheduled an appointment after 1/1 with your PCP?
• Do you have any other needs I can meet with Dental, vision, or hospital indemnity plans?
• During the course of the call, if the client voices dissatisfaction with the plan they've chosen they have an opportunity to select a new during the first three months of the new year in the new Open Enrollment Period (OEP).

What is the Open Enrollment Period (OEP)?

OEP runs from January 1 to March 31. OEP allows individuals enrolled in an MA plan to make a one-time election to switch MA plans or to disenroll from an MA plan and obtain coverage through Original Medicare (see table below for allowed actions)

Proactively marketing or selling during this period in NOT allowed. However if people share their displeasure about the plan they are on, you can obviously help them. Again this is NOT a new marketing opportunity for agents or plans but rather a chance for Medicare beneficiaries to make a change if their plan is not right. So get ahead of this by providing the highest levels of customer service you can to you clients so they have no reason to want to leave.

Do NOT:

• “Knowingly target” beneficiaries or use unsolicited marketing during the OEP
• Create marketing materials mentioning or discussing the use of this new “Open Enrollment Period (OEP)”

CMS has already alerted plans that they will be in the market looking for unsolicited marketing targeting OEP.

OEP Quick Reference Table

If you are currently enrolled for 1/1/2019 in	You CAN make this change from 1/1/2019 - 3/31/2019
Original Medicare	CANNOT USE OEP*
PDP only	CANNOT USE OEP*
Cost Plan	CANNOT USE OEP*
MA Only	- Another MA only; - MAPD; - Original Medicare with or without a PDP.
MAPD	- Another MA-PD plan; - AN MA-only plan; - Original Medicare with or without a PDP

* You must be enrolled in an MA plan to use this OEP.