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When someone experiences a qualifying life event, they may be able to enroll in Medicare during a Special Enrollment Period (SEP). Most marketing for Medicare plans focuses on the Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) or someone’s Initial Enrollment Period (IEP), but an SEP is also an opportunity to convert a prospective member.

In this blog post, we’ll review the ins and outs of an SEP and how to engage with an audience that might not be aware that they’re eligible to make a change to their Medicare coverage.

The opportunity to reach people entering an SEP is fleeting, and a successful strategy relies on evergreen creative that’s available to launch at the right time.

What is an SEP?

A Medicare SEP is an opportunity for people, under special circumstances, to enroll in Medicare outside of their IEP (when they turn 65) and the AEP (October 15 – December 7 every year). SEPs exist for Original Medicare (Part A and Part B), Medicare Advantage (Medicare Part C), and Prescription Drug Plans (Medicare Part D).

When certain events happen in someone’s life, they can make changes to their Medicare enrollment during a SEP; however, the types of changes they can make and the timing of the changes depend on the life event. Individuals may qualify for an SEP for many disparate reasons – including losing current coverage, the desire to join a plan with a 5-star rating, and others.

Marketing for an SEP

The opportunity to reach people entering an SEP is fleeting, and a successful strategy relies on evergreen creative that’s available to launch at the right time. Preparing a cohesive set of marketing materials is key to turning a prospect into a member.

Here are some marketing strategies and tips for engaging prospects who qualify for an SEP based on a common life event.

Life event: moving

• Mail prospects a welcoming message, introducing them to the area and familiarizing them with the local Medicare plan
• Include an invitation to a local Medicare information meeting or event (if offered or available)
• Mail prospects on a bi-weekly or monthly basis during their SEP, providing a clear CTA in each touch
• Include a welcome gift or incentive, such as a gift card
• Convey a sense of urgency due to the expiration of the SEP, which is generally about two months after you move
• Include member testimonials, which can help new residents identify with current members in the plan

Life event: leaving a job that provided health insurance

• Utilize digital ads featuring content that speaks to a new-to-Medicare audience
• Include messaging about affordability as budgetary concerns may be an issue
• Include a coupon or gift card
• Convey a sense of urgency due to the expiration of the SEP. The SEP to join a Medicare Advantage plan or prescription drug plan lasts two months after the month the prospect’s employer-provided coverage ends.

Life event: eligibility changed (individual is now dual eligible)

• Use a multichannel approach to improve the odds of capturing a prospect’s attention
• Emphasize messaging about “more benefits with no added cost”
• Explain the dollar value of added benefits
• Send out a breakdown of eligibility and benefits through both digital and traditional channels
• Include an introductory incentive like a gift card for household staples or groceries
• Convey a sense of urgency due to the expiration of the SEP. Currently, dual-eligible individuals can join, switch, or end their plan quarterly: once between January and March, once between April and June, once between July and September, and once between October and December. (Stay tuned for an upcoming blog post about how these rules are changing in 2025. To ensure you don’t miss a blog post, sign up for our newsletter.)

Find people where they hang out: on the web

Now that more and more seniors are online, there have never been more ways to reach a prospect. And if prospects are spending more time with their eyes glued to a screen, that’s where we need to be marketing – especially during the limited time frame of an SEP.

What’s the next step for your SEP marketing?

DMW knows how to market Medicare Advantage plans, and we have the foundational experience to help you develop the next generation of SEP marketing. To learn more about how we can help you, get in touch.