According to the AARP for Medicare, 44 million beneficiaries are enrolled in the Medicare program under the Social Security Act. When a person reaches 65 a person can qualify for Medicare. If a person is under 65 a person can become eligible if they receive Social Security disability insurance.
There are two companies that will pay to perform Medicare compliance shops. The enrollment period for selecting a Medicare option is during October 15 until December 7th. The objective of these shops is to evaluate professionalism and collect information to determine if the insurance company is in compliance. Because open enrollment is during October – December these shops are offered in the fall. Occasionally, Second to None may offer these types of shops throughout the year as an informal shop. Don’t worry if you are not actually of age. The companies will let you pretend you are of age. The companies will also let you say you are gathering information for someone else.
The companies that participate in the Medicare program are Trendsource and Second to None. These companies have their own qualifications in order for a shopper to be eligible to perform these shops.
Second to None is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The company has 30 years of customer experience. The company serves emerging brands as well as brands that are established across the United States and Canada. The company does not require any special certification. The only necessary component is to sign up on the Second to None website shoppers’ area. Second to None offers informal and 1 on 1 mystery shops. These shops are set up for the shopper to visit a healthcare agent at a location that is designated. For an informal event, the agent is usually at a kiosk in a store. The mystery shopper conducts the shop in a covert manner.
Trendsource, aka The Source Agents, which is located in San Diego, California has over 300,000 individual field agents. It is simple and easy to sign up with this company. Simply go to their website and sign up. The Source Agents require their field agents to take certifications to perform mystery shops. The company also require agents to take a special certification to become certified to perform Medicare compliance shops. Field agents will also have to pass a Healthcare Compliance Auditor Certification before a healthcare compliance shop can be conducted. You will complete this task after viewing a short video. Agents are required go through a background check on a yearly basis.
There are three types of healthcare compliance shops that can be conducted. First, is the formal compliance shop. This type of compliance shop is where a formal event is taking place. These types of shops take place at a specific location such as a hospital meeting room, or a venue meeting room. The agent talks to the attendees about the type of healthcare plan they are selling. You will be observing the details listed in the shopper guidelines.
The second type of shop is an informal observation. This is where an agent is located in a specific location at a kiosk. The agent visits the kiosk in a covert manner and performs the observation compliance shop specifically according to the guidelines.
Lastly, the 1 on 1 shop is where the mystery shopper meets with the agent at a specified location. This is a great one because the mystery shopper calls the agent and the meeting can take place at your place of residence or wherever the two of you agree. What a great way to bring in cash. Of course, all of the guidelines must be followed precisely.
Heads up! Keep in close contact with your scheduler or support person during the time of the assigned shop. The informal compliance shop can be tricky. There are times when the assigned agent may not show up at the location. I had a shop rejected due to the fact it turned out to be a no show on the agent’s part. Be sure to capture pictures of interior of the location and a photo of where the agent was supposed to set up. Contact your scheduler to find out how to proceed with the shop so you will still get compensation if this occurs. It happened to me, no shopper wants to see that a shop was rejected.
Both mystery shopping companies are established with insurance companies such as Texan Plus, Aetna, and Memorial Hermann Medicare Advantage plans and other brand name insurance options.
Healthcare assignments can be informative, fun and quite worth your while. Healthcare assignments pay as much as $21-$32 per assignment. Sign up and have fun.
Cheryl Darcyl is a professional mystery shopper.
I like arp
I like AARP as well.
I have been a Gold Shopper for over 15 years. Some 10 years ago, I started having the pleasure of completing these shops in the Iowa area.
These shops have helped me guide people in my church and neighborhood to have the confidence to go themselves to Medicare Meetings armed with some answers (and more questions).
My only regret is that during October to December, I never once got any email offerings of any Medicare Compliance Shops in my area. Formerly there were always plenty. I loved these interesting jobs and know you shoppers will.
On Trendsource, if the agent doesn’t show up (which is most of the time) and you don’t wait 30 minutes to see if the agent arrives, your pay gets cut in half regardless of distance travelled. On the $32 assignments, if the agent doesn’t show and you don’t call to see if the event was cancelled or moved, you don’t get paid. Shopper beware and shop at your own risk.
I got $34 for formals and $21 for informals from TrendSource and some paid early. They were all within 5 miles of home.
Way to go!
Sounds like a great way to start helping people. I have been an MSPA Gold Certified shopper for the past five years and have done several Medicare assignments.
Thanks for the feedback.
What about Medicare?
What specific question do have Lorijean?
Please send the information associated with these shops/ compliance orders.
That information is located in the guidelines before you accept the shop.
The guidelines change.
I look forward to these every year. I’ve also been able to use the information for various family members. The report is long, but not difficult. Many questions are true/false or yes/no. Only a few answers require free-form text answers. Trendsource, I eagerly await the return of these jobs starting next Nov.!
I Agee Lisa.