For Medicare agents, the Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) — October 15 to December 7 — is the Super Bowl. It's seven weeks where beneficiaries can change plans, and where prepared agents write a huge share of their annual production. Here's how to survive and win it.
Prepare before October 15
The agents who crush AEP do the work in August and September:
- Get certified early. Finish AHIP and every carrier certification for the plans you'll sell *before* AEP opens. Certifying during AEP is lost selling time.
- Know the plan changes. Carriers release the new plan year's benefits and formularies in early fall. Study what changed — premiums, benefits, drug coverage, provider networks — for the plans your clients are on.
- Line up leads. AEP lead costs spike because every agent wants them. Lock in your lead source early and budget for volume.
- Build your calendar. Block heavy phone time across all seven weeks. AEP rewards volume of conversations.
Work your book first
Your existing clients are your easiest AEP wins. Every year, plans change — a client's drug may drop off the formulary, or their premium jumps. A quick annual review call ("let's make sure your plan is still the best fit for next year") protects your renewals and surfaces plan changes that benefit the client. Retention is production.
Stay compliant under pressure
AEP is when compliance mistakes spike because everyone's rushing. Don't cut corners:
- Honor scope-of-appointment and permission-to-contact rules.
- Follow CMS marketing guidelines on what you can say and how you contact people.
- Record calls where required and document every enrollment.
One compliance complaint during AEP can cost you carrier appointments. Speed doesn't excuse the rules.
Survive the grind
Seven weeks is a marathon. Protect your energy: consistent hours beat heroic all-nighters, keep your CRM clean so nothing slips, and disposition every call so follow-ups are automatic. The agents who finish strong are the ones who paced themselves from day one.
After December 7
AEP ends, but the year doesn't. The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (Jan 1–Mar 31) lets MA members switch once, and Special Enrollment Periods run all year. Keep working — and keep servicing the book you just built.
The takeaway
AEP is won in September. Certify early, study the plan changes, lock in leads, review your existing book, and stay compliant under pressure. Do that and seven weeks can fund your year.
Want an upline that gets you certified early and hands you AEP leads + a dialer? Apply to Bridgepoint. New to Medicare? Start with how to sell Medicare Advantage.