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Four New Opportunities for Financial Advisors from Healthpilot

Medicare is about to become a lot more fun to talk about. Because now Healthpilot offers the opportunity for you to show your clients a better Medicare experience.

In the past when clients brought up Medicare, you probably couldn’t wait for them to change the subject. After all, you’re a financial advisor, not a Medicare expert. So, you may have thought there was little you could do for these clients. And Medicare didn’t offer much of a business opportunity for you either.

When you partner with Healthpilot, you can be the hero for your client. Because once you refer them to us, we find them the right Medicare plan for their needs. We even make it easy to enroll online, in minutes.

So, before you refer another client to a healthcare broker, here are four ways Healthpilot creates opportunities for financial advisors.

Opportunity 1: Attract new clients.

When you partner with Healthpilot, we’ll find the right Medicare plan for your clients’ healthcare needs — for life. They can potentially save hundreds, even thousands, every year. Plus, Healthpilot lets you see one of the largest expenses for Medicare-eligible investors — their estimated healthcare costs. That’s attractive to clients who want their advisor to provide holistic financial guidance. The right plan for life . . . hundreds in potential savings . . . moving multiple financial topics under one advisor. Selling points like these may be just what you need to bring in new clients.

Opportunity 2: Retain existing clients.

In the past, you may have sent clients to a healthcare broker. But with Healthpilot, you have a Medicare expert for a partner. So why send clients to another healthcare broker? Many of them double as financial advisors. At Healthpilot, we don’t sell financial advice. We’re not competition. Plus, we find the right Medicare plan for your clients every year. So, clients have another reason to stay with you.

Opportunity 3: Make Medicare expenses part of financial planning. 

After your clients enroll in a Medicare plan with Healthpilot, you’ll be able to see their estimated costs and savings on your advisor portal. Then you can use this data in your financial planning. That gives you another reason to reach out to clients, potentially generating new revenue. As the industry reduces its dependence on fees, it is essential to expand the scope of your financial guidance.

Opportunity 4: Spend more time focused on your clients.

Of all the opportunities for financial advisors Medicare can offer, this is the most important. Your time is limited. You have clients who need you. You don’t have time to go down a Medicare “rabbit hole.” Let Healthpilot be the Medicare experts. First, we’ll help you identify Medicare-eligible clients. Then, with one click you can send them an online referral. After that, they can find the right plan and enroll online on Healthpilot — all on their own.

Don’t miss these opportunities for financial advisors. 

As healthcare costs rise, your clients will depend more and more on your guidance. Now you can be the hero who protects your clients from wasting money on the wrong Medicare plan. By partnering with Healthpilot, you can seize these opportunities to increase revenue and retention.

Learn more about Healthpilot for financial advisors and create your account today.  

Let’s talk about what partnering with Healthpilot can do for your business. Email our Healthpilot Partner Success Team at [email protected]. 

 

Deep discussion with financial advisor

How to Protect Your Financial Plans for Senior Clients

To protect your financial plans for senior clients, you need to start talking about healthcare costs and offer solutions.

  • Healthcare costs are the number one financial concern for retirees[1].
  • The average retiree spends 30% of their Social Security income on healthcare[2].
  • Medicare plans are a hundred-billion-dollar industry[3].
  • Senior clients who don’t feel they are being heard will look for a new financial advisor.
  • Healthpilot finds the right Medicare plan for your clients for life, which could save them thousands every year.

Your clients are worried.

Every day your clients hear stories about rising healthcare costs.  A patient is shocked to receive a $50,000 hospital bill. A drug that once cost $200 suddenly costs $3,000. These costs can threaten your clients’ wealth and prevent them from reaching their financial goals. To protect your financial plans for senior clients, you need to address these fears. If you won’t discuss them with your clients, another financial advisor will.

You can’t afford to have a Medicare blind spot. That’s why Healthpilot gives you a complete solution for your clients on Medicare. We do all the work of finding your clients the right Medicare plan. We even provide an estimate of plan savings and expenses for use in financial planning.

Medicare is key to managing healthcare costs.

Seniors and some people under 65 with disabilities have Medicare to help protect them from rising healthcare costs. They can also buy additional protection beyond Original Medicare (Medicare Parts A and B). Approximately 14.1 million people have Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap)[4].  And more than 26 million people have Medicare Advantage Plans[5]. In fact, only 17% of those with Original Medicare have no additional coverage[6]. Healthpilot offers your clients Medicare Advantage, Medigap and Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans available in their area. All in one place. All online.,

Finding the right plan is a challenge.

The average person on Medicare has a choice of 33 Medicare Advantage Plans and 30 Part D prescription drug plans[7]. Then plan marketers and Medicare brokers add to the confusion by bombarding your clients with phone calls, junk mail and spam. But no matter how many choices your clients have, Healthpilot will find them the right plan for their needs in minutes. Plus, they can enroll in their Medicare plan right on Healthpilot.

Make healthcare part of every client conversation.

Good communication is essential.  To protect your financial plans for senior clients, you need to make healthcare costs part of every conversation. Just as you guide new parents about saving for college, you should talk to Medicare-eligible clients about managing healthcare costs. Fortunately, you don’t have to be a Medicare expert to do this. Simply refer your clients to Healthpilot.  Once they tell us a little about how they use healthcare, we’ll recommend the right plan.

Review Medicare coverage annually.

The most important time to talk to clients about Medicare is before the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period.  Every fall, Medicare users have a seven-week window starting October 15 to review their current coverage and make changes. But too many clients pass up this opportunity. In fact, in 2020, 71% of Medicare users did not review their Medicare coverage at all during Medicare Annual Enrollment[8]. However, almost half of Medicare members who review their coverage during this period save money[9]. Additionally, many people qualify for Special Election Periods which will allow them to get a new Medicare Advantage or Prescription Drug plan outside of the Annual Enrollment Period.  And your clients can enroll in Medicare Supplement Insurance or switch between Medicare Supplement Insurance plans any time of year. With Healthpilot, you can give your clients an easy way to take advantage of this opportunity.

What if your clients don’t review their coverage?

Clients who don’t review their coverage may find that their Medicare plan has changed. For example, it may cost a lot more. Or a favorite doctor may no longer be in their network. This year, Medicare members face a 14.5% median increase in the cost of Medicare Part B premiums. This annual increase is the highest in the program’s history. But encouraging clients to review their coverage can save them from wasting money on the wrong Medicare plan. Fortunately, Healthpilot finds your clients the right Medicare plan for their needs and protects them from future changes, too. If we find a plan that could be better for their needs than their current plan, we’ll let them know.

Protect your financial plans for senior clients with Healthpilot.

As always, it comes down to better service. Without a solution to Medicare, financial advisors risk pushing senior clients away. But advisors who can get their clients into the right Medicare plan will thrive. Healthpilot does all the work of finding your clients the right Medicare plan. So you can focus on your core services. And we keep them in the right plan for life, which could save them thousands. It’s free, easy and secure for both advisors and clients. All you have to do is send an online referral.

Learn more about Healthpilot for financial advisors and set up your account today.

Let’s talk about what partnering with Healthpilot can do for your business. Email our Healthpilot Partner Success Team at [email protected].


[1] Edward Jones, The Four Pillars of the New Retirement, Jan., 2021.
https://www.edwardjones.com/sites/default/files/acquiadam/2021-01/Edward-Jones-4-Pillars-US-report.pdf

[2] USA TODAY, The average retiree spends 30% of their Social Security income on health care. Feb., 2022. https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/retirement/2022/02/06/health-care-eats-up-30-percent-of-social-security-income/49763823/

[3] Kaiser Family Foundation, Medicare Advantage in 2021: Enrollment Update and Key Trends, June, 2021.
https://www.kff.org/medicare/issue-brief/medicare-advantage-in-2021-enrollment-update-and-key-trends/

[4] American Association for Medicare Supplement Insurance, Medicare Supplement Insurance Statistics Data 2019, 2019, https://medicaresupp.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/2019-Medicare-Supplement-Data-Page-1.pdf

[5] Kaiser Family Foundation, Medicare Advantage in 2021: Enrollment Update and Key Trends, June, 2021.
https://www.kff.org/medicare/issue-brief/medicare-advantage-in-2021-enrollment-update-and-key-trends/

[6] Kaiser Family Foundation, A Snapshot of Sources of Coverage Among Medicare Beneficiaries in 2018, March, 2018, https://www.kff.org/medicare/issue-brief/a-snapshot-of-sources-of-coverage-among-medicare-beneficiaries-in-2018/

[7] Kaiser Family Foundation, 7 in 10 Medicare Beneficiaries Report That They Did Not Compare Their Coverage Options During a Recent Open Enrollment Period, Oct., 2021.
https://www.kff.org/medicare/issue-brief/seven-in-ten-medicare-beneficiaries-did-not-compare-plans-during-past-open-enrollment-period/

[8] Kaiser Family Foundation, 7 in 10 Medicare Beneficiaries Report That They Did Not Compare Their Coverage Options During a Recent Open Enrollment Period, October., 2021.
https://www.kff.org/medicare/issue-brief/seven-in-ten-medicare-beneficiaries-did-not-compare-plans-during-past-open-enrollment-period/ 

[9] Kaiser Family Foundation, To Switch of Not to Switch: Are Medicare Beneficiaries Switching Drug Plans To Save Money?, Oct., 2013.
https://www.kff.org/medicare/issue-brief/to-switch-or-not-to-switch-are-medicare-beneficiaries-switching-drug-plans-to-save-money/

gentleman speaking with advisor

Medicare Topics To Review With Your Clients

Clients come to you for peace of mind about their financial future. For many clients, the greatest threat to that peace of mind is healthcare. Without the right coverage, a single hospital stay can put all they’ve worked and saved for at risk. But Medicare can go a long way toward protecting their wealth — if they make the most of it. That’s where Healthpilot comes in.

Choosing and enrolling in a Medicare plan is often a frustrating, time-consuming process. As a result, it can prevent your clients from making the best Medicare choices. Healthpilot is a free website that makes Medicare easier for your clients by recommending the best Medicare plans for their specific needs and letting them enroll in minutes, with no sales push for any plan, ever.

With Healthpilot, you can protect your clients from the potential healthcare costs that keep them up at night. The Medicare Annual Enrollment Period starts October 15. So the time to talk to your clients about Medicare and Healthpilot is now.

First, Some Medicare Basics.

You don’t have to be an expert in Medicare to take advantage of your Healthpilot partnership. But here’s a quick overview to help you discuss Medicare with your clients.

Medicare is the health insurance program run by the federal government for adults aged 65 and older and for people with disabilities or certain health conditions. Medicare helps people pay for hospital care, doctor visits, and prescription drugs.

Medicare consists of various “Parts”:

Medicare Part A covers hospital care and services. This includes coverage for in-patient hospital stays, care received in a skilled nursing facility or rehabilitation center and more.

Medicare Part B covers physician services and other outpatient treatments such as x-rays, lab tests, and medical equipment like wheelchairs and walkers. Part B also covers preventive services.

Note: Together, Medicare Part A and Part B are often referred to as “Original Medicare.”

Medicare Part C, also called Medicare Advantage, is an “all in one” alternative to Original Medicare. This includes coverage from Medicare-approved private insurance companies. When your clients enroll in a Medicare Advantage Plan, they still have Medicare. These bundled plans include all the services covered under Part A  and Part B, and may also include Medicare Part D coverage. Some Medicare Advantage Plans include extra benefits — such as routine dental, vision, and hearing exams that Original Medicare does not cover.

Medicare Part D helps pay for prescription drugs. Even if your clients don’t take prescription drugs now, they should consider getting Medicare drug coverage. It is optional and offered to everyone with Medicare. Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage is available through a standalone Medicare Part D prescription drug plan or through a Medicare Advantage Plan that includes prescription drug coverage.

Medicare Supplement Insurance, also known as Medigap, helps people pay their portion of medical expenses like copays, deductibles, and coinsurance. These policies are offered by private insurance companies to supplement Original Medicare coverage. Some Medigap policies also cover medical care when traveling outside the U.S.

Still with us? Great. Medicare covers a great deal of healthcare costs and offers multiple ways to supplement that coverage. But how you talk about Medicare to each client will depend on where they are in their Medicare journey.

Different Clients, Different Situations.

A client’s age is key to what Medicare deadlines they have to meet and how you can help them.

Clients who are 64 and 65.

Most of your clients will become eligible for Medicare on the first day of the month they turn 65. For a seamless transition from their employer plan to Medicare, they must sign up during the Initial Enrollment Period (IEP), which starts three months before they turn 65 and ends three months after. (If a client is collecting Social Security, they will already be enrolled.)

Clients who are over 65.

For clients who are over 65, there is a good chance they will already have a Medicare plan. But that doesn’t mean it’s the right plan. Their health needs, or the plan itself, may have changed. Or they may not have done enough comparison shopping before choosing a plan. So, we recommend an annual conversation with these clients — a “Medicare check-up” — that ends with a referral to Healthpilot.

Clients who want to work past 65.

For who want to keep working and stay on their employer’s health plan after 65 can delay signing up for Original Medicare with no penalty. When they are ready to leave their employer’s plan, they must sign up for Medicare during the Special Enrollment Period (SEP). This period starts the month after their employer coverage ends and lasts for eight months.

There is usually no premium for Medicare Part A, so clients over 65 who still have coverage from an employer may want to sign up for it anyway. However, doing so will make them ineligible to save pre-tax dollars in a health savings account (HSA). In this case, you may want to advise your client to stop contributing to an HSA a few months before they enroll in Medicare. After they switch to Medicare, they can still use what’s left in their HSA for qualified medical expenses.

Clients in their early 60s.

Don’t ignore the youngsters. You both have a great opportunity to plan ahead, so take advantage of it.

A couple of “watch outs.”

Medigap policies are widely popular. So, it’s important to know that the best time to get a Medigap policy is when a Medicare beneficiary is newly eligible for Part B. Eligibility for Part B triggers the Medigap Open Enrollment Period (OEP), which lasts for 6 months from the date their Part B coverage goes into effect. If your client misses the deadline, they can still enroll at any time, but their premiums may go up, or they may be denied Medigap coverage completely due to their health status. It’s important to reach out to clients in their OEP and let them know what’s at stake. Your Healthpilot advisor portal makes it easy to see which clients are entering their OEP.

Clients who do not enroll in Original Medicare on time may face a penalty resulting in higher monthly premiums. Watch out, especially for Part B — the penalty adds 10% to the monthly premium for every 12 months of delay.

Medicare Annual Enrollment Period.

AEP occurs annually from October 15 to December 7. During this time, your clients can join a Medicare Advantage Plan or leave a Medicare Advantage Plan and get Original Medicare or switch to a new Part D prescription drug plan.

Remember, clients who want to enroll in a Medigap policy can do so any time of year.

Medicare Plans Have Costs, Healthpilot Doesn't.

There is no premium for Medicare Part A if your client has paid Medicare taxes for at least 10 years. If not, they will have to pay a monthly premium. Medicare Parts B and D and Medigap policies require monthly premiums. Part C (Medicare Advantage) plans have costs, but these may or may not take the form of a monthly premium.

Clients who have a high income may be subject to IRMAA (income-related monthly adjustment amount) surcharges. These are determined by their filing status and modified adjusted growth income from two years prior. Clients who have to pay IRMAA will be notified directly by Social Security.

Healthpilot is free to use. When your client enrolls in a Medicare plan through Healthpilot, we receive a commission from the plan provider and share part of it with you as a referral bonus.

Talking About Healthpilot

That’s enough about Medicare for now. Here’s what your clients need to know about Healthpilot.

Healthpilot is a trusted partner that makes Medicare easier. 

Healthpilot is a free website that uses smart technology to assess your client’s healthcare needs, then recommends the most optimal Medicare plans. It’s easy to use. In fact, clients can compare and enroll in a plan in about 15 minutes. Plus, help is available at any time by phone or chat.

Unbiased recommendations.

Most Medicare brokers rely on their “intuition” for plan suggestions. Healthpilot recommends plans based on facts about how your clients and others use — and pay for —healthcare. While Medicare brokers often represent a single company and one or two plans, Healthpilot has no sales agents and no bias towards any plan, ever.

Free service with no additional plan cost.

Healthpilot is free. Your clients pay the exact same price for their Medicare plan whether they enroll through Healthpilot, another broker or the insurance company. 

The right plan this year and every year.

Healthpilot evaluates plans each year to confirm your client is always in the right Medicare plan—not just this year but every year. Healthpilot will alert your client if their coverage changes or if a better plan becomes available.

There’s no need for you to be a Medicare expert or walk your clients through the Healthpilot process. We’ll take care of that.

How You and Healthpilot Work Together

Healthpilot makes it easy for your clients to find the right plan and enroll. To help with your financial planning, Healthpilot keeps your advisor portal up to date with your client’s estimated yearly savings and out-of-pocket costs with their current plan.

The most important thing is to refer your clients to Healthpilot using your unique referral link. Beyond that, you can be as engaged as you want to be. You can inform your clients about Medicare deadlines, advise them on how to avoid fees and higher premiums, and remind them to evaluate their coverage every year.

For more about Medicare, check out the educational resources in your Healthpilot advisor portal. And remember, Medicare Annual Enrollment starts October 15th, so start talking to your clients about how Healthpilot can make Medicare easier today.

 

This article was brought to you by Healthpilot Technologies LLC.  Healthpilot is not connected with or endorsed by the U.S. government or the federal Medicare program.  Healthpilot.com is operated by Healthpilot Technologies LLC, a licensed health insurance agency, also doing business as Healthpilot Insurance Services in the state of California.  The purpose of this article is the solicitation of insurance.