June signifies that time of year when AHIP online training courses become available to agents and brokers for the following plan year. While AEP may seem far off, it will be here before you know it and AHIP certification is the first step in preparing for this busy time of year. If you want to sell 2025 Medicare Advantage and PDP plans you must be AHIP certified in accordance with CMS regulations.
The Timeline
AHIP training courses will be available on June 24, 2024. Some carriers may require AHIP certification before you can receive your carrier certifications prior to AEP.
The 2024 AHIP certification course will no longer be available after June 20, 2024. After this date agents who need to complete 2024 training will be able to take a dual plan year training course that satisfies the certification requirement for 2024 and 2025. This will be available starting July 2, 2024.
The AHIP Test
Both new and returning agents must pass the test and receive certification every year. The AHIP test consists of two parts. You must complete both parts to be certified:
- Medicare Training- this covers the basics of eligibility and benefits, the different types of MA and PDP plans, and compliance with CMS marketing guidelines and enrollment procedures.
- Fraud, Waste and Abuse Training- this covers the cost of Medicare fraud, the efforts and tools being utilized to detect fraud, and how to properly report fraud.
The AHIP test is a 50 question open book exam that must be completed within a two hour time frame. To pass you must have a score of 90% or higher. You are allowed three attempts to pass. If you fail three times you must re-enroll and purchase another test. Be aware that some carriers may not accept three failures in a year and may prohibit you from selling their plans.
The cost of the test is $175 but some carriers offer discounts so check to see what discounts are available to you. You will need your National Producer Number (NPN) to log in to AHIP to access the training courses.
How to Prepare
Advance preparation is the key to passing the test. You must complete all the training modules and the review quiz at the end of each module in order to take the exam. These are important study tools for ensuring you have the information you need to be successful. Even if you have taken and passed the test in previous years, it’s always a good idea to refresh your knowledge. Medicare rules and regulations can change every year.
Pay close attention to the questions on the review quizzes as many of these same questions will appear on the final exam. Keep track of the questions where you gave a wrong answer. This is where you need to do additional studying.
Take good notes that are organized and in an easily searchable format, such as a Word document. Since it’s an open book test you can reference these during the test. You have a little more than 2 minutes on average to answer each of the 50 questions. You don’t want to spend a lot of time searching your notes for information.
When you are ready to take the test make sure you get a good night’s sleep. Set yourself up in a space where you will not be interrupted. Silence your phone and get comfortable. Make sure you have your notes and something to drink. The better prepared you are the more confident you will feel, increasing your odds of success.
If you don’t pass the first time, do not despair! You can take the test again. There is no specific time frame that you need to wait in between tests. It’s a good idea to spend some additional time reviewing what you got wrong before you try again.
Once you pass the test you can download your certificate. You may be required to submit it to some of your carriers when you complete their certifications for AEP.
Questions? The dedicated team at PTT Financial is here to support you as you prepare for your AHIP certification. Contact us today.
