Lyndon Thomas Insurance
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The Benefits of Open-Skill Sports
Many agents who sell Medicare Supplement policies don’t sell Part D Prescription Drug Programs or Medicare Advantage plans. Navigating the annual certification process required to sell PDPs and Medicare Advantage plans (MAPDs) is so onerous for the agent that many conclude it’s not worth the agony. I’m not sure if I’m bragging or complaining as I describe the activities that consume more than 50 hours of my time every August and September. annual certifications for agents across the country who market Medicare PDPs and MAPDs. The AHIP is a five-module online course of nearly 500 content slides and testing throughout. While the content is familiar from year to year, a sizeable helping of new regulatory and program changes requires close attention. My problem is that it’s usually about 10:30 at night when I get started. I’m not nearly the night person I used to be, so it’s tough! The final test is an “open book” exam of 50 questions. Miss five or fewer questions, and you’re good to go. Miss six or more and you go to Attempt No. 2. If Attempt No. 3 is failed, the agent is done for the year and is not permitted to sell any PDP or MAPD plans for the coming year OR earn commissions on current members! The agent’s income rests completely upon a successful AHIP. After the big test on the AHIP portal, there are modules and tests on General Compliance, Nondiscrimination, Fraud, Waste, and Abuse. About 10–12 hours into the journey, this agent is usually feeling slightly abused. My pride was tarnished last week as I missed seven questions on the final so it took the second attempt for me to pass my AHIP this year. With my 2019 AHIP certification successfully transmitted to each company with which I contract, now step two has begun. Every PDP and MAPD company is required by Medicare to supply their own online certification courses for agent enhancement. The company certifications largely mirror the AHIP and add whatever else the company deems necessary Certified and Bona Fide! The first step of the annual certification process is the “AHIP.” America’s Health Insurance Plans is a major provider of
Did you know fencing is making a comeback? No longer just for heartsick gentlemen of the Regency era, fencing is increasingly being taught in public schools, displayed in the pages of popular indie comics, and practiced among seniors. Plenty of baby boomers are picking up swords, or “sabers”— and it’s not because they’re preparing to fight dragons. Exercise is important no matter your age, but some activities are more beneficial than others. Research published in the journal Psychology of Sport and Exercise (PSE) suggests activities defined as “open-skill sports,” like fencing, can do more to improve brain health than “closed-skill sports.” OPEN OR CLOSED? The difference between an open-skill sport and a closed-skill sport lies in the dynamic nature of the activity. Going for a jog is great for your heart health, but your body is doing the same thing during the entire workout. This makes it a closed-skill sport. The same goes for swimming; you might have different strokes to choose from when you jump in the pool, but your brain is focused on repeating the action while doing your laps. Open-skill sports require players to respond to unpredictable circumstances in unpredictable ways. Fencing is a great open-skill sport because, while you have to learn the right way to hold the saber and move your body, you also have to think on your feet and react quickly to your opponent’s attacks. Researchers from the Foro Italico University of Rome believe that it’s the required adaptability that makes open-skill sports so good for your brain. You challenge your body with complex motor movements and your mind with fast decisions. In the study from PSE, the researchers reported that “the open-skill athletes used less brainpower to do the same thing than the closed-skill exercisers did.” WHAT’S THE BEST OPEN-SKILL SPORT? If fencing isn’t your thing, there are plenty of other great open-skill sports, including tennis, badminton, basketball, and racquetball. What are you waiting for? Swing by your local rec center and find out what open-skill sport will be your new favorite pastime!
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