David Russell, the regional sales director here at Empower Brokerage, briefly explains what ANOC is, what the letter means, and how it’s important to clients. Watch the video now!

In case you didn’t know, an ANOC letter is an annual notice of change that a Medicare beneficiary receives every fall directly from the carrier. Agents, if you haven’t already, make sure to reach out to your clients and let them know to keep a lookout for these letters. It would be a great talking point in figuring out their needs for the new effective date in January. Simply notify them of their letters, remind them of AEP, and see if they’d be interested in scheduling a Medicare benefit review. This strategy not only works on your existing clients, but it is also an excellent prospecting strategy!

1. Notify Your Clients That They’ll Soon Receive Their ANOC Letters

Around September and the beginning of October, people are notified of any changes to their Medicare plan. Changes may include coverage, service, and benefit changes, as well as changes to the cost of the plan. These changes will be applied to the following plan year, starting January 1st. In some cases, the carrier notifies the client that their plan will no longer be available on the market. About 10 to 15 percent of plans go away every year. This means that people have to find new Medicare plans.

2. Remind Them of the Upcoming AEP

The reason why the ANOC letters are sent out around this time every year is to help people prepare for the Annual Election Period (AEP). It gives them time to decide if they want to keep their current plan or switch plans during AEP.

In addition to reminding your clients about AEP, also inform them about possible changes that can occur at any time of the year. While the ANOC letters do a good job for the most part of informing Medicare beneficiaries of plan changes, there are exceptions. For instance, a provider network may decide it no longer will accept insurance from a particular carrier. If this happens, a person may decide they want to switch plans so that they can continue seeing their doctors. However, a change like this can occur even after the ANOC letters have already been sent so policyholders may not find out about this change until AEP has already begun.

3. Ask Them to Schedule a Benefits Review

Life happens and health is not a constant so your client’s medical needs may have changed over the years. Therefore, you should have them schedule an appointment so that you can review their plan with them. Let them know that they may experience premium increases, as well as benefit changes, which will be listed in the ANOC letter, but also remind them of their options. Many Medicare beneficiaries are interested in receiving dental, vision, and other additional benefits that they may not have, especially if they have traditional Medicare. A person’s current medical needs may call for a different health plan. Also, someone’s current financial situation may mean they qualify for a cheaper plan, or they may even be entitled to benefits that they never realized.

A policy review will also give you the opportunity to conduct a needs based analysis to see if there is any other way you can help your client. Using Empower Brokerage’s Fact Finder, you can determine if your client has any life insurance needs. Additionally, you can let them know that you have the resources and products to help your client’s family and friends. Referred leads are the best leads!

If you have any questions, please call us toll-free (888) 539-1633.