Medicare AEP 2013: Season of (Creative) Giving
The annual enrollment period (AEP) is a highly competitive season when it comes to marketing. As a result, health insurance companies sometimes offer small incentives to prospects in the hope of spurring an action, such as attending a meeting or, simply, picking up the phone for more information.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) imposes a $10 limit on Medicare AEP marketing incentives, which forces companies to get creative with what they offer. During 2013’s AEP, the level of creativity varied, ranging from $10 gift cards to more thoughtful fare, like fleece blankets, flashlights, coupon books and gym bags.
Below are specific examples of incentives used by insurers this past season, as tracked and reported by Competiscan:
- $10 gas cards from BCBS of NC;
- $10 gift cards (Visa or retail stores) from Coventry Health Care, Freedom Health and Aetna;
- blankets from Caremore;
- calendar stickers from BlueShield of CA;
- coupon booklets from SummaCare;
- bags from Healthnet and BCBS of Arizona;
- book lights from Geisinger Gold;
- pens from SummaCare;
- flash drives from Excellus BCBS;
- flashlights from Cigna Health Spring; and
- turkeys (yes, an actual turkey!) from InterValley Health Plan.
While it’s unclear which incentives were most successful, it is clear that a lot of companies – from massive national players to smaller, more local plans – offered them.
When AEP rolls around, insurers might consider providing small incentives to drive interest in their products. Doing so may help bring their marketing efforts to the top of the hefty pile Medicare-eligible customers receive each year.
