Marketing your Medicare Business
You’ve taken the steps to get licensed, completed your certifications, and you are officially ready to sell. Now what? Marketing is an important part of any Medicare business. We have been successful in our marketing strategies and are here to share various options for you to market and build your business.
Due to the nature of Medicare, we adjust our marketing strategies for two different times of year: Annual Election Period (AEP) versus the rest of the year (ROY). In this post, we highlight some good marketing options for both Medicare periods below, but first it is important to understand the difference between AEP and other times of the year. Here is a quick table to get you acquainted.
Now that you have a better understanding of the different Medicare marketing periods, let’s go through the times and strategies for marketing during each of these periods
Book of Business: Many new Medicare agents have already sold various other types of insurance and have an existing book of business. This is a great source to start cross-selling since you already have a relationship with your current and past customers. This article is geared toward agents who currently have a book of business, however stay tuned for our second article with other effective marketing ideas.
Book of Business Marketing Outside of AEP
First, it is good to send a general letter to everyone in your book of business to let them know you are now offering Medicare products. Even if some of your customers do not qualify for Medicare, they will certainly know people who do qualify.
Continually throughout the year, you will want to market to your current book of business customers that are turning 65 or 66 since this is when they will age into Medicare. Mail a letter or postcard to each person in this group to let them know you can now provide choices for Medicare plans and help them review their options. These “Turning 65 and 66” letters can go out 6 months prior to their birthdate as a heads up that you can help them review their options, with another reminder mailer a couple of months later. You should call each of them once you get within 3 months of their birthday to verbally remind them you can help and see if they have questions.
Note for California and Oregon Agents: Due to the birthday rule in these states, those on Medicare Supplements can change their plan without underwriting on their birthday each year. This means you should market all your 65+ customers around their birthday. Send out letters to your customers that are 65+ the month before their birthday, as well as a call and another mailer the month of their birthday.
Marketing for Annual Election Period (AEP)
As mentioned earlier, Annual Election Period is when most Medicare Recipients can make changes to their plan. This is generally the busiest time of year for enrollments and a big opportunity to market to a larger pool of Medicare recipients that already have Medicare. Below is the marketing timeline we have used effectively to market during AEP, as well as stay compliant with Medicare requirements regarding when you can meet and talk about Medicare plans. It allows you to retain current Medicare clients and inform and build rapport for potential new clients leading up to AEP.
STAYING COMPLIANT:
There are many rules and requirements when marketing Medicare. Be sure you are up to date on the most recent Medicare Marketing Guidelines. They have very specific rules on what can and can’t be said on marketing materials. Visit the Center for Medicare & Medicaid services site here to download and view the most current set of guidelines.
Still have questions about marketing and licensing to sell Medicare? Please feel free to call and speak with one of our friendly broker managers if you have any Medicare related questions. CONTACT US HERE
GMIA, Inc. – MEDICARE MARKETING: THE DO’S AND DON’TS Says :
[…] Current book of business: It is important to note that if you have current existing customers through a separate book of business, such as Property and Casualty insurance or life insurance, then you already have a relationship with them and you are allowed to make contact to cross-sell Medicare. Read our other blog on Cross-selling HERE. […]
GMIA, Inc. – Marketing Medicare: Grow Your Business With Provider Marketing Says :
[…] Marketing your Medicare business is necessary to continually reach more potential clients and grow your business. Effective marketing is achieved by utilizing multiple marketing channels and approaches. Most agents will typically start with direct to consumer marketing channels (Client Facing), such as conventional mailers, print advertising, cross-selling current customers, or email campaigns. We have covered these marketing channels in our previous blogs, Marketing Strategies for Medicare’s Annual Election Period and Marketing Your Medicare Business: Cross-Selling […]