Any feedback please on the ICCDS Medicare shops???

Wondering how long in time these seminars are and how many questions and /or narrative is required. My concern is the seminar being boring and myself drifting off into boredom.


Thanks Much and Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all you buddy shoppers.W

I've done numerous Medicare seminar shops for the last two years. I am of the senior age group and qualify for the coverage, so I am interested in what they have to say. The seminar lasts for l hr generally, and the report is a little time consuming (30 - 45 min) however, a large amount of questions 40 out of 100 are answered (N/A: this plan was not discussed).

If I were younger I think I would be bored to death! Good luck, hope this helps you.

ICCDS in my market shops the seminars on behalf of the regulators. They pay 60% of what the other company shopping the same seminars pays, they have a mail in requirement (reimbursed) of all materials gleaned from the seminar, and they are anonymous (which limits how many you can attend). You are supposed to call in advance to verify the seminar, show up 10-15 minutes before the seminar starts and the seminars here last 45-60 minutes. I have not bothered with the ICCDS version at all. The other company doing the shops does have a fairly lengthy report with narrative blocks but indeed N/A is a quite frequent answer.

I've done those for that company and found them rather pleasant. I have elderly in-laws and found the information useful as well as putting some $$ in my pocket. For me the report didn't take more than about 10 minutes and I can zip right along.

I believe they'll be going on until the end of the year when Medicare stops you from being able to change coverage. I'm doing another (4th) on the 29th. I rather enjoy them, and have learned much info. I needed since I'm on Medicare, and might change carriers. This one pays double from the ICCDS ones I did. For seniors, I recommend them.

I keep getting offered these Medicare shops from ICCDS for only $15.00. Other companies are offering them for a lot more. However, ICCDS shops are probably not as much work. I may try some of them in late January when I have more personal time.

I've only had one of the formal event (the company I did them for calls them informal and formal events) I was the only person that showed up although it was supposed to be a group event. Be prepared for some serious one on one if that happens. Luckily the instructions mentioned that could happen so I was prepared. The event lasted about 55 minutes and I would say it took at least 35-45 minutes for the report.

ICCDS requires more work for less $$ (15.00). Not enough for that job, well over an hours work. You had to mail back the brochures (heavy books), where the other MSC does not require that and pays double ($30.00).

There seems to be a lot of these around right now. Trendsource also has some but they have some funky conditions such as scanning all the documents you receive and waiting 3 weeks for a followup phone call. I think they'll all be gone by 12/31

ces1948 Wrote:
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> There seems to be a lot of these around right now.
> Trendsource also has some but they have some funky
> conditions such as scanning all the documents you
> receive and waiting 3 weeks for a followup phone
> call. I think they'll all be gone by 12/31

Regarding TS's follow-up call, the agent is not supposed to attempt follow-up, and whether or not s/he did, has to be reported. TS pays $25 of the fee according to terms and then pays the remaining $5, also according to terms, after the shopper waits the 3 week period and completes the very simple follow-up portion. Scanning the documents requested is the preferred method for me. Depending upon what was handed out at the seminar, no more than 4-6 uploads have been required on mine.

Mert Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ces1948 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > There seems to be a lot of these around right
> now.
> > Trendsource also has some but they have some
> funky
> > conditions such as scanning all the documents
> you
> > receive and waiting 3 weeks for a followup
> phone
> > call. I think they'll all be gone by 12/31
>
> Regarding TS's follow-up call, the agent is not
> supposed to attempt follow-up, and whether or not
> s/he did, has to be reported. TS pays $25 of the
> fee according to terms and then pays the remaining
> $5, also according to terms, after the shopper
> waits the 3 week period and completes the very
> simple follow-up portion. Scanning the documents
> requested is the preferred method for me.
> Depending upon what was handed out at the seminar,
> no more than 4-6 uploads have been required on
> mine.


They must pay different amounts depending on the area. They(Trendsource) weren't paying $30 here. Another company I did these shops for didn't require the uploading nor mailing of documents except for the agents business card. Every "official" medicare document has a series of letters and numbers that identify it located on
the document itself. The previous company asked for these letters and numbers in the report but not the document itself. They also didn't require a later report about a follow up call because I believe they didn't require that you leave a valid phone number. Guess it all depends on who the client is.

These shops will end December 31st as the Annual Enrollment Period ran from November 15th through December 31st. In the past there was an option to change your plan once, if you were not happy with it, and that needed to happen by I think it was the end of March. Thus some seminars continued. My understanding is that for the 2012 plans the Annual Enrollment Period will begin in early October and wrap up in Mid December so there is likely to be a much wider 'window' in which to do these shops.

The reason we are seeing different companies offering different amounts is that they are representing different insurance companies. The ICCDs shops (at least here) were being done by the regulators, were anonymous and were mail in materials. I did not see the report form, but my guess is that the training was less than adequate as ICCDs shoppers were reporting that enrollment was occurring at seminars I also attended weeks before the enrollment forms had even been shown or made available to the insurance agents giving the presentations. The only thing I can figure is that they misunderstood the sign in sheet for the seminar as being an enrollment form. There was all kinds of hell to pay over that one. It is precisely because of this kind of situation that virtually every insurance entity that offers Medicare Advantage seminars ALSO contracts with a shopping company to send in independent third party observers to have a second opinion about what actually happened at the seminar. This month, in what I suspect is an effort to discredit the ICCDs shoppers, I have attended no seminar that has actually been presented by the agent originally scheduled to perform it. So if Joe is to be the presenter and I report on Joe's presentation, they know automatically I am lying because Dick did the actual presentation and Joe was not there at all.

That is beyond unfortunate. Reports from these seminars had long legs and carried significant importance to seniors and agencies. It should be incumbent upon the MSP to provide a system of checks and balances, including training and screening before assigning. On the shopper side of the equation, there may be the unethical and lazy. Theirs are the reports that should be caught and rejected. If the shopper reports on Joe who was not present, as the presenter was Dick, that is fraud and the shopper should be deactivated.

If a large enough sampling of shoppers is discredited, the MSP will be as well.

A few bad apples . . .

Since mine had several speakers, the one asked for was present. The one asked for also had their booth outside, so, I see no fraud. She didn't have to perform alone, only be there. I'm not sure I understand what Flash means, it certainly was never apparent to me. I have gone to a couple before, and feel the information is the important issue. They want to find out if they are giving out correct info. pertaining to the new laws.

Beginning with my first Medicare assignment in Jan. of 2008, I've completed 71 such shops for 5 companies. The greatest number, 49, were jobs where I contacted the agent and met him/her at either their office or a common area; these paid a flat $35, but permitted me complete flexibility to schedule as many as possible in a day. I'm guessing the average meeting time to be 20 minutes.

The highest paying were for an MSC who no longer has any of these clients; it was $55 + mileage. I only completed 4 of these shops, but they were certainly profitable. A bit under came 3 @ $45 for a company known NOT to be liberal with fees, but who will bonus when needed. There was a single assignment for a company requiring me to visit the agent's home and I was compensated $40 + mileage. The remaining 14 were of the variety where I called ahead and visited a booth located within a retail store; these paid either $25 or $30, depending upon the needs of the MSC. This company has dropped the fees for this year to either $15 or $25, depending upon the difficulty in filling the jobs.

I haven't completed any Medicare shops this year, due to the low fees. I'm in this business for the money; filling my days with activity, strolling malls or interacting with people aren't necessities for me. If, however, you choose to take a job for $15 that requires an hour meeting, mailing forms, submitting a report, blocking out the specific time, waiting on the money and traveling, I'm reminded of the adage, "Whatever floats your boat."

Trendsource was desperate and met my $50 offer, however they are withholding all payment until after the 3 week period of no contact from the agent, which is now up. I have been told I will receive the $50 on Jan. 5th.

Carol, I just got paid (paypal)for ICCDS Medicare that I did last month. I'm scheduled to do one for Trendsource ($30.00). They have another in Pasadena I could do, should I ask for bonus?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/27/2010 03:55PM by Irene_L.A..

I did a couple for ICCDS, and did not have to mail the materials in. I think they only ask for them is there is a discrepency.

While it's true they pay less than Second to None or Trendsource, their report is a lot simpler, with no narrative.

You only need to mail the material in if it does not have the CMS numbers.

Irene, why not?

I asked for PAD from Trendsource on a Medicare shop that's in the boonies. KSS replied that Trendsource is not offering mileage or bonuses. The shop in boonieville still sits on the board. I asked for mileage assistance much earlier in the month though. Maybe now Trendsource has loosened the purse strings to get the shops done before end of the month.

I read the instructions (ICCDS) for Medicare to mail in brochures, and they did give you the correct #'s, but my understanding was they wanted to see which ones were given out, and check if correct # was on them....maybe they wanted to see for themselves. I was reimbursed for the mailings.

Mert Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I asked for PAD from Trendsource on a Medicare
> shop that's in the boonies. KSS replied that
> Trendsource is not offering mileage or bonuses.

Fascinating since I got one through my box the other day with a "Rush bonus".

What a difference a week or two can make! My request was early in the month. There are still numerous shops within 20 miles of me that haven't been bonused.

Same song, different verse. I've completed shops scheduled through Kern in the past and have had no complaints. BUT, regarding Trendsource's Medicare events, that has certainly not been the case. If there were questions, messages from me submitted on the TS site collected dust. On only one occasion, a KSS scheduler replied, though did not address or answer my questions. I'm assuming that all pre-report matters were to be fielded by KSS, since TS didn't reply. Don't know, and at this point, don't care. I have two shops still quasi-scheduled, that won't get done because neither TS nor KS will respond. Agent issues and I'm not proceeding without someone's blessing.

Yes, I was mid-conversation with a KSS re a TS and the response stopped. I decided the responses had not been enlightening enough to continue so did not push it.

Same thing happened to me with KSS, just got email with apology saying she was away for holdiays and is now catching up.

I did a few Medicare shops, but I stopped as the names of the presenters did not change.
Only one company would give me the name of the presenter. I did not want to go to a seminar and have the Presenter say, "I remember you." I want to know who is presenting to avoid this embarrassment, and loss of a pay check. I know the company will not pay me to evaluate the same presenter twice.

The presenter might think I am a mystery shopper if I stay for the presentation again, and they would be right. Viewing a presentation is like getting kicked by a mule. You get the entire experience in that one kick and you do no have to repeat it.

The presenter will tell me to leave and I will not get paid.
The object for me is to get paid. I will not waste my time. I can say, "I remember you too, and I saw what you are selling, and I am still looking" and walk away without a paycheck, but I try not to waste my time.

I did one for TS where I was the only person present. The agent went into a tirade about how nobody shows up for presentations for this particular insurance company because everybody knows how lousy their doctor network is. He then said that he couldn't do it there and then, but he would be happy to present other products if I wanted to have him out to my house.

I collected his card, told TS what happened, and got paid on it anyway.

Spectacular tgb. Just what a customer wants to hear! I'm sure that the client was just thrilled to the bone as well. [NOT] All too often a company or scheduler is not willing to share "issues" that can arise so that you aren't left dangling in the wind.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/28/2010 06:35PM by Flash.

I'm in trouble (of sorts), started out for my Medicare assignment and the rain is coming down cats and dogs...could not get on the freeway, overturned truck closed lanes...by the time it was open, too late. Wrote to them, and now waiting to see if I get de-activated. GEEZ, are we responsible for the weather, I think not. My feeling is they will not have this one due to rain.