MEGA - UGA - Healthmarkets MEGA Life And Health Insurance, UGA,ere, even if you are a "Top Producer"! Irving Texas
I signed up with UGA / Mega with the understanding that my sales commissions would be advances, and I did read my contract. I tried to wade through the complex schedule of payment, but most of it is hidden in formulas that are not accurate, and the rest changes with your standing with the company, so this is a futile attempt.
There are a lot of RA RA sessions, smoke and mirrors, and seemingly happy agents prancing about telling everyone how great UGA and MEGA are to work for, but don't be fooled. You will starve before you make enough to pay your rent. Fortunately, my husband worked and supported us, and I took the job as just a way to get some extra spending money. Even so, I ended up paying more out of pocket once I counted my travel expenses (all appointments have to be in person, so there's a lot of driving) clothing, and of course, Marketing. You will only get B (years old) leads to start, and you have to pay for all of your own training and licensing. If you want to succeed you need to start purchasing your own leads early on - which I did. You will also have to commit to making 100 plus phone calls per day, although now they use auto dialers, so it's easier if not quite kosher.
That said, I gave it my best and made my 13 week goal. I was hailed as a "Top Producer" and yet I still had very little money! When was the money going to break loose??? I watched dozens of wonderful people and good sales people drop out because they simply could not pay their rent. I would have quit much sooner if my husband was not supporting us. Eventually, I quit but only after giving it my ALL. They tell the new agents that the stuff they read online about the company is just from "disgruntled agents" and go on with stories of agents who did something wrong and got caught. Truth is, most agents just run out of money, or they figure they are only digging themselves into a larger hole and they leave for another company.
My recommendation to any top notch sales person looking at this company? Do yourself a favor and go elsewhere. They will shower you with love, dazzle you with songs and stories, promise you the moon and stars, and then leave you penniless. And just when you think it's all done and behind you...THEN they will send you a BILL for any scraps of money they did "advance" to you.
Just remember that since they are a captive agency (they will not allow you to work for any other company or sell any other insurance) their claims of you being an "independent agent" go against the IRS definition. The IRS has an entire web page dedicated to defining an independent contractor, and the agents at UGA / MEGA do not fit this description any more than the employees of UPS do (as defined in a recent lawsuit involving UPS.) UGA cannot simply make their agents work for free, which is what they claim once you quit - "you got advances, now we want them back" all the while dictating to these same "independent" agents that they can only sell MEGA insurance. They are trying to get the best of both worlds, and I hope someday a class action suit will land the whole lot of them in financial ruin - just like they do to so many innocent agents they dupe. BEWARE.
Lone Star
Fort Worth, Texas
U.S.A.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
Managedcarevp
Irving,Texas,
U.S.A.
Believe Me - No Value with HealthMarkets Products
#4UPDATE EX-employee responds
Sat, January 24, 2009
I'm an honest to goodness seasoned executive in the health insurance industry, with long-term experience throughout multiple Top-5 health insurers. I accepted a HealthMarkets offer to join their team under the premise of building a credible managed care organization that would market and deliver industry standard benefit plans (PPO, EPO, POS). I voluntarily left HealthMarkets (and returned to another Top-5 healthplan) after only 18-months, due to their overt unwillingness and dismissive attitude toward creating products/plans that offered true value to their members.
I've had the unfortunate opportunity to work among all of the HealthMarkets senior leadership team, including their recent COO and CEO and while I delivered tangible, material managed care savings, HealthMarkets is unwilling to direct these saving into their benefit plans and ultimately to the member/consumer.
It is utterly apparent and obvious that HealthMarkets is not and will not accept any MEDICAL EXPENSE RISK, and rather underwrites and prices their products to a DOLLAR-FOR-DOLLAR payout at best.
This is best demonstrated by the simple example that HealthMarkets directs their members to a specific network of hospitals and physicians (PPO) in order to reduce medical expenses for themselves and their members - this is a good thing and is what nearly all healthplans do AND HealthMarkets saves MILLIONS OF DOLLARS by doing this every year. However, the even the cost to HealthMarkets for accessing these PPO networks is passed onto their members as part of their monthly premium. As if this is not bad enough, not only does HealthMarkets pass this network access fee onto their members, but they have the nerve to mark it up and actually create an additional revenue stream from it.
If you are an uninsured individual, perhaps self employed and seeking individual coverage, do yourself a big favor and put your monthly premium back in the bank and perhaps seek a HSA for yourself.
HealthMarkets coverage is not going to help you, even in catastrophic medical situations.
Mr. Obama
Nasesux,Virginia,
U.S.A.
Good try but not quite accurate
#4UPDATE EX-employee responds
Sat, January 17, 2009
What you are in is called the wine and roses phase, you soon will realize that this company's products backrupt thousands of clients and agents. Uga is a scam and your are the scapegoat when one of the naive clients has a major illness and the claims dont get satisfied. They will tell you all the great stories of claims and blah blah blah, but this whole deal is setup to profit the company while lending you money at high interest. Its a scam and you will see in time that your glorious company is nothing but a lie to you and your clients. Make sure and get E&O coverage because you will probably need it regardless of the lying managers telling you not to worry- you dont need it. Lmao They dont want you to be able to deflect a lawsuit without thier help, again using you as the fall guy for thier crap plans. You wouldnt live off payday loans would you? Thats exactly what the advance is. Go work for a real insurance company and get away from the scum at this company.
Uga All The Way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Suring,Wisconsin,
U.S.A.
So you failed as a agent?
#4UPDATE Employee
Wed, January 14, 2009
I've been with Mega for over 7 months and make a excellent income! Yes, I buy my leads and did with the last company I worked for also. But it takes a determination and a certain amount of skills to be a successful insurance agent. Mega and UGA gave me a excellent opportunity and there has been NO looking back. But when one fails with Mega, they go on here and bash because of there failures! I work with agents that have been with Mega for over 20 years and I plan on being there until my retirement also.
So don't bash when you fail instead look at what you failed at. UGA and Mega give you all the training and support you need for success and if you fail? well maybe the insurance biz is not for you.