Many agents assume that once they are contracted with the insurance carriers that they’re Ready to Sell. They have leads in their hands and contracts ready to fill out, so they’re ready to sell, right? Wrong! That is not the case. But no need to worry. There are just a few more steps to take. Before you can meet with clients and enroll them in Medicare Plans, agents must complete annual training that is required to be able to sell.
To be considered “Ready to Sell”, there are certain steps you must take to ensure that you are on the right track to sell this year:
AHIP stands for America’s Health Insurance Plans. AHIP is a comprehensive training designed to help protect seniors and educate agents on selling Medicare Plans. It assures that agent are compliant with CMS regulations and guidelines. Insurers require this training to be able to sell their plans.
Keep in mind, AHIP is not free. The cost is $175. If you take AHIP through a carrier’s portal such as Aetna or UHC, the cost is discounted to $125.
To begin, we recommend that you take the AHIP test through Aetna using your NPN number for a discounted rate of $125, click here
Click here to review the 2019 AHIP user guide
Most Medicare Advantage carriers require their own online product certifications in addition to AHIP training.
Larger Medicare Advantage carriers, such as UHC, Aetna and Humana require individual product certifications in order to be able to sell their plans. Training will vary from carrier to carrier, but it will focus on that insurer’s specific plans.
Remember! You only have 3 attempts to pass product certifications. If you fail the exam 3 times, you will be unable to sell their products for 1 full year. Take your time and read the questions carefully.
You will be able to sell for the remainder of 2018 by completing the 2019 certifications.
Humana User Certification Guide
Humana PDP Certification Guide
Re-certifying Agent can access training on 06/25/2019.
After you’ve taken and passed AHIP Certification and Carrier specific Certifications, you are considered ready to sell! You may now begin meeting with your clients and signing them up on Medicare plans.
