Uct Agent Productions

UCT AGENT PRODUCTIONS

A Newsletter for UCT Agents

Volume 8, Issue 4, July/August 2006

Where on Earth will UCT’s next Agent Sales Convention take place?

No one is certain, but one thing is sure:

the location will seem out of this world,

and you’ll have a fantastic time.

If you weren’t able to join in the great time had at UCT’s 2006 sales convention June 8-11 in Huntington Beach, Calif., you won’t want to miss the chance to join other top agent performers in earning a fun-filled 2007 incentive trip you won’t soon forget.

UCT’s next agent sales convention will recognize the outstanding sales accomplishments of UCT’s member-agents between April 1, 2006, and Dec. 31, 2006. So why not start out 2007 looking forward to this all-expense paid trip for two for four days and three nights?

In fact, many agents are already busy earning points toward the trip.

Congratulations to the top 10 writing agents as of June 30, 2006:

Gregory Heth 45

Theodore Withey 44

Evelyn Carroll 43

Joyce Minesal 36

Wilfred Eastwood 34

Christopher Bangart 32

Martin Andrews 30

Daniel Gilles 29

Dennis Johnson 28

Anthony Gillespie 26

Here’s how you may qualify

• Achieve a minimum of 80 points.

One point will be awarded for each approved Medicare supplement policy written and placed from April 1, 2006, through Dec. 31, 2006.

• Building general agents may qualify for the convention by having three writing agents earn the trip.

Policies must be in force for at least the length of the contest. No underage applications and no conversions will be counted toward the trip. In order to attend the convention, the producer in any category must be a contracted and licensed member-agent of UCT at the time the convention is being held. The decision of the Home Office will be final in all cases.

Please note that the trip is for two people. Unfortunately, additional guests cannot be accommodated.

Some added incentives

• Agents achieving 105 points will receive an extra night’s stay.

• Agents earning 130 points or more will receive the extra night’s stay as well as a $300 cash bonus upon arrival at the convention.

• Approved Medicare supplement policies counting toward the sales convention qualifications that are written beginning May 1, 2006, through Dec. 31, 2006, will be eligible for a 1 percent commission bonus to be paid through the first 12 months that the policy is in force.

As an extra incentive,

the top producing agent will also receive a cash bonus of

$1,000

For more details about the sales convention, contact the Agent Services Department at (800) 848-1124, ext. 128, or at .

Don’t forget to include the HIPAA-27 form for possible issuance of the final expense certificate of guaranteed insurability. This form must be submitted with the Medicare supplement application.

______

Congratulations

to the following agents who qualified for the $100 bonus by submitting five approved Medicare supplement policies within their first 30 days:

Arthur Espinoza

Dennis Johnson

Karen Johnson

William Desmond

______

Underwriting procedures for cataract surgery

Cataract surgery is one of the most common operations performed. In fact, it is the most frequently performed surgery in the United States, with over 1.5 million surgeries done each year, which is why you should know the underwriting procedures for the surgery.

If the cataract surgery(ies) has been completed approximately two weeks prior to the effective date of the policy, then the cataract surgery(ies) will not be an underwriting issue.

If the surgery has not been done, but is scheduled prior to the effective date of the policy, you will need to determine an effective date that falls approximately two weeks after the surgery. If the prescheduled date of the surgery plus two weeks after the surgery is greater than 90 days from the date of the application, then resubmit the application with a current signature date after the surgery is completed. If the date of the surgery plus the two weeks is within 90 days from the signature date, contact the applicant and confirm the surgery has been completed after the date noted either on the application or by telephone interview.

If the surgery is scheduled after the requested effective date of the policy, then delay the effective date of the policy until approximately two weeks after surgery (again, not greater than 90 days from the signature date). The policy will be declined if the client is not willing to wait.

Contact the Underwriting Department at with any questions regarding these procedures.

______

What you need to know about policy effective dates

UCT’s New Business Department has received quite a few policy effective date changes lately, and we would like to remind you about effective dates and the circumstances under which an effective date may be changed.

The effective date is determined by the date indicated on the application under “requested effective date.” If no date is written in the appropriate area, we use the new business received date to assign the effective date. We cannot assign an effective date of the 29th, 30th or 31st of any month.

Effective date changes may be made on a Medicare supplement policy in the event that UCT made an error in assigning the effective date or when there was a delay in processing the application in underwriting (except when additional requirements are needed). If an effective date change is necessary, please submit a written request to the Underwriting Department specifying the effective date.

If you have questions concerning a policy’s effective date, please call the Customer Service Department at (800) 848-1124, ext. 551, or e-mail .

______

Prepare pre-retiree clients for healthcare choices in their “golden years”

Excerpt from an article in the June 2006 issue of Broker World

As your baby boomer clients approach their golden years, you can be their consultant for a major decision they face: whether to rely on Medicare supplemental health insurance (Med supp) – or Medicare Advantage plans (MA) – to help pay healthcare costs when they turn 65.

MA plans operate as the managed care arm of Medicare, with Medicare paying a fixed amount to the plan per enrollee to manage each member’s care. Members pay out-of-pocket costs based on care received and also may be required to pay an MA plan premium.

With Med supp, Medicare pays its portion of eligible expenses, and Med supp pays the eligible expenses not paid for by Medicare. Med supp policyholders pay a monthly premium and have little or no out of pocket expenses whenever they need care.

To decide which is best for them, your clients must fully understand how Med supp and MA function in terms of providers, costs and coverage:

• Medicare supplemental health insurance will help cover the services, co-payments and deductibles Medicare doesn’t cover, but at a higher monthly premium than a Medicare Advantage plan.

• A Medicare Advantage plan, on the other hand, will trade a lower monthly premium for fluctuating and generally higher out-of-pocket costs and network restrictions.

• For your clients who can afford greater out-of-pocket expenses and have no problem with restricted networks, Medicare Advantage may be the most suitable choice.

• For your clients who want the ability to budget their healthcare expenses and to choose any doctor, specialist or hospital anywhere in the United States for their care, Medicare supplement coverage likely will be the preferred option.

Make sure your clients nearing age 65 understand that the need to make a major decision about their golden years’ healthcare expenses will arrive with that milestone birthday. For more details contact the Agent Services Department at (800) 848-1124, ext. 128, or at mailto:.

______

News You Can Use

• Don’t forget that the 2006 Medicare supplement applications for most states are available online on the For Agents area of UCT’s Web site at www.uct.org.

• If you would like additional training on Medicare Part D, representatives from PacifiCare are available to do so. Contact the Agent Services Department at (800) 848-1124, ext. 128, or at , if you are interested.

______

UCT’s For Agents Web site area is now more secure

Your privacy and security are as important to us as they are to you. In keeping with that, new security has been added to the For Agents area of UCT’s Web site at www.uct.org. The security changes when entering the area are:

• The agent password must now be different from the agent number. You are required to change your password if both are the same.

• You are not able to change your password without first signing into the For Agents area. To change your password and/or security question in the future, you will use the Edit Your Profile button once you have logged into the area.

• You are now required to add a security question to your profile. This will be used in the event you forget your password. You will need to answer the security question before we can e-mail your password to you.

If you have questions regarding the new security changes, contact the Agent Services Department at (800) 848-1124, ext. 128, or at .

Medicare Supplements and Medicare Advantage Plans:

A Side-by-Side Comparison

Consumers’ Questions

/

Medicare Advantage Plans

/

Medicare Supplements

What does the plan cover?

/ At least what Medicare would cover plus some additional benefits not covered by Medicare. However, many services require you to cost share, increasing your out-of-pocket costs. / Medicare pays its portion of eligible expenses. Your Med supp pays the eligible expenses not paid for by Medicare.
Can I budget for my monthly healthcare costs? / It’s tough. You typically must pay when you go to the hospital or doctor, plus you may have a monthly plan premium. / Yes. You have a monthly premium and little or no out-of-pocket expenses whenever you need care.

Can my plan be cancelled?

/ Yes. Contracts between the government and the Medicare Advantage plan are reviewed annually. The plan may not be renewed and can terminate its members. / No. Only you can cancel your plan by not paying the premium.
May I choose my hospital and care providers? / Typically, you choose from a network of providers, which can fluctuate. / Yes.
Is pre-certification or qualification required? / Yes. The plan usually requires pre-certification or qualification for some types of care. Penalties may apply if you don’t follow the rules. / No.
Can I use hospitals and doctors everywhere? / Possibly not. Check the plan for details and termination provisions if you move out of the service area. / Yes.

How are plans funded?

/ Medicare pays the Medicare Advantage plan a fixed amount – based on the area’s usual and customary charges for medical services – per enrollee to manage each member’s care. Members also may be required to pay a Medicare Advantage plan premium. / Policyholder premiums.
Do I continue to pay my Medicare Part B premiums? / Yes. / Yes.
How can there be little or nor premium for Medicare Advantage plans? / There may be a small premium initially; however, there are costs and they can go up annually.*
Historically, Medicare’s reimbursements to the Medicare Advantage plans have not kept pace with medical inflation. This can lead to the plan raising premiums, increasing co-payments, decreasing benefits and dis-enrolling members every year. / No surprises. The benefit structure is locked in. You know what you’re getting year to year. As Medicare deductibles and co-payments increase, so do your Med supp benefits. Benefits don’t decrease if premiums increase.

What does it cost me?

/ ·  Medicare Part B premium
·  Monthly Medicare Advantage premium (possibly)
·  Monthly Medicare Advantage premium for the extra benefits chosen
·  Deductibles and co-payments / ·  Medicare Part B monthly premium
·  Monthly premium

*Sixty-two percent of Medicare Advantage enrollees in basic plans pay a monthly premium in addition to the Medicare Part B premium.

(Kaiser Family Foundation, 2003)

UCT’s Top Producers

Congratulations to UCT’s top five Medicare supplement-producing agents and top five agencies from Jan. 1, 2006, through June 20, 2006:

Agents

Joyce Minesal

Gregory Heth

Wilfred Eastwood

Martin Andrews

Theodore Withey

Agencies

M. J. Marketing Consultants Inc.

David Staehling

OOM Insurance Agency Inc.

Hummel Insurance Inc.

G & G Marketing Inc.