Medicare Client Appreciation Events:

This is a nice touch to thank your clients for their business and touch base in person. When you have a larger book, it can be hard to visit and call everyone regularly but by hosting an event like this you can reach your masses. Most common is hosting a breakfast and giving a short talk on what you and your agency offer to them, then allowing the rest of the time to eat and mingle. Many of your current clients may not be aware of the other product lines you represent so this is a great way to put that out there. It is a good idea to put together a folder of materials you would like them to go home with and staple your business cards to the folders. When sending out the invitation you may want to add “Bring a friend” as more people will feel comfortable not coming alone and you may even drum up a nice referral from that! Since with this you are working with your current members the compliance rules are less stringent. However, if they do bring a friend keep any gift at the “nominal” amount CMS recommends or even just use carrier giveaways to be sure you are compliant.

Medicare Plan Review Meetings:

This works really well if you have a large demographic within a certain carrier plan and radius. However, if your client book is scattered and has many varying plans this really wouldn’t make sense. You can host a breakfast or lunch to review the current plan the group is on and any changes coming down the pike. I recommend doing this AFTER October 1rst when everyone has received their Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) and you can compliantly discuss plans. You would review the plan outlines and can ask the carriers for materials such as side-by-side comparisons. It may make sense to tie this into the Client Appreciation Event and host one meeting for your members at this time of year to both touch base and review plan changes. Just remember while you can TALK plans you can NOT take any enrollment forms until October 15^th.

Medicare Educational Event (Medicare 101):

This is typically well-received when trying to book venues such as Senior Centers and Libraries as they many times do NOT want anything sales-specific on site. Remember this is NOT planned specific your intention is to educate on the basics of Medicare. You can hand out educational material and many carriers have educational pieces you can use. A good practice is to bring business cards, the scope of appointments, and business reply cards (BRC’s). While you can NOT take enrollments or discuss plan specifics at this event you CAN book follow-up appointments to do so. This is a great opportunity to book in the future. You can request attendees sign in but it must be clear that it is NOT required only OPTIONAL. I always put them at the top of my sign-in sheets in big bold letters OPTIONAL. Another point to remember is the setting must not be one on one or in someone’s residence. Remember if serving a meal, it must be $15 or less.

Medicare Sales Presentation:

During AEP many carriers will support or even request agents to present their products. This is a great opportunity to grow your client base and lean on some carrier support. Many times, they will advertise the events and provide you with all the materials and giveaways you need. Each carrier will review expectations but it is common to review the basics of Medicare as an opener, then dive into the plan specifics they offer. It is best practice to NOT discuss other competitors’ products while there but if you have a prospect that wants to do so discuss it after the presentation time has ended or at a future appointment. There are rules around what is compliant and the carriers will review those with you to make sure everyone is in line. While no meals are allowed a light snack is okay. I oftentimes presented at the local fitness centers that participated in the carrier’s fitness programs and would serve granola bars, waters, and orange juice (the fitness theme)!

This is quite a bit to review and understand so why not reach out to us to help you! We can review your event and determine if it needs to be filed with CMS or not as well as make sure you are compliant and prepared.

Work with one of the best Medicare FMOs in the business! Click here to get started