Ready or not – here it comes! The Medicare AEP is quickly approaching and it’s important you are fully prepared and have all the necessary supplies and enrollment kits.
How can you make sure you receive your enrollment kits by October 15? Keep reading and we’ll let you in on our favorite tips and tricks.
What’s in an Enrollment Kit?
Before you order supplies for the 2020 Medicare AEP, you need to understand exactly what you’ll get. Medicare Advantage enrollment kit materials vary by carrier, but they generally include items such as:
- A Medicare Advantage enrollment application
- A pre-enrollment checklist so your clients can understand important information about their benefits
- Low Income Subsidy (LIS) information to help your clients determine if they qualify for government subsidies
- A resource guide to help your clients learn how to access commonly requested services
- 2020 Star Ratings for Medicare Advantage Plans
- County-specific plan information
Check with the carrier to make sure the enrollment kit contains everything you need. Find out if you need to order anything separately.
Learn the Medicare Supplies Ordering Process
It’s important you understand how to order your supplies long before you place the first order. Each carrier can have a different ordering process so it’s important you are able to answer the following questions:
- When will you be able to purchase supplies?
- Will any enrollment kits be sent automatically after you complete your certification? If so, how many?
- Is there a limit on how many kits you can purchase at one time? If so, are there exceptions?
- How do you order the supplies? Can you order over the phone, email, fax or website?
- How long will it take for you to receive your order?
Complete Your AHIP Medicare Advantage, Part D and Carrier Certifications Early
You have to re-certify with your carriers every year. Carriers won’t allow you to purchase enrollment kits until you’re ready to sell – this means completing your certifications!
Complete your AHIP Medicare Advantage, Part D, and any carrier-specific certifications early. Doing so can help relieve a bit of your stress before the Medicare AEP begins. Note: You cannot sell any Medicare plan without AHIP certification, and some carriers offer discounts for certification.
If you put off completing your certifications, you will be unable to start selling on October 15th.
Pre-Order Enrollment Kits Whenever Possible
AEP is a stressful time of year and you need to stay prioritized. If you’re looking to reduce your stress, being proactive can help. This means pre-ordering your enrollment kits when possible.
It’s important to understand that consumer-facing medicare materials for the upcoming year cannot be released until after October 1. Most carriers will start shipping enrollment kits and supplies on this date.
If you pre-order, that means your orders are the first to be processed during this short 15-day window! This gives you a better possibility of getting your materials early enough to get organized and ready to hit the ground running on October 15th.
Pro tip: some carriers will even let agents who certify early pre-order their enrollment kits early!
Act Now Before It’s Too Late
There’s so much you can do to prepare for AEP, so why wait? If you want to maximize even more time, remember you can schedule appointments starting October 1 even though you can’t collect an enrollment until October 15.
When you think about it, your success during AEP is heavily impacted by how well you prepare beforehand. Are you doing all you can so you’re able to excel this AEP?
Make the 2020 Medicare AEP a Success
The AEP is the Olympic games for Medicare agents. If you don’t have the right team on your side, you will fail. At Senior Market Advisors, we provide our licensed agents with the tools they need for success.
When you contract with us, you gain access to plans from all the major carriers so you can offer the best plans for your client. We provide extensive training so you can sell with confidence.
Not only that, but you also get free access to our proprietary CRM so you can stay organized and keep your conversations productive.
Our experienced marketing and sales support teams are dedicated to generating leads so you can actually put those enrollment kits you order to good use. Ready to start? eContract with us now.
This post was originally published on August 15, 2018, by Kelsey Davis and updated on July 12, 2019, by Troy Frink.
