Sharon Dicorato

As of Oct. 1, it’s open season for insurance agents to launch sales pitches for Medicare Advantage plans and Medicare Part D supplemental drug plans.

Advocates for the elderly as well as a local insurer are advising Medicare beneficiaries to beware of deceptive marketing tactics before the Nov. 15 start of Medicare enrollment.

Katherlyn Geter, regional coordinator for the Southeast Tennessee State Health Insurance Assistance program, said the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in September announced new marketing rules for private Medicare coverage plans.

The changes, aimed at protecting enrollees from high-pressure sales tactics, are “definitely overdue,” Ms. Geter said.

The private Medicare Advantage plans are not supplements to traditional Medicare Part A and Part B plans, but instead replace the traditional government plans. For some, the private plans can offer more comprehensive benefits, but they also may not cover the same drugs as an enrollee’s government plan, and some doctors do not accept Medicare Advantage plans.

Enrollees need to do a thorough check of what a plan covers before enrolling, Ms. Geter said.

BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee officials said they also want to be sure their enrollees are clear about their options when enrolling in their products, which include a number of Medicare Advantage plans.

“This is when the Medicare beneficiaries will start seeing a lot of direct mail, and they’ll start seeing a lot of television commercials, and this is when agents and insurance companies are out marketing and selling,” said Sharon Dicorato, manager of individual products for BlueCross. “We just want to ensure the integrity of the (marketing) practices, and we want to protect our Medicare beneficiaries. It’s just simply the right thing to do.”

Among the recent rule changes, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has instituted guidelines that get rid of financial incentives for insurance agents to switch enrollees into different plans with different carriers each year, Ms. Geter said. She said a rule prohibiting unsolicited direct contact with an enrollee also is a welcome change.

One of the most common complaints about unscrupulous sales tactics comes from beneficiaries who live in senior housing complexes, Ms. Geter said. An agent will set up an appointment in advance to discuss Medicare Advantage enrollment with one resident, but then the agent will go door-to-door trying to sell other beneficiaries in the building on those plans, she said.

BlueCross’ Ms. Dicorato said Medicare beneficiaries interested in the private plans should identify a local insurance agent who lives in their community. An ethical and honest insurance agent can be a great resource to help in determining the best plan for an enrollee, she said.

Ms. Dicorato said enrollees should be aware private agents no longer can provide meals or gifts such as gas cards, and agents cannot market products other than health insurance plans when meeting to talk about Medicare Advantage of Part D plans.