If you got into health insurance sales to improve the lives of your clients, you’ll be happy to know insurance agents play an essential role when it comes to their clients’ health.
The Medicare plans you enroll your clients in provide unique benefits that can prolong and enhance their golden years.
It’s a vast misconception that people should only use health insurance if they become sick. While primary coverage is crucial when illness strikes, it’s not solely meant for reactive purposes.
Your clients should know that their Medicare plans are designed to better manage their health. Let’s examine the preventive services and fitness benefits Medicare offers beneficiaries.
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Annual Wellness Visits
Upon enrolling in Medicare, your clients will have access to one covered well-check known as their “Welcome to Medicare” visit. For every year that follows, they will have one covered annual wellness-check.
When telling your clients about this benefit, make sure they understand these well-checks are not physicals. In fact, the physical contact between the doctor and patient during these visits is quite minimal. Rather, the appointment is more of a conversation. The doctor will ask questions regarding your clients’ personal and family medical history, as well as check their mental health. They will also make sure your clients are still able to perform basic household tasks.
In addition, the doctor may discuss who your clients would like to appoint as their power of attorney if they ever become unable to advocate for themselves. If the doctor feels that a patient needs outside resources, he or she will make referrals to counselors, specialists, etc. The physical part of the well-check includes checking the patient’s height, weight, blood pressure, body mass index, and vision.
Encourage your clients to take advantage of their annual covered well-checks.
It’s imperative that you encourage your clients to take advantage of these covered visits. They may keep their annual health care costs down and could end up saving their lives if their doctor catches something in the early stages.
Vaccines and Screenings
Along with well-checks, you should make your clients aware that their Medicare plans may also cover vaccines and screening tests, depending on the type of plan, the provider seen, and the client’s eligibility. These vaccines and screenings include, but are not limited to, flu shots, diabetes screenings, alcohol misuse screenings, STI tests, mammograms, and prostate cancer screenings. Older adults may consider these screenings unnecessary, but it’s quite the opposite.
Let’s take flu shots for example. Compared to a young, healthy adult, people over the age of 65 have a greater risk of experiencing serious complications from the flu. While a 20-year-old might have symptoms for only a few days, a person who is 70 years old could have severe symptoms for a longer period of time, causing hospitalization, and in the worst cases, death.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 71 to 85 percent of flu-related deaths in recent years were among people over the age of 65. Though the flu shot doesn’t always prevent the flu, it can largely decrease someone’s chance of contracting the illness and the severity of its symptoms.
Fitness Benefits
While going to the doctor is imperative to your clients’ health, it’s also equally important for them to engage in physical activity. Even something as simple as a daily walk could slow the aging process.
The great thing about selling Medicare Advantage or Medicare Supplement plans is that many offer either SilverSneakers® or Silver&Fit® memberships or other fitness benefits. Your clients can utilize participating facilities to exercise, take fitness classes, and even meet new people their age — which is a major benefit considering some seniors can feel isolated. Taking advantage of fitness programs can boost their social interaction, as well as their overall physical health.
Taking advantage of fitness programs can boost a client’s social interaction, as well as their overall physical health.
Some of your clients may think that it’s dangerous for them to work out, for fear of pushing their bodies too hard or falling. The bottom line is that any form of physical activity is better than none. Just make sure you encourage your clients to discuss any medical concerns with their doctor before beginning a workout regimen.
While you are not your clients’ doctor or care provider, you can make it known to them that these types of resources are available through their Medicare plans. It’s never too late to start living a healthy life!
Not affiliated with or endorsed by Medicare or any government agency.
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