The 2022 Medicare AEP: Enrollment Numbers and Direct Mail Marketing Observations

Medicare Advantage (MA) remains the health insurance industry’s hottest market. Each year at Media Logic, we look at overall enrollment numbers to see which health insurers had substantial gains during the Annual Election Period (AEP). Our friends at Unite Us (Carrot Health) reported 3.8% overall MA market growth with the top 10 enrollment leaders accounting for 71% of this growth.  

Health Plan	Enrollment (December 2021)	Enrollment (January 2022)	Change (by number)	Change (by percent)
UnitedHealthcare	4,291,777	4,459,576	167,799	3.9%
Aetna Medicare	1,667,260	1,776,939	109,679	6.6%
Wellcare	650,988	753,021	102,033	15.7%
Kaiser Permanente	1,060,743	1,131,364	70,621	6.7%
Humana	3,650,188	3,698,380	48,192	1.3%
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield	428,119	472,358	44,239	10.3%
Amerigroup	12,558	56,220	43,662	347.7%
SCAN Health Plan	188,355	226,604	38,249	20.3%
Wellcare by Allwell	75,096	102,884	27,788	37.0%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota	116,755	137,048	20,293	17.4%

Not only do we review overall enrollment numbers to see which health insurers had substantial enrollment gains, but we also compile creative examples* of these plan’s direct mail marketing efforts. Why direct mail? There are two main reasons:

1. Direct mail remains one of the most common shopping prompts during the 2022 AEP, according to Deft Research.
2. While direct mail is only one of many marketing tactics used by health insurers during AEP, it can incorporate a lot of detail, providing a good lens for us to look closely at how MA plans are positioning themselves.

Here are six observations we made in reviewing direct mail samples from MA plans with top enrollment gains during the 2022 AEP:

1. Prevalence of letter packages versus self-mailers.
2. Outer envelopes were more straightforward with minimal branding and promotional language
3. The amount of information included seems to be less than in previous years, and it is presented in a more simplified format. This is probably to address research that shows Medicare prospects are reaching information overload.
4. Emphasis on $0 premium is still king but is almost always closely tied with other plan benefits. This is most likely because most competitors also have a $0 plan.
5. Color is used sparingly, but when used it is effective in drawing attention to key messaging.
6. The primary call to action is to call to learn more.

If you are a Medicare Advantage plan looking for a strategic partner for Medicare AEP marketing, let us connect. Contact Jim McDonald, head of strategic growth at 518-940-4882.

*Direct mail communications (screenshots) sourced from Mintel – a leading market intelligence agency.

Tags: direct mail, direct mail marketing, healthcare marketing, medicare aep, Medicare marketing