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Written by Forrest Klein
Health Insurance & Medicare Marketing Specialist
Dec. 20, 2024 6 min. read
Best Practices Post-AEP
AEP is over; what now? To begin, take a breath and congratulate yourself. You made it! Everyone in the industry understands how much work you put in from October through December. You should be proud of your hard work and avoiding burn-out.
Many agents take this time off, often until January. We get it, and you earned it. However, many opportunities are missed during this time. This can be a valuable period to grow your book. There is a lot of work that can be done, despite being outside of annual enrollment.
We’re going to go over what these post-AEP opportunities are, and how you can still grow your revenue throughout the year.
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There are many people still able to shop for a plan
Though the Annual Enrollment Period is over, there are many people still eligible to switch plans. In fact, this year has more opportunity post-AEP than ever. This is for a variety of reasons. Being available and working during the month of December opens you to much sale potential. Some people still eligible to be sold to are:
People in DST areas
Many states have declared disasters, or special election codes DST. States that have declared DST allow a special election to choose a plan. With as many states as have declared disasters, there is ample opportunity to sell and submit enrollments. Choosing to work and get on the phone puts you far ahead of those who do not. Check the states you are licensed for, you may be glad you did.
People Eligible Through SARs
SARs, or Service Area Reductions, happen when a provider shrinks the geographical area that they offer coverage. Usually based on zip code, this means that some counties can lose health coverage because it is no longer offered. Individuals who find themselves victim of a SAR are eligible for a Special Enrollment Period.
This year, there are about 7 times more individuals impacted by SARs. Not only can these people look for a new plan, they have to. Their plan is no longer offered, and therefore, they are shopping. Don’t let other agents get these numbers, add these people to your book instead.
People with usual Special Enrollment Periods
There are many reasons someone is eligible to shop for health insurance outside of AEP. Qualifying life events allow people to update their coverage. These can include:
- Losing health coverage
- Moving
- Marriage
- Having or adopting a child
- If your household income dips below a certain amount
- Newly eligible immigrant status
- Beginning or ending AmeriCorps service
- Natural disaster
These Special Enrollment Periods can last either 30 or 60 days, depending on the qualifying event. Be available to those in Special Enrollment Periods.
Add Ancillary Products to Your Book
Unlike your regular Medicare and ACA sales, ancillary products can be sold year-round. Agents who add ancillary products to the sales they make can see an increase of 30% to over 100%. Many people shopping for health coverage are interested in adding dental, vision, hospital indemnity, or other coverages to their plan. Upselling not only boosts your commissions, but also bolsters their coverage and helps them get necessary services.
In addition, you hopefully now have a book of clients you have built a relationship with. With the conclusion of AEP, it’s a good idea to check in on these clients. As you do, consider and discuss with them their needs. Ancillary plans are often a positive thing to add to their coverage.
Consider adding to your products, carriers, and states
After a successful AEP, the best time to start building out your capabilities is immediately. Whether you want to get certified with more carriers, licensed in more states, or add to your list of products, now is the time to do so. Any time spent procrastinating your licenses and certifications is time spent missing opportunities. However, be sure to stay organized and up-to-date as your add to your carriers, states and products. In some cases, some agents do not have the bandwidth to sell multiple carriers or products.
At the end of the day, Agent Boost Marketing wants to see you succeed. Reach out to us if you have any questions, or are interested in joining the Agent Boost team! You can also check out our training schedule or our podcast to see what we’re all about!
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