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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Steps to Mastering the Art of Selling Over the Phone

By Jói Sigurdsson CrankWheel

The humble phone call is the #1 preferred channel for insurance customers to complete transactions (1). It’s your customers’ most preferred option, and it’s a way for you to complete more sales conversations on any given day, compared to in-person consultations, while still achieving a personal connection. Have you mastered the important art of completing sales over a phone call?

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INDUSTRY LATEST

Providence’s $712M California hospital expansion: 5 updates

The $712 million expansion of Providence Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo, Calif., is underway.

Here are five key updates:

The new tower is expected to be completed by 2030, with additional campus improvements planned through 2032, a spokesperson confirmed to Becker’s.

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Kaiser mental health workers’ strike leaves some patients struggling for care

More than 300 Kaiser mental health workers have been on strike since Oct. 21, demanding better pay and more time for patient care. The strike has left some patients feeling forgotten as they face difficulties accessing the mental health services they rely on.

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Ozempic’s Price Has Fallen 33% Since 2021: HHS

The price of Wegovy, the diabetes control drug’s glamorous anti-obesity sibling, may also be falling, according to a Health and Human Services report.

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Why Zillennials would rather do their taxes than open enrollment

For many workers, open enrollment is well underway — and with healthcare costs on the rise, it’s clear they have pivotal decisions to make for their financial future.

Unsurprisingly, Millennials and Gen Z dread dealing with the entire process.

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Just 5 Minutes Of Exercise Could Reduce High Blood Pressure, Study Finds

Adding 5 minutes of exercise daily may help lower blood pressure

  • Keeping blood pressure in a healthy range helps improve cardiovascular health and decreases the risk of death from certain causes like heart attack.
  • A recent study found that increasing exercise-like activity, such as running or cycling, by as little as five minutes a day may help lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
  • The results further support that longer increases in exercise-like activity could lead to clinically meaningful drops in blood pressure.

High blood pressure remains a common problem in the United States, affecting almost half the adult population. It contributes to death and increases the risk of severe problems like heart disease and stroke. Experts are interested in finding the most research-backed methods to help lower high blood pressure.

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MEDICARE

CMS recalculates Medicare Advantage stars for UnitedHealth, Centene

After both insurers challenged the agency in court, the CMS improved scores for 12 UnitedHealth contracts and seven Centene contracts.

Many health insurers cried foul when the CMS released star ratings for 2025 in October. Regulators tightened standards for reaching the highest scores, resulting in a small dip in stars across the board. That translates to serious financial repercussions for some insurers, given the stars have a direct impact on plans’ reimbursement in the privatized Medicare program.

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