The Open Enrollment Period is easily one of, if not the busiest time of the year for insurance agents. It goes without question that your focus is helping new and existing clients get paired with insurance plans fitting their needs. For exceptional agents though, the work doesn’t stop there. Equally as important, is being there to check in on them after the process is over.
Having a clear and post-enrollment strategy helps you increase customer satisfaction. It also instills your clients with a sense of confidence, helping to establish loyalty for years to come. There’s probably already so much on your plate during this time of the year. Keeping this in mind we’ve developed a post-enrollment checklist to help ensure that your clients are properly taken care of. By following this guide your clients will remain happy with you and your services, and the potential for new opportunities with them will rise.
Verify the Accuracy of Enrollment Details
The first important step, which gets overlooked sometimes involves double-checking information with your clients. Shortly after clients enroll in a policy, make sure to follow up with them. Use this time to verify that their personal policy information is accurate. Little errors create much larger issues down the road. To avoid these problems, make sure that their name, date of birth, contact information and selected plan are all accurate. During this check-in, also verify that they have submitted all necessary documentation.
Show Thanks with a Letter or Email
A second step that you should take, is showing your clients appreciation. Do this by sending them a thank-you email or letter in the mail. This tactic helps get the relationship started off on the right foot. It also shows clients that you are always available to help them during their coverage period. When writing the letter or email, try to be as personal as possible, and stay away from generic phrasing. If you want to go an extra mile, try sending a small gift like a t-shirt, hat or coffee mug.
Send a Welcome Packet
You should make sure that clients have all the tools they need when it comes to their insurance plan. Sending them a physical or digital welcome packet does just that. In general, this packet can contain items giving them a summary of their insurance plan. This could include details pertaining to their premiums, network, deductibles, copayments, and any special or supplemental plan features. Additionally, if they don’t have it already, include their insurance ID Card and any other important documents like the policy handbook or drug formularies.
Plan Out a Follow-Up
Another great idea for post-enrollment is to schedule a follow-up appointment or call in advance. You can use this call as an opportunity to check in with your client. Start off by asking that they’ve received all of their documentation. Also, ask if they are satisfied with the plan so far. During the call be sure to be personal. You can do this by asking about their day or making some other type of small talk. Additionally, tell them that you are available around the clock if they ever have any issues, questions or concerns.
Touch Base about Payment and Billing
During a follow-up call, take time to help clients understand the payment and billing procedures. Some specific points to touch on include, payment methods, due dates and the importance of on time payments. You can also offer to help them set up automatic scheduled payments if that’s what they prefer.
Encourage the Use of Preventative Care
During one of your follow-up conversations you should take the time to address the benefits of routine preventive care measures. When touching on preventative care explain examples of specific preventive measures. This includes routine check-ups, screenings, vaccinations and more. To drive the point home, explain that using preventative services decreases the risk of injury and illness. Also explain how reduced doctors visits can lower their premiums in the long term.
Provide Access to an Online Portal
If you offer your clients an online portal, provide them with an access link shortly after enrollment. The easiest way to do this is via text message or email. Within your message be sure to explain the features of the portal such as access to plan details, claims filing, payment options, customer support and other management features. Additionally, if you offer a mobile app, be sure to let them know. While some clients may not want to take advantage of the portal, many others will feel empowered and appreciative, knowing that they can take care of themselves from a laptop or mobile device.
Provide Updates and Offer Support
With much of the initial post-enrollment work done, you should still remain active in your clients life. This means being proactive by sending them any relevant information throughout their plan year as it comes up. Examples of this could include changes in healthcare regulations, updated plan features, new supplemental options or any other relevant information. While the bulk of your job is to provide clients with a comprehensive healthcare plan, going the extra mile and establishing yourself as a healthcare expert will encourage clients to come back to you for renewals in the future.
Encourage Feedback, Reviews, and Referrals
After some time passes by, another good idea is to encourage your clients to provide you with feedback about your services and their insurance plan. If they have good things to say, you should try to get them to write up a positive review about you. Post reviews on your personal website or social media page to serve as an effective piece of marketing material. Something that many insurance agents do is set up a client review and referral reward system. Clients can access these system through online portals. They help encourage reviews and referrals by rewarding clients with things like gift cards or other prizes. This is a great way to not only improve upon your services, but to also get connected with new interested consumers.
Periodically Monitor Usage and Claims
From time to time you should check in on the usage and submitted claims associated with your client’s plans. This will allow you to get ahead of any issues that may arise such as denied claims or other difficulties. If difficulties are to occur, reach out to the client at hand and offer them help and resolution. Being a proactive agent is just another aspect of your job that clients will remember when it comes time to renew their policy.
Touch Base about the Renewal Process
While you should not do this too soon after the enrollment process, sometime a little bit later down the road, you should reach out to clients to discuss the renewal process. Explain to them the reasons as to why they should renew and update their insurance policy with you. During this take, give them the benefits that you or your company give them that other agencies cannot. With all this said, it’s important that you always remain respectful and not come off too pushy as this can be off putting. Assure your clients that you will be there every step of the way when it comes time to renew. Even if a client is not sure what the future holds for them at the time of this conversation, it will at least leave an impression in their mind that they will remember later on.
Conduct Semi-Annual Policy Reviews
At least twice a year after your client has enrolled, you should reach out to them about their current coverage. During this conversation you should focus on their satisfaction, needs, preferences and goals. In addition to asking them if they are completely satisfied with their coverage, another good question to ask is if there is anything that they feel like their policy is lacking. While you may not be able to make adjustments in their policy immediately, at the very least you can note these comments or preferences in their file, which will make your life easier during the next Open Enrollment Period.
Closing Thoughts
While it can be easy to get caught up in the hecticness of the Open Enrollment Period, you must always remember that satisfying your clients is a process. While it is extremely important to make the initial enrollment process as easy as possible for your clients, you shouldn’t ever forget the necessity of proper follow-up conversations. By following this post-enrollment checklist, you will likely be doing much more than many of the other agents in the field, and this will give your clients many reasons to remain loyal to you. So while it may seem like a lot of work at first, it will pay off over time, as you are able to maintain strong relationships and reach new heights in this competitive market.
While enrollment and post-enrollment is a lot of work, one area that you shouldn’t have to worry about is generating new consumer leads. Benepath specializes in insurance lead generation to help agents of all types increase their sales and industry success. We offer both data leads and inbound phone calls, all of which are exclusive and produced in real-time. This gives you the best opportunity to up your revenue and build your list of clients. We have leads in all of the following verticals: individual health, group health, Medicare, life and commercial insurance. If you’d like to take the next step and see what our leads can do for you, simply fill out a form or give us a call at 888-684-3121.
