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So far MIBS has created 65 blog entries.

Learning How to Fish

By Lori Liles- New Business Consultant Finding Leads and Contacting Them You’ve probably heard the Chinese Proverb, “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and he will eat for a lifetime.” If you learn how to fish, you’ll never go hungry, right?  I worked for a company that wouldn’t provide leads to their employees. What they did offer was a lot of training on how to go out and find the business ourselves. I learned how to find clients inexpensively, or without using any money at all. It wasn’t easy at first, but I tried a few different ideas. I got creative. I learned what worked for me, and I started talking to more people. I used the tools I learned to go out and get business, instead of just hoping something would just fall into my lap. I was proactive, and things started happening for me. It was great, and I started getting referrals from the people I helped, and talked to. I felt like I had control over my business! The work I was putting in [...]

2021-08-12T16:41:52-05:00Marketing & Sales Ideas|
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Open Enrollment: Tips for Communicating with Your Health Broker Service Specialist

During open enrollment, we are all working through a busy time. Here are some tips and ideas for getting the help that you need from your MIBS Specialist. During this very busy time, please be aware that your MIBS Broker Service Specialist each work with hundreds of agents and can receive many requests per day via email, voicemail, faxes and mail. With each communication, the Specialist has to listen, read, identify, research and analyze data to respond to you with accurate and complete information. Being able to clearly communicate can make a huge difference. When you ask a question and provide all information in the first request to your Specialist, it will help them get back to you with an answer quickly. In order to get an accurate and timely response from your Specialist, follow these suggestions: Email Subject line If the email is a follow up from a prior email, reply to the original email so it is all in the same place Includes name of insured/member (if employee, group name) and account number Information in subject line should be directly related to the content of the email [...]

2023-08-01T16:36:21-05:00MIBS Updates|
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Boat and Watercraft Coverage

As we approach boating and watercraft season, help make it smooth sailing for your clients! Now is the perfect time for insureds to reassess their insurance coverage, especially on boat and personal watercraft protection. Available Coverage: Fuel Spill and Wreckage Removal Debris from accidents on the water can create environmental and safety hazards. Watercraft policies can cover fuel spills and wreckage removal at the limit of liability Physical Damage Coverage Types: Personal Property and Unattached Equipment Coverage With personal effects coverage, fishing gear and other personal property are covered up to a certain value. Plus, unattached equipment such as water skis, deck chairs, anchors, safety equipment, and marine electronics can also be covered. If needed, the insured can often purchase more coverage for a small additional premium. Some insurance companies offer this additional coverage at no cost. Emergency Assistance Reimbursement is available for on-water towing, labor, and basic emergency services (such as delivery of fuel or a battery) if the boat or personal watercraft is disabled while on the water. Pet Coverage This can cover costs if cat or dog that is injured because of a boating accident. New Boat Price [...]

2020-05-08T17:54:34-05:00Property & Casualty|
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Tips for Communicating with Your Representative

During open enrollment, we are all working through a busy time. Here are some best practices for getting the help that you need from your MIBS representative. During this very busy time, please be aware that your MIBS Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) each work with hundreds of agents and can receive many requests per day, via emails, voice messages, faxes and mail.  With each communication, the CSR has to listen, read, identify, research and analyze data to respond to you with accurate and complete information. This is when being clear communicators can make a huge difference. When you ask a question and provide all information in the first message to a CSR, they can come back to you with an answer quickly. In order to get an accurate and timely response from your CSR, follow these suggestions:  Email Subject line Includes name of insured/member (if employer, provide group name) and account number Make sure that the group name is correct (not an abbreviation or shorthand) Information in subject line should be directly related to the content of the email Example: If the email is a follow up from a [...]

2021-09-14T15:26:04-05:00MIBS Updates|
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CNA Equipment Maintenance Program

Do you have a client with service maintenance agreements? A CNA specialist can help you connect them with the CNA Equipment Maintenance Program. As today’s organizations become more sophisticated and reliant on equipment, the importance of properly covering that equipment becomes increasingly critical. To manage the post-warranty risk of equipment maintenance and repair, many organizations purchase individual service and maintenance contracts. While these service contracts extend the life of original investments, they don’t have to be purchased from the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM). For this need, your clients can rely on the simplicity of the CNA Equipment Maintenance Program. Open the door and a CNA specialist will join you to present, explain and sell the program. What is the CNA Equipment Maintenance Program? The Equipment Maintenance Program (EMP) is an alternative way for your qualifying clients to purchase and manage repair services for all types of equipment they own and operate. Those who purchase equipment are often faced with the high costs of Original Equipment Manufacture’s (OEM) service contracts and do not even recognize they have a choice of other coverage. The CNA EOM Program replaces an organization's [...]

2019-10-22T17:39:30-05:00Property & Casualty|
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2020 Certification Reminder!

Don't lose your commissions! Complete your 2020 certifications. It’s that time of year again when you need to complete your annual certifications. There are two certifications for Health agents: 2020 FFM (Federally Facilitated Marketplace) registration and/or certification must be done by: Independent agent If commissions are paid to an agency, writing sub-agents and principal of agency 2020 Medicare PDP/Medicare Advantage certification must be done by: Independent agent If commissions are paid to an agency, writing sub-agents and principal of agency In order to place new business effective 1/1/2020 and/or receive renewal commissions in 2020, agents must complete the appropriate certification before the end of the year. *Additional Reminder* 2020 BCBS Special Enrollment Period Training must be done by: Writing agent This training will be available early 2019 and is done annually 2020 FFM (Federally Facilitated Marketplace) Certification Before starting any certification curriculum, check to make sure your computer is compatible with the MLMS website.   I advise using the MLMS Check Your System configuration link which quickly shows if you need to do anything.  Log into the CMS portal, enter the MLMS Training website and click on MLMS Check your System link at the [...]

2019-10-08T17:56:22-05:00MIBS Updates|
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2019 Travelers Seminar Recap

Travelers’ representatives came to MIBS and presented the newest products updates in 2019 for both their personal and commercial products. Below is an overview of those highlights for those who missed them in person.  IntelliDrive Program This program offers a way to reduce an insured’s auto insurance by downloading a mobile app that tracks their driving behavior for 90 days based on the following: Time of day Hard braking Rapid acceleration Speed Insured’s have up to 45 days to withdraw if they feel their scores won’t qualify for a discount. There is initial savings for enrolling and the higher the score, the more you save. Ask your Customer Service rep for further detailed brochures.   Smart Home Savings For 2019, Travelers has teamed up with Amazon to offer Smart Home Insurance Solution which includes discounted smart home kits specifically designed to protect property, a free Amazon Echo Dot and valuable insurance and risk management information.  Customers can also receive discounts on their home policy with the purchase and installation of the home kits. Ask your Customer Service rep for further detailed brochures. Quantum Home 2.0 The Quantum [...]

2019-09-24T21:10:40-05:00Property & Casualty|
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Tips: Marketing Medicare

With baby boomers continuing to become Medicare eligible, agents should consider marketing to this consumer base. Remember, you cannot talk about the Medicare Advantage or Part D unless you have completed the appropriate certifications. Research indicates that Baby Boomers are using social media: 84% of Baby Boomers have a Facebook account 58% visit a company’s website after encountering the brand on social media 41% have Pinterest accounts  Social media is a low cost way to reach those consumers and make any additional marketing projects more impactful. Providing informational posts could drive consumers searching for information to you and your website.   Make sure your website is up to date and ready for consumers.   Make sure all of your communications include all of your contact information, social media links and your website address. Post short informational articles with references to contact you as a qualified agent on your social media websites. Ask your contacts to like your articles. Coordinate matching informational newsletters out to your contact list and ask for referrals. To make this easy, I have created 12 small articles you can use to post or create newsletters. Be sure [...]

2019-09-10T14:06:58-05:00Marketing & Sales Ideas, Medical, Patty's Perspective|
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BCBS IL Market Segment 51+

Determine Market Segment Determine Market Segment by averaging the total number of employees including full time, part time, seasonal and union in the year prior to the effective date. If the group has any affiliate or subsidiary companies that are required to be aggregated by the IRS, then all employees, seasonal and union from all aggregated companies will need to be added together. A middle market group can have less than 51 employees enrolled. 1.1.19 -12.15.19 effective dates will use the average number of employees in 2018. If the average in 2018 is 50 or less, than they would stay in the small group market for all of 2019. If the average number of employees is over 51 in 2019, then they would be the middle market in 2020. Major Differences between Small Group and Middle Market The middle market: is underwritten using the GRX database while the small group market is not has different plan options (non ACA) than the small group market. has composite only rates quotes start with a base quote and then firm rates are determined after submitting additional information and underwriting uses different [...]

2019-08-21T15:44:28-05:00Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, Medical|
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New Cyber Coverage Offering from Rockford Mutual

Rockford Mutual is introducing CyberWay cyber liability coverage, an endorsement built to protect your commercial insureds against cyber threats. Virtually all commercial risks have some type of cyber exposure today, and they are confident that this coverage will help protect your commercial insureds from devastating cyber attack losses. CyberWay will be automatically included on all BOP and GL (both monoline and package) policies with all new business effective 8/1/19 and renewals renewing 9/15/19 and later. Know that this additional coverage may impact the rates on these policies so be sure to contact MIBS directly at 847.631.6658 with any questions or concerns. Rockford Mutual Insurance Company’s CyberWay Insurance provides a package approach to insurance that includes both first party and third party coverage. Click below for an additional look at this very important coverage.  Click Here for Coverage Information The Retroactive Date will be the first date that Cyber Liability Insurance is added to a Rockford Mutual Business Owners policy or Commercial Package policy. If coverage is modified mid-term, the retroactive date remains the same. In some cases where the insured currently holds a cyber policy [...]

2019-07-23T18:52:00-05:00Property & Casualty|
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