When working with seniors, it’s very common to come across snowbirds. They live in the midwest for the summer, and they travel down south (usually to Florida) for the winter.
We get a lot of questions about this, so we’ve put together a quick and easy Q&A.
If you're newer to Medicare Supplement sales, we recommend you start by reading The Beginner's Guide to Selling Medicare Supplements.
For the purpose of these questions, let’s say we have a 65-year-old couple that lives in Illinois for the summer, and they go down to Florida for the winter.
Q: Do I need to be licensed in both Illinois and Florida?
A: No! You only need to be licensed in the state the applicant is a resident in.
Q: How do I know which state the applicant is a resident in?
A: This will be the state where the applicant pays income tax. It will also be the state in which they got their driver’s license.
Q: Can the Medicare Supplement be used in both states?
A: Yes. It does not matter which state the applicant is in.
Q: Does it matter which type of Medicare Supplement it is?
A: No, any Medicare Supplement can be used. Most seniors will choose an F or a G, but any supplement can be used in both states.
Q: What if they travel outside of the U.S.?
A: A Medicare Supplement can help cover costs outside of the United States as well.
Q: Is there any advantage to choosing residence in one state over another?
A: Yes! If your client is technically a resident of Florida, and they travel to Illinois for the summer, you might discuss changing their residency to Illinois. Florida is often twice as expensive, so your client could get the same coverage for half the price.
Q: What if my client moves to a state where I’m not licensed?
A: We wrote a short article on this topic, and you can read it here. Your options range from getting a non-resident license to letting us enroll your client on your behalf.
Q: What about Medicare Advantage?
A: Medicare Advantage is often an issue. Because of the networks, your client may find that they’re covered in one state, but not another. It’s always a good idea to check the networks for your client before selling them an MA plan.
