Direct Mail for AEP

[Northeast Agent]

What do you do regarding direct mail for AEP?

Last year I did sales seminars for a regional carrier as a writing agent for MAPD and took a commission hit due to the "free" leads and because the captive territory manager was running them.

I was also given a bunch of free leads from a MAPD carrier who is expanding across the state. The issue is here no one has heard of them yet, plus the hospital and physician networks are skinny so it was a hard sell.

I'd like to do mailers, but am not sure whether to have 1,000 piece mailers start hitting in late August, early September, etc since we can't discuss the new plans until October 1st. We're getting a Medicare Savings Plan in my area, plus several of the MAPD carriers look like they are really beefing up for 2019.

Also, should I plan to have have the mailers stop right before Thanksgiving? I know they take 2-3 weeks to arrive in the mail, then some will always trickle in later.

 

[Chazm]

How many current Medicare clients do you roughly have?

I have 7 free marketed seminars I’m doing this year with WellCare and I’m a little worried I won’t have much time to work those seminar leads. I stay pretty busy with my current clients and referrals.

 

[Northeast Agent]

I send out letters to all my clients in mid-September, reminding them the ANOC is coming by the end of the month.

The Med Supp client letter is tailored letting them know they only need to be concerned with Part D and not to worry about all the mail and commercials for MAPD. I offer to shop their Supp price, but they get a letter about that when the increase is going to hit, anyway.

The MAPD client letter tells them the doctors and hospitals may change, as well as their co-pays. I offer to do a review but very few want to make a move. Most are resistant to change.

I also have a lot of clients a few hours away, due to free leads away a few years ago from hosting sales seminars. We keep in touch via phone and mail. A few have passed away since, or moved. I don't work that area any longer as I try to stay within an hour/four county area.

When I find out more about the Medicare Savings Plan, I may really want to offer that. One of the regional carriers had it here a few years back before I got in the business. A few of my clients loved it and were really sorry it left the area (I'm not sure why that was).

Then another part of my says to lead with FEX during AEP, ignore the cats, cigarettes and roaches and pick up more clients that way.