What Tools Can Medicare Agents Use to Comply With New CMS Regulations in 2022 (Part 1)

In this first part we will review requirements and our first option, OpenPhone, a service which allows to record phone conversations.

On May 9th 2022 CMS had published the final ruling and announced their policy and regulatory revisions for Contract Year 2023. There is one very important change for the upcoming Annual Enrollment Period which requires field agents to record all calls with beneficiaries in their entirety, including the enrollment process.

Below is the summary of the changes:

• All field agents must begin recording all phone calls with beneficiaries

• The disclaimer should read “I/We do not offer every plan available in your area. Please contact medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all your options” must be conveyed as follows:

  • Verbally conveyed within the first minute of a sales phone call.

  • Electronically conveyed when communicating with a beneficiary through email, online chat, or other electronic means of communication.

  • Prominently displayed on third party marketing organization websites

  • Included in any third-party marketing organization marketing materials, including print materials and television advertisements.

Both NAHU and AHIP have commented on the proposed rule on behalf of agents, claiming that these measures won’t address the problem that CMS is attempting to solve. They have requested that CMS suspend the marketing section of the rule until there is a stakeholder meeting. You can find some of this discussed in here.

What Can Medicare Agents Do in the Meantime?

While NAHU and AHIP are advocating CMS for removal of recording requirements there are a number of inexpensive tools available, and allow you to better understand how those tools may help meet aforementioned requirements.

Before we begin, you have acknowledged to have read the disclaimer at the bottom of this page and should understand there is no silver bullet.

If your existing number had already gone to print, for example, sent out via direct mail, then the solution may be a bit clunky, but it is still possible to make it work without breaking a bank.

We will explore each option one at a time.

Option One: OpenPhone - Starts at $10/month

OpenPhone is a VoIP application for Mac, Windows, Web, iOS, and Android that adds second phone numbers to existing devices. It offers unlimited calling and messaging, a lightweight CRM, call forwarding, call recordings and more.

Additionally, its integrations with other popular business apps like HubSpot and Google Contacts make it a popular choice for agents looking to streamline their workflows. Most users are able to start calling and texting in minutes, without needing to talk to sales, while the sales team is also available to help.

OpenPhone is ranked #1 in customer satisfaction on G2 compared to other VoIP providers. It does mean you will need reliable internet connection to have good call quality.

Check out a more in-depth post about OpenPhone in here.

Option Two: Shape> - Starts at $99/month per user

Shape> is a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software, but as part of the traditional CRM functionality, such as pipeline management, outreach and other, they provide great dialer. The dialer is also very advanced and not only has call recording functionality but advanced call monitoring.

Please check out a more in-depth article about Shape>.

Stay tuned for reviews for other parts, which will be somewhat similar. The main difference is in price, quality of calls, and features.