July 16, 2019
Stay compliant with the CMS Medicare Communications and Marketing Guidelines — even while on social media. We outline the best practices for insurance agents to follow while using social media.
ASG Social Media Compliance Guidelines:
DO NOT treat a follow, like, or comment as a permission to contact (PTC).
If someone contacts you through social media, ask them to get in touch with you via email or by phone so you can keep a record.
DO answer questions on social media.
While a comment isn’t a PTC, it is compliant to respond to a question or comment on a public social media forum. However, you can’t address them beyond the scope of the question or statement.
DO NOT buy (or use) social media leads or referrals.
Never buy social media contacts as a form of lead generation. Even if you’re given a free list of social media profiles, you cannot initiate contact. Instead, ask your friends and current clients to share your information with potential leads (who must contact you first before you can talk to them). Word of mouth is your business’ best friend.
DO keep things generic.
No carriers, logos, or specific product information. Promote your services only. It’s OK if you want to tell your clients that you specialize in Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement, or PDP, but not which carriers you represent. It’s OK if you want to share information that your clients can obtain in the public domain (such as how much Part B premiums are), but not information that is specific to a product or a plan.
Use Common Sense – Just because someone else is doing it, doesn’t make it compliant.
Monkey-see monkey-do isn’t safe when it comes to CMS compliance. Make sure you thoroughly review the CMS guidelines for yourself and ask your FMO or other trusted colleagues educated questions when you see something you’re not sure about. It’s better to be safe than sorry in these instances, which is why we prefer to stick to a PR approach.
Mentioned in this episode:
CMS 2019 Medicare Communications and Marketing Guidelines
Social Media Marketing for Insurance Agents
Do’s and Don’ts of Medicare Compliance ǀ ASG005
What’s New in the 2019 Medicare Communications and Marketing Guidelines? ǀ ASG083
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