Be An Open Enrollment Hero. Help Older Clients Sail This SHIP

As I mentioned last month after coming up for air after lots of travel, and even more work/concentration on my new initiative, AgeSmart! 411…

I’ve been reminded of all kinds of great information to share with you – my first love – healthcare and patient advocates. Thus here’s another – quite timely – idea for you, too.

This great information has the real potential to make you a HERO to your older clients, even potential clients, those who are already on Medicare, or will be in the next year.

This information is a tip for them. A tip that

May have the power to save them a lot of money.
May have the power to allow them better care through affordability.
May have the power to save them even more grief and sadness, and
may even have the power to convince someone to sign a contract with you.

What is this great advice?

It’s quite simple, and not something you have to put much effort into at all.

You just need to share this (potentially magic!) word with them:

SHIP

What’s SHIP?

It’s an acronym for State Health Insurance Program. It refers to programs in every state in the US that assist Medicare-aged adults with making their choices for the best Medicare associated insurance when it comes time for Open Enrollment.

OK – so you think you’ve got this covered because you know a guy (or a girl) who shares that kind of information….

But if that’s true, there is likely a huge catch. If that person makes a dime (or more!) on his/her recommendations, then that person cannot give the most objective advice. They are inherently biased in favor of whatever makes them money. Even if they swear they aren’t biased, they most certainly are. Those commissions drive up the prices.

Even those websites that claim to help someone find the “right” Medicare Advantage or Supplement program are driven by money – the commissions they make from people who then purchase the recommendation made. Those commissions drive up prices, too.

SHIP programs are very different.

SHIP programs are funded by federal and state tax dollars – no extra cost to those who use their service. Further, SHIP programs are staffed by volunteers who legally cannot be compensated or gain financially in any way by the recommendations they make. THAT is their secret sauce. No bias. Just honest assessments and good advice.

You will be doing your aged 64+ clients a huge favor by opening up their worlds to SHIP. You can get more details to share with them, and all the “how to” information you need, state-by-state, here:

SHIP – Honest – and FREE
Medicare Advice Finds the Best Plan for YOU

Remember:

Open Enrollment for Medicare runs until December 7th. You’ll want to share this information with older clients right away.

There is a later period (in January) for people who want to manage Medicare Advantage programs. But Medicare Advantage may not be the best choice for your clients, and you don’t want YOUR clients to miss the chance to make a change before December 7.