Although Marketing is a form of communication, there are major differences between the two. While ramping up for AEP, it is vital to know the key differences when communicating with your Medicare market.
Communication: Targeted information to current/prospective individuals enrolled, or those who are responsible for making the decisions for that individual.
Marketing: Used to influence the beneficiary’s decision process when enrolling or selecting a plan. This can include information about the specific plan, such as benefits, cost, rank, etc. Always remember, you must have plan approval before referencing any Medicare Advantage or Prescription plans by name or logo, and the materials need CMS approval if referencing plan premium or benefits.
Permission to contact those you market to is another important area of consideration. In this case, there are two types of communication, or as we call them, ways to “contact” your current or potential clients: Unsolicited and Solicited Contact. The major difference between the two is permission.
Unsolicited contact includes door-to-door sales, leaving marketing materials (such as flyers) on prospects vehicles, etc. As you can tell by these examples, there is no area of permission in either case. This type of outreach is strictly prohibited.
Solicited contact is contact with given permission or the ability to grant permission. This includes calling current enrollees and emailing potential enrollees with an opt-out function. As long as the client or prospect can grant permission to communicate, it will most likely fall under this category. This type of contact is safe and compliant.
If you would like to safely contact your clients during AEP, MedicareCompareUSA is here to help! Our Creative Design Team can help you create custom marketing materials (such as emails, mailers, etc.) to help you reach your clients in a compliant, safe way.
For more information, click here to contact us.