How Do I Get Help with Alignment Health Agent

So, you've heard good stuff about Alignment Health Advantage plans and for good reason.

Whether it's their 4 Star rating (how enrollees feel about them) or the lowest max out of pocket in popular areas like LA County ($198!!) or the Cash Back offer under $2K/year...

Or the fact that they pulled off coups with some of the biggest networks from Optum down south to Sutter up north... there's lots to like.

We have massive reviews on Alignment Health or how to Compare Alignment Advantage plans so we're in agreement.

It's still complicated. Like with all things Medicare.

• Why is the Platinum+ Instacart plan their most popular?
  
• Is there a network difference with the Cash Back plan (Yes, there is!!)
  
• What exactly is AVA and how does it affect my day-to-day care?

See...still lots of questions.

So how do you get help from an Alignment agent that doesn't try to pressure-sell you on something that's not right for you?

We'll answer that question with our Google reviews:

Let's understand why this is so important and look at what you can expect from a good Alignment Health agent.

Here are the topics:

• What to look for in an Alignment Health agent
• How do agents get paid (total transparency)
• What does a good Alignment agent help with?
• Is there a cost for help with an Alignment agent?
• Does an Alignment agent help after enrollment?

Let's get started!

If you want to pick a time to chat, pick a good time here: https://calendly.com/dennis-jnw

What to look for in an Alignment Health agent

Just like plumbers or any other service providers, there are good agents. Bad agents. And downright fraudulent ones.

Sorry...that's just the nature of the world, and we speak with people all the time who are on the other side of a bad agent interaction.

Worst yet, it's usually their son or daughter calling us because someone signed up their parent for something they didn't understand.

We looked at why some agents push Advantage plans so hard (we'll give you one hint) but having a good agent can be a Godsend. Saving you time, money, and frustration.

Outside of referrals from friends and family, the only way we know to really get a good grasp of whether an agent is a trusted resource is... Google reviews!

Sure Yelp and other sites can be okay, but people don't think to review agents there (unless they're also a restaurant).

Google reviews is fantastic because you know it's a real person.

Take a look at our reviews as California health agents with over 25+ years of experience.

We really do try to help people and hopefully, this shows.

We don't push. We don't "sell". You're not going to get hounded. In fact, we rarely call numbers that are provided in our quote engine (maybe we're pretty bad salespeople :)

To prove it, we provide you the ability to quote, compare, and even apply for Alignment Advantage plans on your own sweet time here:

Most agents would think we're crazy to do this and not "capture" contact info, but we're not fans of this happening to us as customers, so...we'll remain crazy (and less obnoxious).

How to get the most out of your self-service quote:

• Under preferences, enter your medications and dosages
• Enter your doctors
• Enter your preferred pharmacy
• Sort by "Annual Total Estimated Cost"

If you want more hand-holding, we're happy to run the quote for you. Just send the date of birth and zip code to help@calhealth.net . We'll get to work!

Either way, no annoying calls promising moons.

If you do have questions, email us at help@calhealth.net  or set up a time to chat here: https://calendly.com/dennis-jnw

So...let's make sure you have the full picture (see if other agents do this, by the way).

How do agents get paid (total transparency)

With Advantage plans, agents or brokers get paid a fixed amount per enrollment for the year. This amount is set by Medicare (or at least the max level is).

It generally drops in half in the following years, so look out for agents that are trying to get you to move to new carriers/plans if it's not in your interest.

There are many massive agencies that treat this like safari and you're the game. Reminds us of the mortgage refi business in this respect.

The amount tends to be more than for Medicare supplements, so it's important to make sure you understand the difference between Medicare supplements and Advantage plans or what's the real cost difference between the two.

Again, we're happy to walk through both with you.

There's no difference in cost if you go through an agent, direct with the carrier, or even through Medicare's site.

The goal is to get the same cost BUT also get a trusted 3rd party who you can bounce questions off of.

Hello!

Alright, exactly what kind of questions?

What does a good Alignment agent help with?

Here are the main areas of expertise that a good agent can bring to the table:

• The whole Medicare setup process (goodness...can they make it more confusing)
• Comparing Alignment plans: this is really where the rubber meets the road
• Alignment Advantage Enrollment: almost as complicated as the first two steps
• Questions during the year: payment, changes, claims, how plans work
• Open Enrollment: the annual dance...you need a dance partner for this one

To show our cards as Alignment agents, let's hit the highlights:

The whole Medicare setup process (goodness...can they make it more confusing)

Here are the basic steps:

• Make sure your Part A and B is active with Medicare. You can check/enroll here or at the local Social Security office
• Enroll in an Alignment Advantage plan prior to the 1st of the month you want it to start. Learn more about how and when to apply

Part D (medication) is included in most Alignment Health plans, so that will be taken care of in the same enrollment.

Here's the tricky part.

Comparing Alignment plans: this is really where the rubber meets the road

We looked at how to compare Alignment plans or Alignment's Popular Plans with lots of breakout articles, but it's nice to run through your specific situation with a trusted agent.

Just too many moving pieces to say that a given plan is right for you.

There's:

• Do you qualify for Medi-Cal or LIS additional help from the State?
• Do you have a chronic illness?
• Is Cash Back for Part B a good offset to the higher out of pocket max and smaller network?
• What level of healthcare expenses do you expect for the year?
• What's your preferred IPA or medical group (big deal!)

That's just the opening questions! You can email us at help@calhealth.net  or book a time to discuss.

We'll save you a ton of time!

What about when we find the right plan?

Alignment Advantage Enrollment: almost as complicated as the first two steps

We provide you the ability to enroll online!

Free. Fast (generally 10+ minutes!). Secure.

It ties directly into Alignment's enrollment system and uses the dominant online tech system for Medicare (called Integrity).

Make sure to add:

• Your doctors
• Medications, dosages, and pharmacy
• Sort by "total estimated cost"
• Select "Show Special Needs Plans" if eligible for medi-cal, extra help, or if you have chronic illness.

Of course, we can also work with paper apps or even enroll over the phone. You let us know what works for you!

There's no cost for these services and no application fee. You'll get the best rates and benefits available from Alignment either way.

Then there's the whole other 11 months.

Questions during the year: payment, changes, claims, how plans work

One of the reasons Alignment has 4 Star ratings across their California plans is that they do a really good job of customer service.

That's one of the things that impresses us the most, and look, it's self-interest as well.

If a carrier does a great job helping their enrollees, it means fewer upset customers calling us!

That's why we won't deal with the fly-by-night carriers that pop up on the Advantage market and blow up a few years later. Just not worth it.

There are times when it's helpful to have a 3rd party agent to guide you through the process.

Who exactly should I call? What to expect after enrollment? We're here!

Finally, the year-end rodeo.

Open Enrollment: the annual dance...you need a dance partner for this one

Then we do the whole thing all over again!

Oct 15 - Dec 7th for most people. Throughout the year for others (Medi-Cal, special enrollment triggers, etc).

It's best to think of each year as a clean slate.

• New plans come on the market.
• Old plans can make changes.
• The carriers try to sweeten certain plans to gain market.
• Network relationships change (your doctor is no longer in your plan).

Lots to consider, and we re-run the options for new AND existing clients to make sure they're still on the best plan.

No cost for this service.

Speaking of cost...

Is there a cost for help with an Alignment agent?

Zero cost for everything above.

Whether you use us as your Alignment Health agent or go direct, the cost is 100% identical.

Here's the issue.

The carrier can only show you THEIR plans. There may be a better option at another carrier.

That's why we provide quotes from major carriers to see what's out there.

The other issue is that carriers definitely have "preferred" plans they want to promote. We see it all the time.

This may be in your interest. Or maybe not.

Also, the entire enrollment year has been squeezed into a little over a month and a half (Oct 15-Dec 7th).

It's a crazy amount of activity, and the carriers have to ramp up reps to handle this onslaught of activity.

Some are seasoned veterans. Others are pretty new. Advantage plans are just too complicated to leave to a novice.

If we don't know an answer, we'll go research it. If we can't find it, we won't take the business because it's important that you get the right answers.

We have members of our staff who are bulldogs when it comes to tracking down the right answer!

So...as licensed Alignment Health agents...how can we be of service?

You can reach us at help@calhealth.net  or book a time to chat here: https://calendly.com/dennis-jnw