Sneaky AEP 2020 Dates: What Agents Need to Know

If you sell Medicare Advantage plans, you know that the last day of Medicare’s AEP is December 7th. While you may have the date emblazoned on your calendar and etched on your memory, this year, there are date nuances that you need to consider.

The first thing you’ll notice is that the 7th is a Saturday! That means the real date for submitting all your applications through Financial Grade is end-of-business on Friday, December 6th. 

But wait, there’s more.

By the time we publish this article, you’ll have about a week before Thanksgiving. 

While you might be planning to reach out to your clients, they probably won’t be thinking of Medicare coverage, as they’re hugging the grandkids or baking pies. 

In other words, if Thanksgiving is on Thursday and your senior clients are heading out of town or planning for guests (let’s say Tuesday or Wednesday), opportunities for getting clients on the calendar Thanksgiving week will be slim.

Here’s another caveat.

Thanksgiving is fairly late in the month this year. That means the holiday will fall on Thursday, November 28th. This makes Wednesday, the 27th the last day to submit apps with a 12/1 effective date, through Financial Grade.

However, for the final AEP sprint, you will have the full week—Monday through Friday—to finish all your applications. 

To summarize 

• Get your AEP clients on the calendar now. 
• Don’t be fooled by, November is the only full month for AEP—it’s somewhat of an illusion this year. 
• Plan for missing days due to holidays and weekends. 

One last thing

If you’re submitting your applications yourself (versus through your senior consulting agency), you can submit the forms electronically. Check your producer portal for additional information.

Also, if you need to submit applications directly to the carriers, you can fax your applications using the numbers below. 

Need more information? We’re just a call away! PH: (877)-386-6615