Covered California Navigator Sales Funnel Seminar 3

Covered California held their third sales seminar for enrollment partners on November 5^th. While there was plenty of information for Certified Insurance Agents, it was apparent that Covered California has developed a marketing strategy to funnel sales to the Navigators. In addition to a media blitz including a bus to tour through the state, Covered California will launch an event calendar to direct consumers to Navigator sponsored enrollment events. Covered California is also working to open 200 store fronts for the Navigators.

Will Covered California marketing work?

Covered California is doing in 2014 what they should have done for open enrollment in 2013. They seem to have put many of the pieces together from sales material, event calendars, support and marketing that was lacking during the first open enrollment. However, it almost seems a little behind schedule if they are announcing all this marketingand support just ten days before launch.

Creating a sales funnel for Navigators

The millions of dollars they are spending for the new and improved marketing is going to support the Navigator program. Navigators themselves each have their own bucket of money on which to draw upon. In a sense, Covered California looks to be creating a sales funnel for their navigators while occasionally mentioning that agents might be invited to the enrollment events. After the webinar sales highlights are slides from the presentation. The slide show is not a complete collection of every slide shown. For the entire webinar go to http://hbex.coveredca.com/agents/webinars/, select Sales Division Webinar #3

Highlights of the sales webinar

• Open enrollment call center will have an estimated 1,300 representatives
• Bilingual staff will increase from 55 to 254
• The call center will be open Monday Friday 8am to 8pm, Saturday 8am 6pm and every Sunday from November 16^th December 15^th.
• Covered California anticipates opening over 200 store fronts for walk-in enrollments.
• New job aids to cover initial online payment for some of the participating carriers, address validation, and Report a Change update.
• Family dental plans will not launch before January 1, 2015.
• A large tour bus festooned in a Covered California marketing wrap will travel through the state Nov. 10^th Nov. 18^th.
• Searchable enrollment events calendar by city and address with Google map for directions.
• Expanded sales collateral portal for Navigators who have marketing budgets to load up on literature. Agents can purchase material with a credit card.
• Website re-design including: consumer homepage, Navigator branded home page, Medi-Cal information, website in Spanish to be launched November 10^th.
• A re-tooled Shop and Compare Tool and App with modified input screen to collect ages and spouse designation and ability to print or mail quotes.
• Online payments: currently Chinese Community Health Plan and Western Health Advantage are taking initial binder payments directly from Covered California enrollment page. On November 15^th Anthem, Blue Shield, Kaiser, and Molina will be added. Health Net is expected to have online payment functionality on December 1^st.
• SHOP commissions through August should be paid by November 14^th.
• Streamlined SHOP renewal process and timeline
• SHOP will offer adult dental plans and a dual tier choice enrollment option.