So, another concern. I wrote a newsletter at the end of September about agents/agencies making unwanted solicitation calls to Medicare eligibles which appears to happen more around the Annual Enrollment period and when someone is new to Medicare.
In other words, clients told me that they did not give permission for the person who called them to call. I understand that this was happening a lot! Almost all my clients were talking about the calls they were receiving.
UGH right ?!
In red below, is the September 2020 newsletter content I emailed out, as a reminder:
NEED TO KNOW – DURING THE ANNUAL ENROLLMENT PERIOD (AEP)
I have had the discussion with all my clients (when new to Medicare) about Unsolicited Calls; especially during the Annual Enrollment Period. These unsolicited calls can also arrive around the time when someone is becoming a Medicare-eligible (or turning age 65).
There are agents and agencies that buy or purchase lists to call, email, and text those eligible for Medicare. I have had clients or potential clients tell me that they are getting bothered and bombarded by other agents or agencies with calls about changing their Medicare plans …. when the help wasn’t asked for.
Be careful, about going online and filling out a form or inquiry to get information mailed or emailed to you. If you do this, you just opened yourself up to every agent and agency contacting you because then you have just given permission to be contacted.
You must give an agent or agency permission to CONTACT you.
Without this permission (given by email, verbal, by email, or phone call - when you reach out first) then agents or agencies are NOT supposed to contact you first.
If this happens it is against our compliance or regulations, as agents. If you are bothered, harassed, bombarded with calls (etc.) you can report these violations to the Department of Financial Services (DFS) or the New York State Insurance Department.
- First, explain to the caller that you have not given permission for the call and to stop calling.
- Second, you can also ask for the person’s name, phone number, what agency they work for (or are they independent), and that you might or will report the unsolicited contact to DFS.
I HAVE HAD A COUPLE CLIENTS ASK ME TO PUT THIS NOTICE (OR ARTICLE) BACK IN MY NEWSLETTER AND LIST THE GOVERNMENT WEBSITE TO REPORT THESE VIOLATIONS.
SEE BELOW for the DFS reporting website .....
