October 1 is tomorrow. For Medicare agents, that means the 2027 marketing season is here, and now is the time to ensure your 2027 certifications, carrier information, marketing materials, technology, and client follow-up plans are ready to go.
Do you have everything in place? Here’s your quick 2027 readiness check.
Are You Already Talking to Your MA Non-Renewals?
MA agents should already know which of their MA clients are on 2026 MA plans not renewing for 2027. Outreach and communication with these clients to let them know you have answers to their questions should be underway.
So, starting tomorrow, talk with them about the best 2027 Medicare coverage options that meet their needs. They need your help the most, so your advice is critical to securing their 2027 health coverage and protecting your partnership with them.
Have them ready to make the best decision about their 2027 Medicare coverage as soon as they’d like, and remember you can’t request enrollment before AEP begins on October 15.
Your Client ANOC Outreach is in Motion
Your MA clients should have their ANOC documents that outline changes to their 2026 plan that will take effect on January 1, 2027. You should be discussing these changes with them now.
Doing so will enable you to identify those who may require a new plan for 2027 and to concentrate your outreach efforts in the coming weeks. Clients you determine in the ANOC review to have a good 2027 MA plan need less frequent outreach than those with benefit issues that require your expertise to address.
The ANOC review process enables you to set up your queue for direct, personal communication with clients who need new options, while keeping your clients in good plans and transitioning to other automated communication channels.
Is Your 2027 Training Complete?
Before things get busy, double-check your certifications and any carrier-specific requirements. Re-read the CMS 2027 Agent/Broker Training & Testing Guidelines, which set the minimum training standards for MA plans and Part D sponsors.
Insurance companies also have their own certification, product training, or appointments before you sell their plans, so don’t leave this until October 14. Take a few minutes now to confirm which carriers you’re ready to sell, which certifications still need attention, and whether there are any outstanding contracting requirements.
This also familiarizes you with CMS changes that remove certain requirements affecting MA plans, streamline some enrollment-related policies, and remove restrictions on when and how beneficiaries have conversations with licensed agents and brokers. CMS also released updated information, including a reduction in the required retention period for sales and marketing call recordings from 10 years to six years.
For years four through six, transcripts may be used instead of recordings.
Review Your Marketing Before You Use It
Just because October 1 arrives doesn’t mean every flyer, email, social post, or presentation you’ve used before is ready for 2027. With all these changes taking effect, review your 2027 marketing materials to ensure they reflect these changes.
Before launching a campaign, make sure you’re using current, carrier-approved materials when required and that benefits, premiums, provider information, and other plan details reflect the correct 2027 offering.
Get Your Follow-Up System Ready
AEP moves quickly. Once October 15 arrives, you’ll have less than two months before the December 7 deadline.
This isn’t the season to rely on sticky notes and memory. Before October, clean up your CRM, organize your client list, confirm contact information, and create a simple process for tracking:
Contacted → Needs Review → Appointment Scheduled → Application Submitted → Follow-Up Needed
Check your technology systems to ensure they’re in the best possible working order and include the most recent compliance updates to meet all CMS, HIPAA, and other federal or state requirements. A little organization now saves a lot of scrambling later.
Remember, October 1 Is the Starting Line, Not Enrollment Day
The biggest compliance distinction to keep clear is that you can begin marketing prospective 2027 plans October 1. AEP enrollment doesn’t begin until October 15.
CMS specifically states that plans and their agents or brokers can’t solicit enrollment requests before AEP begins.
Ready for 2027?
The agents who make AEP feel manageable usually aren’t the ones trying to move the fastest. They’re the ones who prepare before things get busy.
Organize your clients, confirm your certifications, review your carriers, learn the 2027 changes, check your marketing materials, and make sure you understand the line between marketing beginning October 1 and enrollment beginning October 15.
If you find any issues or problems you’re not sure how to solve or address, Agility is here to assist, with our Medicare experts providing the advice you need to resolve your specific issue. Then, when the season officially gets moving, you spend less time figuring out what comes next and more time helping clients make sense of their Medicare options, which increases your Medicare sales.
The Agility Difference
As the insurance market changes, Agility helps agents stand out by sharing updates and offering our team’s expertise to help you grow. If you have questions or want to talk to our ACA, Medicare, CHOICE, Group, life, or ancillary experts, reach out to our dedicated Producer Support at (866) 590-9771 or support@enrollinsurance.com.
We can add you to our weekly email list for tips and updates. Let Agility help you build your skills and discover new opportunities.
