Why Medicare Call Centers Aren’t the Right Choice for You

When you are on the verge of first becoming eligible for Medicare, you will become inundated with marketing materials. You will get an endless amount of mail and see an endless amount of TV commercials vying for your attention and business. But the worst part of the process is undoubtedly the phone calls.

An army of Medicare call center workers will be calling you each and every day in an attempt to sign you up for a Medicare plan. These workers are trained to keep you on the line and use less than ethical sales tactics to get your business. They won’t stop until they have you as a customer.

While these call centers may seem like a good option because of their sales acumen and Medicare expertise, they are not to be trusted. We’ve had dozens of clients switch from plans that call centers workers enrolled them in after realizing they weren’t getting a great deal. Read the reasons why you shouldn’t go with a Medicare call center worker below.

1. Pushy Sales Tactics

It’s no secret that telemarketers across all industries are trained to grab your attention with provocative claims. Medicare call center workers are no different. They know they only have a few seconds to keep your attention in order to potentially sell something.

These call center workers will tell you that you need to sign up for a Medicare plan now or that you will be forced to pay a penalty for life. Or that you will miss your window for enrollment. Or that rates will skyrocket if you wait.

The truth is all these scary outcomes are certainly a possibility under Medicare. But unless you’re a few days from your Medicare enrollment date, you shouldn’t rush this decision. These workers hope they can scare you into signing up for a plan that you don’t understand before you have a chance to check if they are being 100% honest.

Don’t let someone take advantage of you. Work with someone who is truthful and methodical in helping you understand what you are signing up for. This way, you will have confidence in yourself and your future on Medicare.

2. High Turnover Rates

Studies show that the average call center has a turnover rate of 30-40%! [1] This means there is a 1 in 3 chance that the person who is signing you up for your Medicare plan could leave soon. Meaning you will be left high and dry assigned to a new agent or broker that doesn’t understand your needs as well.

These call center workers will promise you the world and say they will always be there when you need them. But many of our clients who initially went with these workers found the opposite to be true. They couldn’t get a hold of their representative shortly after they signed up for a plan. Sometimes this is due to the agent, but oftentimes the worker has left or been let go.

Signing up for a Medicare plan should be a lifelong partnership, not a one-time transaction. Work with someone who will be there throughout the years to guide you as your health needs change. Not promise you the world and disappear.

3. Far Away Location

Many Medicare call centers are located halfway or fully across the country. We find many clients come to us having signed up with a center based in Utah, Arizona, Florida, or something similar. Working with people that are far away has several disadvantages.

The first is you have no recourse if they sign you up for a plan you dislike and then can’t get a hold of them. If the person who signed you up is hundreds of miles away, you may be stuck waiting on hold for hours trying to get through to them. They have a natural buffer of space between themselves and you and can make it hard to reach them and fix any problems present.

The second is it’s hard to check the legitimacy of the representative or company signing you up. If they’re far away, you may be stuck looking at websites and reviews that may not be 100% honest. If you have a local broker, you will be able to meet them and judge their character in person. You will also be able to get word of mouth from the town to make an informewhy-medicare-call-centers-aren-t-the-right-choice-for-youd decision about their business.

4. Unclear Motivations

One of the tough things about Medicare call centers is the lack of transparency about why they are trying to sign you up for a particular plan. Most call centers focus on commissions and revenue goals over what the client needs.

For instance, most of these call centers focus heavily on Medicare Advantage plans. These plans are not for everybody, but they do hand out the highest commissions to brokers. This means the call centers tell their workers to push these Advantage plans, even if it is to the detriment of the person on the other line. They line their own pocketbooks while you may be stuck for life in a plan that doesn’t fit your needs.

5. Conclusion

Working with a Medicare broker call center is never the right move for your health and financial well-being. They offer one size fits all solutions and prioritize their own revenue over your needs.

Work with a local Medicare broker to ensure you have a safe future under Medicare. They are accessible when you need them and give you the personalized care that you deserve.

Talk to the local brokers at NJ Life & Health. We will always be there for you to guide the way.

What's causing all that turnover in your call center? MyWorkChoice. (2020, December 29). Retrieved June 20, 2022, from https://myworkchoice.com/blog/whats-causing-turnover-in-your-call-center/?utm_source=google.com