As soon as December 8th arrives, we enjoy a sigh of relief. Right now is the perfect time to plan for what we'd do differently next year.
It's so important to do this now, because if you don't, AEP will roll around next year, and you'll forget the frustrations and hiccups you had 12 months ago.
Without further ado, here's how to improve your next AEP by doing a simple post-mortem. I'm also sharing what I learned during this AEP that'll change how I approach next year.
The biggest change for me this AEP is finally getting out of the PDP business. I've been inching that way for years, but I always kind of "caved in" and continued to offer the service.
But I did stand firm this year, and honestly, I was nervous about it. We sent a letter to our clients saying we were no longer doing Part D reviews, and I was bracing for backlash.
Here's what actually happened: out of our entire book of business, only two people were upset enough to cancel their other policies with us.
As you know, the reality is that Part D commissions are being cut for agents. I was hesitant to say anything about commission cuts to my clients, but one of our agents, Amanda, was super transparent about it and just told them.
And you know what? People got it. They'd say things like, "Oh, if you're not getting paid, I don't blame you."
They were much more understanding than I expected. So that was very reassuring.
Freeing ourselves from Part D comparisons changed our entire AEP experience and allowed us to better serve our clients with a more holistic approach.
Normally, during AEP, we're so heads-down trying to get through the next drug plan comparison that we don't have time for those deeper conversations. This year was different. So that was very nice.
We're still doing Part D enrollments for brand new clients, but from day one, we educate them on how to use Medicare.gov.
We make it clear that this is something they'll need to manage themselves going forward.
Pacing and backlog is always a huge topic to reflect on after the AEP is over. My first piece of advice is to use the Thanksgiving break as part of your mindset.
Because of how many clients I have, I'm just trying to weather the storm until Thanksgiving.
I've found that if I can mentally tell myself I'm going to get a nice break at Thanksgiving and get refreshed and rejuvenated, I can make it through the final 10 days. Anyone can see the light at the end of the tunnel if you break it up.
So I'm definitely going to prepare myself for next year with that mindset.
I don't think about making it until December 7th. I think about making it until Thanksgiving. It feels so much more manageable after that break.
Something to reflect on after AEP is appointment length and turnaround time. Did you feel rushed? Did you see everyone you needed to see?
Something I've tweaked over the years is how long my appointments are during the AEP. Because I have so many clients to see, I've adjusted my turnaround time to 30 minutes.
That's pretty aggressive, but it's something I have to stick to in order to help everyone I need to see during the AEP.
Clients know that this time of year is short, and we just don't have as much time for small talk. That said, you have to be cautious about it. Most retired individuals aren't in a hurry, and you don't want them to feel rushed.
Related: The easy way to schedule appointments during AEP
One approach that worked really well for us this year was shifting as many appointments as possible to phone calls.
Phone appointments are naturally shorter because you skip the social aspect that comes with in-person meetings.
Don't get me wrong – I love catching up with my clients. But during AEP, when you're trying to see more people than normal, that 15-minute catch-up session can really throw off your schedule. Over the phone, you can easily handle a husband and wife's review in 30 minutes and move on to the next appointment.
Another big topic to think about is how you communicated with your clients before and during the AEP.
A lot of Medicare agents send a letter to their clients prior to AEP telling them to call and schedule an appointment or to send in their drug lists. This is definitely a proactive approach, but for me and other agents with a large book of business, I wouldn't necessarily recommend it.
If you send a letter to all of your clients, you'll get a flood of people contacting you that you don't even need to see. If their existing plan is still the best one for them, they don't need to do anything.
It's the clients that do need my help that I want to talk to. So, I've become more selective about who I reach out to leading up to the AEP. That's something I had to learn the hard way.
That said, this advice is not for the new agent trying to build their book of business. The more communication, the better. If you can send out a letter to all of your clients and reasonably manage the responses, you want to do that.
Everyone falls into their own rhythm, and this one works best for me.
Get the Compliant AEP Marketing Kit
Can you reasonably see every single one of your clients during the AEP? Do it!
You want to build that relationship and plant new seeds for discussions at a later date. Even if their current plan is still the best plan for them, it's great to get in front of your clients.
But I put myself in a corner by making that the expectation, and now I have so many clients that it's not manageable to see everyone. So I do want to put out a word of caution that there will be a tipping point where you'll need to transition away from seeing every single client during the AEP.
For me, that tipping point happened around 400 clients or so.
So to prepare for that, I would recommend turning your computer screen during your appointment and showing your client how to run their Part D comparison.
Train them early so they are equipped to do it themselves going forward.
Related: How to Prepare for AEP (10 Tips)
I always focus the most on new clients for their first AEP with me. I want to make sure they are off to a great start and know what to expect during the AEP season.
So, I prioritize new clients and clients who need to change their plan for the following year. Clients who are already in the best plan for them really don't need to come in for an appointment.
One strategy we implemented this past year that paid off during AEP: reaching out to clients during open enrollment (not AEP) to plant seeds about Medicare Advantage.
We have a significant Blue Cross Blue Shield Medicare Supplement block of business, and when you look at what some of these folks are paying annually in premiums compared to the max out-of-pocket on a Medicare Advantage plan, they'd actually be money ahead with an MA plan.
We're saying, "I'm not trying to tell you this is the move that needs to happen, but here's where the numbers are shaking out. When AEP rolls around, I just want you to have an open mind about this."
Then, we make sure we have their doctors and prescriptions on file, so when October comes around, they're ready to have that conversation.
We had plenty of people call during this past AEP, saying, "Hey, you told me during open enrollment I should probably look into a Medicare Advantage plan." And it made the enrollment process so easy – we just verified their doctors and drugs.
This is something we're planning to do on a much bigger scale heading into next year.
At our agency, we hold weekly meetings to discuss industry updates and share ideas. Now that AEP has ended, we recently focused on reflecting on what worked well and what we want to remember for next year.
Here are a few key takeaways that came up repeatedly:
Promote the Senior Center: If we knew what we know now about the senior center, we would have promoted it over everything else. One client told us that they were so thorough and great with helping them find a Part D plan. The caveat: senior center availability varies significantly by location. Some states and cities have robust programs that help with Part D, while others don't offer this service at all. If you have a senior center in your area that offers this service, it's worth understanding their capacity and promoting them as a resource.
Create Medicare.gov Accounts Early: Ensure Medicare.gov accounts are set up for clients during renewals throughout the year. This makes drug lists more accurate and saves time during AEP appointments.
Print a Daily Schedule With Notes: Print daily schedules with space for handwritten notes to keep track of discussions and client updates. This helps maintain clarity when policies cannot be entered immediately.
For agents who do a lot of Medicare Advantage business, now is definitely the time to think about IntegrityCONNECT.
If you didn't use it during AEP, add it to your to-do list for next year to get set up and trained on it. There are often webinars and training sessions going on, so check our Webinar Calendar for upcoming dates.
Read all about why this tool is so revolutionary here: 10 Reasons Every Agent Should Start Using IntegrityCONNECT
Whether you struggled to stay organized during AEP, are looking for ways to grow your book of business, or are simply tired of juggling multiple systems, IntegrityCONNECT will make your life easier and your business more profitable.
I will say – this year we didn't hire interns because we didn't need them. That was a direct result of getting out of the Part D business.
If you're still handling Part D reviews for your entire book, you may still need that extra help during AEP. And if that's the case, an intern can help a lot with the "busywork" so you can focus on helping your clients.
The bottom line is answering the question: how can I serve my clients more efficiently?
Every operation is a little bit different. Take some time to reflect on yours now that the AEP season is over, and look for ways to make yourself more efficient next year.
You'll forget and might be scrambling come late summer, so this really is time well spent.
Related: