6 Things to Think About After AEP

Congratulations! You survived AEP.

Now, take a moment to celebrate & relax, but don’t pause for too long. Post-AEP is one of the best times to ensure you are set to be on the right track to start the next year off strong and continue to help your clients. To help you, we’ve put together this list of 6 things you should think about after AEP.

 

1.      Organize Your Book of Business

Let’s start by reviewing all of your enrollments from AEP & ensuring all of your files are in order. It is best to choose a method of organization that helps you quickly find the information you need. Some of the most effective ways to do this are using customer relationship management (CRM) software (like the one included in MedicareCENTER). Make sure any program that you are using is HIPAA compliant and protects your clients protected health information (PHI). Be sure you have enough details in each record to know what you can expect in your commission payouts as well.

If you’re building a personal tracker or have the ability to create custom fields, here are some essential things to include and make a note of:

·         Member Name

·         Member DOB

·         Member’s Medicare ID Number

·         Member Address

·         Member Phone Number

·         Member Email

·         Preferred Means of Communication

·         Carrier Name

·         Product Selected

·         Date Application was Signed

·         Date Application was Submitted

·         Indicator of Replacement or New to Medicare (This determines the commissions owed)

·         Expected Commission Amount

 

2.      Track Business From AEP

Now that you’ve organized your book of business verify the enrollments have been processed & that you are the agent of record. You have a few options to go about doing this.

Carrier Broker Portal

With many carriers, you can track your business online. Double-check the information on the carrier’s site with what you have in your CRM. If you see missing enrollments or information – contact the carrier’s broker support. Many offer an online help desk style option to save time.

Call Broker Support

If online customer service is not an option, call their broker services directly. This can take time and requires some degree of patience – you will have to wait.

 

3.      Keep Track of Commissions

January is a busy month for commission payouts. Use your tracker to compare paid policies. Missing commissions? If you work with Agent Pipeline, contact our leading Broker Support team & we can help you submit inquiries to the carrier and get everything sorted out. Our Broker Support team is always ready to help with any questions, issues, or disputes for commissions. Make sure any program that you are using is HIPAA compliant and protects your clients protected health information (PHI). To ensure this process goes smoothly, have the following information at the ready:

·         Member Name

·         Member Medicare ID Number

·         Member DOB

·         Policy Number (if available)

·         Date of Application

·         Product Selected

 

4.      Set Goals for the Next Year

It’s essential to take time to reflect in December, mainly on production. Have you improved? Stayed the same? Are you losing traction? Keep moving up.

Plan for the Slow Seasons

During slow times, such as post-AEP, take the time to create an action plan for monthly & quarterly goals. Think about how you can guard your agency against losing production during the slower times of the year, as there will always be lulls in business throughout the year outside of AEP. Some ideas to stir up some business during slow times include:

·         Send direct mail pieces targeting the T65 crowd

·         Host educational events & seminars

·         Work renewals

The first quarter of the year is usually one of those lulls in business – it is best to work those renewals and touch base with clients during the second and third quarters of the year. It is crucial to track when things need to be renewed and services to keep up with clients effectively.

Plan for the Busy Seasons

Another way to prep for the next year is to reflect on how you handled AEP. What did you do well? What was the most taxing? What can you do better to make the business run more smoothly and keep your stress level down?

Are you or your team feeling overwhelmed from this year? Consider bringing on additional staff for the next AEP. Get them trained and ready to go by October so that you have extra hands on deck for AEP.

If you are feeling overwhelmed, but don’t have enough business or clients to feel as though you need extra staff, here are some productivity tips:

·         Get drug lists from clients & prospects pre-AEP

·         Send out communication requesting drug updates & information before AEP

·         Send out emails to make clients aware of AEP’s arrival

Divide the Year

It’s easier to come up with goals to tackle for each year by breaking them into quarters. Here is an example of plans to set for each quarter.

Quarter 1: Make an active effort to promote activity during this naturally slower time of year.

Quarter 2/3: Update Medicare Supplements & other coverage options by setting renewal appointments before AEP

Quarter 4: Put all focus on Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D enrollments.

 

5.      New Technology

With the constant updates to technology in an ever-growing digital world, you can always find new ways to make something more efficient. The slow season is the perfect time to begin and acclimate your business to new technology. If you are still using spreadsheets & files for everything – consider a CRM such as MedicareCENTER. Here are some other suggestions to improve efficiency for your insurance agency through technology:

• Implement online scheduling like Calendly
• Add a communication software to get more referrals and reviews
• Get a mileage tracker app to maximize tax-deductible expenses and save time
• Get a receipt app also to help with tax-deductible expenses
• Learn how to host virtual clients appointments

These are just ideas, but they can be done in many ways. How do you need to reclaim some of your time? There is probably some form of technology to help.

 

6.      Learn New Products

It’s too difficult to learn new products during AEP and takes time away from doing business. However, after AEP is the perfect time to get acquainted with new products and consider expanding your portfolio.

If you only sell one type of product now – consider what selling multiple can do for you. Clients appreciate the simplicity of having one insurance agent for all of their policies. It makes the process less complicated for them, and you serve them better while growing your business.

Also, it is well-known that having multiple policies in a household helps tremendously with client retention. For agents selling Medicare, selling life insurance with long-term care riders and final expense is a great option.

Whatever you decide to add during the slow time, Agent Pipeline can help. We provide the resources you need to learn about it and make the contracting process as smooth as possible whether it is ACA, Life insurance, Final Expense, or any other Ancillary product.

In conclusion, it is important to make the most of your time after AEP to plan and grow in the next year. If you want to learn more about what you should be thinking about now that AEP is over, contact the experts at Agent Pipeline at 800.962.4693.