Don’t risk letting an enrollment – and the commission – slip through the cracks. Consistent Medicare enrollment tracking is more important than ever.
Submission methods have grown. Depending on the scenario, you might submit business through a carrier portal, through the MedicareCENTER, by mail, by fax, by telephone or via the Medicare website. Having all these choices is great, but there is one downside: With so many different options, it becomes easier for things to slip through the cracks. Proactive tracking can help you stay on top of your enrollments in case anything goes wrong.
Imagine This Scenario
You submit an enrollment. Everything seems fine, but when you doublecheck with the carrier later, they say they don’t have it.
A situation like this can get especially hectic during AEP because you’re working with many different clients and using multiple methods for submission. If a problem requires you to backtrack and troubleshoot, you’ll need to know how and when the application was submitted.
If you don’t have all of the information stored in a single, easy-to-access document, you will waste time looking back through your notes and paperwork. During AEP, that’s extra time you don’t have. On the other hand, if you have a good tracking system in place, you’re one step ahead.
The Implications of Not Keeping Track
Your clients are depending on you to ensure that their enrollment goes smoothly. If a deadline passes and the enrollment does not go through because of some glitch or human error, it’s their coverage that’s on the line.
Your commission could also be at risk. If the enrollment doesn’t go through and you’re not on top of things, another agent might swoop in. It’s like getting a head start but then falling asleep on the racetrack. You want to be the first to the finish line, so don’t slow down now.
There could also be long-term consequences for your professional reputation. You probably get a lot of your business through word-of-mouth referrals, so keeping clients happy needs to be a priority.
Keeping track with exactly what you submitted, the date you did it, and where you did it will help you take care of your clients and make sure you get the commissions you deserve. With this information, the Western Asset Protection (WAP) team can help you figure out what happened and make the situation right.
How and What You to Track
You probably have multiple ways of submitting enrollments, but you want to track everything in one place. Create a spreadsheet. Each time you complete an enrollment, add all the pertinent information and compliance documentation to this spreadsheet.
The spreadsheet should include the following:
- The name of the client
- The date of the submission
- How you submitted it, i.e., the platform or method you used
- The carrier
- The plan selected
- HRA (if applicable)
- How did the member become your client or what is the source of the business, i.e., whether this is a new enrollment, referral, a renewal or an inbound client who found you online and enrolled through your personalized URL (PURL).
- Call tracking data and a link to the call recording that is now required by CMS
- Anything that you may be asked to provide for an audit from the carrier or CMS
Nothing Is Foolproof
New digital tools have made the enrollment process easier. But nothing is foolproof. That’s why agents must be diligent. Meticulous Medicare enrollment tracking is one way to make sure AEP goes smoothly.
