Marketing appointments are meetings you arrange with a representative or agent of an insurance company to discuss your private plan options (including Part D Part D, also known as the Medicare prescription drug benefit, is the part of Medicare that provides prescription drug coverage. Part D is offered through private companies either as a stand-alone plan, for those enrolled in Original Medicare, or as a set of benefits included with a Medicare Advantage Plan. , Medicare Advantage Medicare Advantage, also known as Part C, Medicare Private Health Plan, or Medicare Managed Care Plan, allows you to get Medicare coverage from a private health plan that contracts with the federal government. All Medicare Advantage Plans must offer at least the same benefits as Original Medicare (Part A and Part B), but can do so with different rules, costs, and coverage restrictions. Plans typically offer Part D drug coverage as part of Medicare Advantage benefits. Medicare Advantage Plans include Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs), Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs), Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans, Special Needs Plans (SNPs), and Medicare Medical Savings Accounts (MSAs). , and Medigap A Medigap is a supplemental health insurance policy that is sold by private insurance companies and works only with Original Medicare. Medigaps pay part or all of certain remaining costs after Original Medicare pays first. Depending on where you live and when you became eligible for Medicare, you have up to 10 different Medigap policies to choose from, each with a different set of standardized benefits. plans). If you call a plan to make an appointment, an agent will come to your home and speak to you about your options, depending on what you requested. Plan agents cannot come to your home without invitation. There are also rules for what a plan agent can do at a marketing appointment.
- Agents can only speak to you about products you asked to discuss. The scope of the appointment is limited to what you requested when arranging the appointment. Agents may represent Part D, Medicare Advantage, and Medigap plans, but they should only present information about the products you are interested in.
- You must complete a scope of appointment form before your appointment. The plan or agent may send you a scope of appointment form that you must fill out and return, or the plan may call you and record your responses. Remember, agents should not discuss anything during your appointment that is not in the scope of the appointment form, unless you ask. If you want to discuss additional products, the agent should ask you to fill out another form first.
- Most marketing appointments take place in the home, but sometimes they may be at a library or other location.
During your meeting, plan agents may:
- Give you plan materials, including educational materials or the plan’s enrollment kit
- Tell you where to find information about the plan (website, business cards, customer service number)
- Discuss different plan options
- Provide and collect enrollment forms if you have the right to enroll
During your meeting, plan agents may not:
- Discuss anything outside the scope of your appointment
- Market non-health related products to you, such as life insurance or annuities
- Ask for referrals to others (family, friends) who might be interested in the plan
- Take your enrollment application outside enrollment periods—such as Fall Open Enrollment Fall Open Enrollment, also known as the Annual Election Period, occurs each year from October 15 through December 7. During this period, you can change your Medicare coverage, and these changes will take effect January 1 of the following year. You can switch between Original Medicare (with or without a Part D plan) and Medicare Advantage; join a new Medicare Advantage Plan; and enroll in Part D for the first time if you did not enroll during your Initial Enrollment Period. (You may have to pay a Part D late enrollment penalty if you newly enroll in Part D during this time, unless you have had other creditable drug coverage.) —or when you do not have the right to enroll