As co-owner of an agency that specializes in Medicare products,I'm often asked by industry colleagues whether we have “made theswitch” to selling Medicare Advantage products. Certainly MedicareAdvantage plans have become popular among seniors in recent yearsdue to their low premiums and built-in drug cards. But we stillfind the Medigap market to be a thriving one, with nearly 70percent of our client base opting for these traditional andcomprehensive plans.

The obvious next question, then, is: How do we sell againstMedicare Advantage plans, which are so much cheaper? The answer isthat we don't sell against anything. We educate and then let ourclients decide.

Perhaps one of the best things about working the senior healthinsurance market is your role as an educator. We explain toprospective clients that for most beneficiaries there are twoprimary coverage choices: Medicare Supplements or MedicareAdvantage plans. Then we outline the benefits of each type ofinsurance and let them decide.

The fact that the lion's share of our clients opt for the moretraditional and significantly more expensive Medigap plans goes toshow that not all beneficiaries make their decisions based onprice. There are certain groups of clients for whom a traditionalMedigap plan makes a lot of sense, and these folks would greatlyappreciate it if you wouldn't just talk at them about zero-dollarpremiums.

If you'd like to grow your Medigap policyholders, here are a fewtips to help you become a Medicare Supplement Superstar.

1) Find the natural fit

There are certain groups of clients who are naturally inclinedtoward Medigap plans. These include snowbirds or frequent travelerswho intend to make some tracks around the nation during theirretirement. Sticking with original Medicare and a supplement allowsthese folks to access any Medicare provider in the nation, whetherthey're vacationing in Florida or taking the grandkids ice-skatingin Michigan.

While Medicare Advantage plans have out-of-area benefits foremergencies and urgent care, some people have doctors in bothlocations and want to access familiar health care providersregardless of which state they happen to be in at the time.

Individuals with chronic health conditions are sometimes goodcandidates, too. There are times when the numbers just makesense.

A client was referred to me whose Medicare Advantage plan wasleaving the county, thus creating a special election period for herto choose either another Medicare Advantage plan or get aguaranteed issue window into a Medigap plan. She suffers fromrheumatoid arthritis, and her treatment regimen included a monthlyinjection in her doctor's office. Unfortunately this shot, whichhelped control her symptoms, had a retail price of $2,000, and hershare under her Medicare Advantage plan was $400. She had beenskipping the injections regularly due to the cost. We moved her toa Plan F with a premium of around $160 per month, and her injectionwas covered in full, saving her thousands per year and ensuring shecould get her injections regularly. She was a natural candidate fora Medicare supplement.

Retiring business owners are also good prospects. A person whohas had a rich benefits plan in place for many years will oftenenjoy the flexibility of Medigap plans, which have no networkrestrictions and require no referrals to see specialists. If yourclient mentions that he is coming off a company plan with a $300deductible and low prescription copays, or has been paying anoutrageous small group premium in order to maintain alow-deductible health plan, chances are that he is quite open tothe concept of paying a higher premium for robust coverage.

Talking with your clients about their lifestyle and health careneeds is the simplest way to spot good Medigap candidates. Explainthe benefits and costs for both kinds of plans, and you'll besurprised at how many will opt for a traditional Medicaresupplement despite the cost.

2) Make a doctor call

In every market there are always some doctors who accept veryfew Medicare Advantage plans. Many retirees these days are leavingemployer-based PPO plans that offered them quite a bit of freedomin choosing providers, and if they're used to that, they might likethe freedom of choice a Medigap plan allows. Make a few phone callsto their doctors' offices. Some folks may be treating with severalspecialists, and you can't always find one Medicare Advantage planthat offers all those doctors in the same network. OriginalMedicare with a Medigap plan is often an attractive choice for aperson who doesn't want to change any of his favoritephysicians.

3) Know the numbers

One of the biggest complaints about Medigap plans is the annualprice increases. Most carriers have annual rate changes due torising health care costs. However, there are some nuances amongthese carriers you can use to distinguish them with your clients.For example, some carriers tend to have only one annual increase,while others increase rates both on the policy anniversary and onthe client's birthday.

Many beneficiaries find the latter to be too frequent, even ifthe increases are small. They feel like they're beingnickel-and-dimed with increases all the time. You'll be surprisedat how long your clients will stick with a carrier that has modestand predictable once-annual increases. This simple tactic buildslongevity in your book of business.

4) Know your clients who know numbers

Certain beneficiaries are number-crunchers. You can usually spotthis when the client asks for data most don't, or if they email youto confirm the breakdown of what they heard you say they willspend. If you meet a number-cruncher, introduce them to Plan G.While Plan F is far and away the most popular plan, the Plan Gcovers almost all the same benefits but is often less expensivealtogether. Even after figuring in the Medicare Part B deductiblethat they will pay back out, Plan G can sometimes leave your clientwith an additional $200 a year in her pocket. I've found that aclient who is a numbers whiz will opt for Plan G even if the annualsavings is only around $50 over Plan F. They will appreciate yougoing the extra mile to help them save a few bucks, and this buildsclient loyalty.

5) Help with Part D

This piece of advice usually generates the most protest fromother agents, but I stand by it because it works. There is nodisputing the commission paid to agents on a Part D sale ispitiful, and what's worse, you have the same compliance risks onthat small Part D sale as you do on the larger Medicare Advantagesale. Many agents today will help their client with a Medigappolicy and then refer them to Medicare.gov to choose their own drugplan. While this may save you time, it also gives your client areason to go elsewhere.

Maybe this year they will research their own drug plan, but nextyear when they've forgotten how to do that and meet another agentwho's willing to help them shop both their supplement and theirdrug plan, you run the risk of losing them. Part D istime-consuming, but we pick up dozens and dozens of policies everyyear from clients who tell us that their other broker wouldn't helpthem with their annual Part D shopping. Enough said.

Growing your Medigap business takes an investment of time, andit's not a get-rich-quick product. The average Medigap policy willpay you a commission of about $25 a month. However, most carrierspay level commissions for seven years, and only a small percentageof your clients will want to shop the policy annually.

If you sell these products month in and month out every year,you'll find yourself with a surprisingly lucrative book in a fewyears, and all you've had to do is provide a little education toclients who want help understanding a confusing government healthprogram like Medicare. In addition to the solid career you can makein this market, you'll have a book of clients who genuinelyappreciate you, and that's priceless.