CMS mandate survival guide for field agents

The changing landscape in healthcare often calls for reinvention. From the switch from paper to digital records decades ago to the monumental shift in how people receive medical care after the rise of COVID-19, agility is key to navigating change throughout the industry.

These changes also made their way to field agents offering health insurance benefits. Instead of in-office meetings or open enrollment forums at workplaces, connecting with clients became as simple as a one-click video call or a dial tone away. While the move to meeting remotely brought with it many positives, there was also space to increase regulations to create a consistent, reliable experience.

With that in mind, a new CMS mandate for third-party marketing organizations (TPMOs) offering Medicare Advantage and/or Part D plans has been released. These updates may be surprising or stressful news, so we’ve compiled some resources to make complying with this mandate by the Oct. 1, 2022 deadline easy, simple, and stress-free.

Who is CMS?

CMS stands for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, a federal agency within the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). They govern Medicare and Medicaid programs in the U.S.

What are some of the relevant items for field agents included in the CMS Mandate?

• Field agents must record all calls with Medicare beneficiaries in their entirety (including during the enrollment process).
• Marketing communications must include a standardized disclaimer that states, “We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options.” (Read more here.)

The more challenging to implement change is the call recording portion of the mandate, which is important information for field agents who have been connecting with clients remotely via phone or video calls.

When is the deadline for the new CMS mandate?

The deadline to comply with the new mandate is October 1, 2022.

How can I comply with the CMS mandate for call recording?

Mobile Record and Store Now gives field agents all the tools they need to meet CMS compliance for calls with clients with cloud-based recording, storing, and retrieval available across devices in a single app.

Our Mobile Record and Store Now offering:

• records, stores, and retrieves calls with prospective and current clients for up to 10 years,
• has in-the-field call center capabilities that go wherever you do, on whatever device you use, and
• includes customized software licensing options that allow for pausing and cancelling.

Backed by over 17 years of experience in our dedicated healthcare practice, our expert team is here to help make CMS call recording compliance simple.