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Making Lemonade Out of Healthcare Reform

Headlines related to the Affordable Care Act and the new healthcare and insurance landscape seem to change more often than the weather. But one thing seems certain in its uncertainty: The future of Medicare Advantage plans.

A recent online article stated that, “Because of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, seniors enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans are paying higher premiums and experiencing a reduction in benefits and disrupted coverage. And that’s just the beginning.”

According to America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), the national trade association representing the health insurance industry, cuts already imposed on Medicare Advantage insurers by the federal government will hit senior citizens even harder over the next year and a half. The ACA includes more than $200 billion in Medicare Advantage payment cuts, most of which have not yet gone into effect, as well as a new health insurance tax starting in 2014.

As if that wasn’t enough to frustrate the populace on both sides of the issue, thousands of doctors continue to be dropped from MA networks by MA insurers trying to save money. Hence, there are lots of seniors out there facing an uncertain future in terms of their healthcare coverage.

However, as reputable insurance producers, we can still make lemonade with all these lemons we’ve been handed. The Medicare Advantage Dis-enrollment Period will continue to disenchant our seniors and cause them to return to Original Medicare in order to purchase a Medicare Supplement plan.

So here’s my advice to my fellow agents: Offer these senior citizens a quality Medicare Supplement, and they won’t need to worry about reduced benefits, canceled coverage, network changes, or, most importantly, taking their business elsewhere.  

About Chuck Mankamyer

Chuck Mankamyer
After his discharge from the Navy in 1970, Chuck Mankamyer started his insurance career with a small health and life agency in Florida. Within a few months, he was promoted to Agency Manager and was completely responsible for agency growth through recruiting and training. Less than a decade later, Chuck had grown the agency from one office to five offices with 125 career agents and 1,800 outside brokers. Chuck opened a new agency in 1979 and contracted to represent United American. Starting with a three-person office, Chuck grew to ten offices located throughout Florida and Georgia. He later opened his wholesale brokerage company, American Life and Health Group, Inc. Throughout his career, Chuck has recruited more than 40,000 agents nationwide. In 2009, after 30 years as a General Agent for United American, Chuck brought his extensive recruiting expertise to the United American Home Office in McKinney, Texas. No one knows how to recruit like Chuck Mankamyer.

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