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Send clients your very own Annual Notification of Change letter this AEP

An agent once perfectly explained the paradox of the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period to me: “It’s hard to keep the client in your hand as you chase the one in the bush.”

Everyone is after your clients during the designated Medicare Advantage sales season (Remember, it runs from October 15 to December 7 every year, and you need to complete the AHIP, contracting and certification in order to sell). Numerous carriers and other agents in your area are all vying for the attention of your clients and prospects. 

Keeping the clients you have while attracting new ones during the six weeks of AEP is challenging to say the least. Send clients a generic ANOC letter reminding them you’re their agent, ready to educate and support their insurance decisions. Image courtesy of iStock

First, clients receive their Annual Notification of Change (ANOC) correspondence from their current carrier. Carriers may also conduct telephonic outreach at the same time because they’re set on preserving your client as their member. This works in your favor if the plan’s benefits are still strong and the member had a good experience during the year. But it can make your job tougher if your client thinks finding better plan is in order this AEP.

Your clients are bombarded with form letters, printed advertisements, special offers and other outreach from other carriers to get them to enroll in a new plan during the fall. Agents who are competing with your senior insurance business may send your clients mail or place ads in their favorite pennysavers, promising to help them move to a better plan (You can learn more about how to use direct mail to maximize your personal marketing investment here).

In the real world, clients don’t always call you before they make a decision. We risk losing clients when they make decisions without us, and yet scrambling to keep them with us can cut into our prospecting efforts. Both of these affect how successful we will be during AEP.

That’s why I highly recommend sending your clients your very own Annual Review Mailer. Sending your clients a personalized letter around the time they receive notifications from their plan carrier is completely compliant, and it will set the stage for you as their trusted senior insurance advisor and the person they should consult before they make any decision. 

Your very own ANOC letter must be generic and cannot mention carrier-specific benefits. See examples below!

Click here to view CMS’ official sample for an ANOC sent from a carrier to a beneficiary enrolled in a typical HMO Medicare Advantage plan.

Click here to download a FREE sample of an agent ANOC letter from RB Insurance.