AEP ends on December 7. Before then, you have a lot of work to do. Getting applications in on time is essential for you and your clients. Don’t give up, and don’t slow down. Plan your final push before the window of opportunity closes.
Your To-Do List
Are you forgetting something – or someone? Here’s a list of actions you should take before December 7.
- Email anyone on your list that you haven’t met with yet. Go over your list to make sure no one has slipped through the cracks and send out emails to everyone who’s left. You can use this reminder letter as a template.
- Follow up with everyone who completed an application but did not enroll. Don’t let your clients miss the deadline.
- Stay active on social media. You might be tempted to let your social media activity slide while you’re busy with AEP, but this is not a good time to neglect your online presence. You want clients and prospects to see that you’re still active and ready to help. You can write your own posts, and you can also share posts from WAP or your carriers. Be sure to include reminders about the AEP deadline and urge beneficiaries to act now if they haven’t already.
- Call or text clients if you have permission. If you haven’t gotten a response yet, it may be because your emails aren’t getting through. Respectfully follow up.
- Doublecheck pending enrollments. Look at the enrollment status, carrier approval and enrollment effective dates using your carriers’ agent portals. Make sure enrollments have been processed.
- Follow up with clients you have enrolled. Check in to confirm that everything is fine and to see if they have any last-minute questions. Taking a moment to do this can ensure that other agents aren’t able to get their foot in the door to submit the last application.
- Check to see if any of your previous clients have disenrolled. Let them know that benefits will be ending and ask if they would like further assistance.
- Don’t delay. If you receive paper applications, sign and date them immediately. Verify the information, doublecheck the submission email or fax number, and submit the applications within 24 hours. You may receive last-minute applications on December 7, so make sure you’re ready to handle those immediately.
Keep Up the Good Work
If you think this AEP has been busier than normal, you’re probably right.
CMS says that Medicare Advantage enrollment is expected to reach more than 26 million in 2021. There will also be about 2,100 plan options, a 76.6% increase since 2017. On top of that, agents are dealing with the pandemic and new tech.
It’s a busy year, but we’re almost to the finish line. Keep up the hard work and get those last applications in by December 7.