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August 07, 2020 at 03:33 AM
Medicare plan programs have been working too well to get much media attention this summer.
COVID-19 has been hanging over the entire economy.
Low interest rates have been turning life insurers’ life and annuity operations upside down.
But insurers’ Medicare Advantage plans, Medicare Part D drug plans, and Medicare supplement insurance policies have been selling well and earning profits, and the annual enrollment period for 2020 is set to start Oct. 15.
CVS Health may attract consumers’ attentions to its Medicare plans by bringing them into its drugstores for flu shots.
All Medicare plan sellers may get a boost from a distribution giant: Walmart.
Flu shots and Walmart came up this week, in conference calls that CVS Health and Humana used to go over their latest results with securities analysts.
(Related: Lincoln Pivots Toward Variable Annuity Sales: Earnings)
Larry Merlo, the chief executive officer at CVS Health, predicted Wednesday, during the CVS Health analyst call, that consumer interest in flu shots will be very strong.
“We expect to administer up to 18 million seasonal flu vaccines this fall, which is more than what we have administered in the last few years,” Merlo said. “We think that, for obvious reasons, there’s going to be an increase in demand.”
One reason interest will be so high is that the symptoms of influenza often mimic the symptoms of early or mild cases of COVID-19, Merlo said.
