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We are well into AEP 2022, and TrendSource has been working round the clock to help our Medicare Supplement Provider clients monitor their compliance with CMS regulations. This month alone, TrendSource Field Agents will be completing more than 1,500 CMS Call Center Audits, to say nothing of formal and informal events as well as 1:1 appointments.

Last year, the CMS compliance industry, and the Medicare Supplement Providers it regulates, had to adapt on the fly to an unprecedented situation that was both frightening and confusing. With only a few months before the Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) began, the COVID-19 pandemic led to lockdowns that made in-person events ill-advised and, ultimately, untenable.

As we’ve learned through the pandemic, some things can be canceled and others can be postponed, but there are some events that simply cannot be moved. Think of it this way: Coachella 2020 was canceled, the NBA season was postponed, but the national election has to happen on November 3. Same with Easter and Commencement and the daily mail route. Unlike weddings or concerts, these things just can’t be moved. 

We are back for the next round of Market Research 101, but before we wax poetically about another market research methodology, we must acknowledge: we are nearing the end of our digital market research seminar. Sadly, all good things must come to an end and Market Research 101 is getting there quickly.

During Medicare’s Annual Election Period (AEP), TrendSource Trusted Insight designs and executes secret shop programs for over 30 Medicare Advantage plans, helping companies ensure their sales agents comply with mandated CMS guidelines. Based on more than 4,000 individual projects, we identified the top violation per audit type and, while some have appeared in years past, others were previously unseen. By alerting our clients to these issues, they were able to implement corrective actions. Below, we outline, in no specific order, some of the top AEP 2017 violations.