As a busy insurance agent you need technology to help run and manage your business effectively, and our technology does exactly that. From the built-in CRM to manage prospects and clients, to the quote and enrollment capabilities for Life and Health products, to the Integrity for Agents mobile app that lets you work on the go, to the AI prompts that help you access information faster, Integrity Technology is here to help your business grow. MedicareCENTER, LifeCENTER, LeadCENTER and Ask Integrity are the pieces of the puzzle you've been searching for.

Let's get right into the details of MedicareCENTER. You can quickly quote and enroll clients in Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug plans directly from a contact record. You're able to compliantly record and store phone calls for 10 years per CMS requirements. If you're looking to quote and enroll clients in Medicare Supplement plans, you can do so through the integrated CSG App. You're able to track all your clients and leads regardless of enrollment or quoting system. Easily batch import clients or create a new client on the fly with just an e-mail address or phone number in the CRM and use the dynamic tagging feature which allows you to filter and sort clients and leads by plan type, recommendations or any other important attribute. The robustness of MedicareCENTER, with new enhancements rolling out each quarter, is the most efficient way to manage your Medicare clients.

If you're selling Life products, you'll be able to save time and produce more with LifeCENTER. This platform allows you to quote and enroll clients in Simplified Indexed Universal Life (SIUL) and Final Expense products directly from a contact record. Searching for medical conditions based on medications and getting enhanced underwriting results for both SIUL and Final Expense products makes recommendations easier than ever. LifeCENTER, just like MedicareCENTER continues to evolve. In the coming weeks fully underwritten IUL products are launching, as well as DIME analysis to help you quickly find the right coverage for your clients. Just as MedicareCENTER helps you manage your Medicare clients, LifeCENTER is the key to managing your Life clients.

If you're starting out in the insurance industry or you're just looking to purchase leads, then LeadCENTER is your gateway to purchase exclusive, verified leads for Health and Life. All leads are 100% verified, TCPA compliant and are updated regularly. Utilizing the lead scoring feature to purchase leads based on their likelihood of converting, allows you to prioritize your budget. You have the capability to run real-time campaigns to have live leads funneled to you when you're able to take phone calls or receive live data leads. These leads are then fed directly into your MedicareCENTER CRM. Setting up custom ad campaigns with the ability to select from several different mailer types to target your preferred audience is a breeze in LeadCENTER. All of the marketing and advertising is done for you. All you have to do is login to LeadCENTER, select your preferred demographics and with a few clicks, begin growing your client base.

Get all the client information you need by utilizing the built-in, voice activated AI prompts. Ask Integrity is our proprietary AI software that has been built to help our agents be more efficient. Ask Integrity Shoppers assists you with carrier data and alerts you to clients who have a higher likelihood of shopping and may need to change their coverage. 

Client Connect is the built-in email marketing program that allows you to reach out to your clients to keep in touch with regards to their policies or simply to wish them a happy birthday. You also have the ability to use SMS from within the platform if your clients prefer to be contacted via text message.

The Integrity Technology platform that encompasses all of these elements is free to our contracted agents. Reach out to us today if you would like to learn more and to get started.

By Carolyn Portanova

When you have a client who needs to go through underwriting for a Medicare Supplement policy it's important to interview them beforehand. Typical health questions on a Medicare Supplement application will ask if your client has ever had certain health conditions during a specific period, and generally that look back period is two years. Every carrier is different and has their own specific underwriting guidelines, so it's important to know them before applying. Oftentimes answering "yes" to certain health questions can result in an automatic decline. To prevent that from happening, be sure to get a complete picture regarding your client's health. Below is an example of a typical underwriting question on a Medicare Supplement application:

​In the past two years have you been diagnosed with or treated for any of the following conditions?

• Atrial Fibrillation
• Cancer
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
• Diabetes - Type 1 or 2
• Heart Conditions
• Hypertension
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Stroke

Certain conditions such as minor high blood pressure and even high cholesterol are typically not an issue for a Medicare Supplement application. Being overweight is also not usually an issue, if your client is not morbidly obese. 

Some insurance carriers require that a certain window of time has passed after a major surgery, before accepting an application. If your client has had recent surgery or is still being treated, you should wait before submitting the application. If your client has been hospitalized in the last few years, is receiving home health care, or if they live in a nursing home, they may also be declined for coverage. Again, every carrier is different, and you need to check their Underwriting guidelines.

​When it comes to cancer, Medicare Supplement carriers usually want your client to be cancer-free for at least two years before they will accept them. However, there are certain carriers who will approve clients with cancer or other serious conditions, but they will charge higher rates for coverage. Therefore, it's wise to run quotes for multiple carriers and review their underwriting guidelines to determine the best course of action.

Diabetes is a condition that could result in a decline, but it depends upon the situation. Underwriters look at the entire picture. For example, if your client has diabetes and high blood pressure and high cholesterol, it's much harder to get approved than if they just have diabetes without any other health conditions.

​It's important to advise your client that insurance carriers have access to national records with regards to prescription history. Encourage your client to remember any and all medications they've been prescribed. Reviewing their medical history is incredibly important. If their doctor has previously prescribed a medication for a certain condition, and you don't mention it on the application, that’s a red flag in the underwriting system. Even if your client never filled the prescription or never took the medication, it needs to be explained.

​When you're ready to submit the application be sure to make the policy effective date a few weeks in advance. This gives the Underwriter plenty of time to review the application and the answers to the medical questions. After the application has been reviewed, an Underwriter will call your client to conduct a phone interview which is a very important part of the decision process. It's important to remind your client to simply answer the questions that the Underwriter asks. Volunteering additional information or over-sharing could cause problems with the application process.

Be sure to let your client know that it's important NOT to cancel any current coverage until after you've been notified that their application was approved. Once it's approved, they will need to call and cancel their existing coverage. 
 
If your client gets denied, it's worth exploring other carriers. Always keep in mind that your client may be better off keeping their current coverage. In addition, remind them that there are no repercussions for applying for a new Medicare Supplement policy in the future.

If you have questions regarding underwriting, please reach out to us and we'll be happy to assist you.

By Carolyn Portanova