Pinnacle Financial Services would like to welcome Medicare Certification Season 2020.

Yes, It’s that time of year again!

AHIP is open, carrier certifications are open, and we’re here to help make it as easy as possible on you. Let’s start with when to expect carrier certifications:

The following haven’t released exact dates yet, but we expect them sometime between July and August:

Envision, Emblem, IBC, VIP, Health Partners, Geisinger, and Freedom Health

For your convenience, we’ve put together some questions we’re often asked, that should make the process smoother.

Q: What is AHIP?
A:

AHIP stands for America’s Health Insurance Plans. In order to sell Medicare Advantage plans during the Annual Enrollment Period (AEP), most insurers require completion of AHIP’s Medicare training courses. Insurers generally require AHIP to assure that agents selling their plans are compliant with the latest CMS guidelines and regulations.

Q: How Much Does AHIP Cost?
A:

The original cost of AHIP is $175; however, there are currently 7 carriers we are contracted with that offer an AHIP discount of $50 making the total cost $125. Those carriers are Aetna, Anthem, Humana, UHC, WellCare, Mutual of Omaha, and Cigna Healthspring.

Q: I Passed AHIP Last Year. Do I need to Complete all of the Modules again?
A:

If this is your second or more time taking AHIP you will be exempt from having to complete modules 1-3.

Q: I Reside in “_____”, however I would like to sell in other states as well. Are other certs/training needed to be completed?
A:

There is nothing mandatory about being “Ready to Sell” in additional states except the completion of the current year certifications. No additional certification is required, but carriers do offer face to face training for agents who are interested.

Q: What is the Passing Score for AHIP?
A:

You are given 3 attempts to get a 90% or higher on the final exam. You are given a 2-hour window to answer 50 questions on the final exam. Each click that opens the test is counted as an attempt. Please make sure you have time allotted to sit down and finish the test before beginning.

Q: If I don’t pass within the 3 attempts, can I take the test again?
A:

You can take the test again however, Humana will not accept an AHIP transfer if an agent has not passed AHIP within 3 attempts. Other carriers will, but you won’t get the discount if you pay for another 3 attempts. It’ll cost $175 each time you have to repurchase the test.