Last reviewed October 28, 2026 · By the ConexaHub team
Key dates for the 2026–2027 season
| Period | Dates | What a beneficiary can do |
|---|---|---|
| Open Enrollment (AEP) | Oct 15 – Dec 7, 2026 | Join, drop or switch Medicare Advantage plans (with or without drug coverage), move between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage, and join, drop or switch a drug plan. Coverage starts January 1, 2027. The plan must get the request by December 7. |
| Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment (MA OEP) | Jan 1 – Mar 31, 2027 | Only for people already in a Medicare Advantage plan: switch to another MA plan, or drop MA, return to Original Medicare and join a drug plan. Coverage starts the first of the month after the plan gets the request. |
| Initial Enrollment (turning 65) | Around each person's 65th birthday | A year-round source of appointments, independent of AEP. |
Source: Medicare.gov, “Joining a plan”.
Why AEP leads go cold
- You are in appointments when they arrive. A lead that fills out a form at 11:05 while you are mid-presentation often waits until your evening call block.
- Shared leads get called by several agents. If you buy leads that are sold more than once, the first agent to have a real conversation usually gets the appointment.
- Callbacks pile up. “I'll call you back” turns into a list of 30 names by Friday, and the oldest ones stop answering.
- No-shows burn your best slots. In the busiest eight weeks of the year, an empty appointment slot costs more than at any other time.
Response time matters. In an audit of 2,241 US companies, firms that tried to contact a web lead within an hour were nearly seven times as likely to qualify it as firms that waited even one hour longer (Harvard Business Review, 2011). More on that in our speed-to-lead guide.
The playbook, step by step
1. Respond in minutes, not hours
Set one rule for the season: every new lead gets a call and a text within five minutes, during your calling window. Leads that come in at night are queued for the first minute of the next calling window, not for “tomorrow when I get to it”. Federal rules allow telephone solicitations between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. in the lead's local time, and some states set a narrower window, so build the queue around the stricter one.
2. Book a time, not a callback
Offer two specific options: “Would Tuesday at 11 or Wednesday at 2 work better?” A named time gets a yes or a counter-offer; “when's good for you?” gets “I'll let you know”. Confirm the format at the same time: phone, video or in person.
3. Collect only what the appointment needs
Before the meeting you need very little: the person's name, ZIP code or county (plans vary by county), the type of coverage they have today (Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage, a supplement, employer coverage, Medicaid), the best phone number and the preferred format. Do not collect a Medicare number or Social Security number by text. Plan questions wait for the licensed agent.
4. Record the Scope of Appointment before the meeting
Under 42 CFR 422.2264(c)(3), before a personal marketing appointment the agent must agree on and record the Scope of Appointment (SOA) with the beneficiary, and the SOA must be in writing for in-person appointments. You can only market the products in scope; adding another health-related line needs a separate SOA. An SOA is valid for 12 months from the beneficiary's signature.
The current regulation text (as amended April 6, 2026) requires the SOA before the appointment and does not set a 48-hour waiting period. If your carrier or FMO still applies one, follow the stricter rule. Check their current guidance before you change your process.
If you want, the booking confirmation can carry the SOA link your carrier or FMO gives you, so it's done before you sit down. The SOA itself stays your responsibility.
5. Confirm right away, then remind
Send a confirmation the moment the appointment is booked, with the day, the time, the format and the agent's name. Remind them the day before and again shortly before the appointment, and ask them to reply to confirm. If someone doesn't confirm, call. When someone can't make it, offer a new time in the same message instead of cancelling.
6. Rebook no-shows the same day
A no-show is usually a schedule problem, not a “no”. Reach out within the hour with two new options (“We missed you today. Would 4:00 or tomorrow at 10:00 work?”). The longer you wait, the less likely the rebook.
7. Don't stop on December 7
Tag every lead by why they didn't book: happy with their current plan, not eligible yet, call after the holidays. Then work those tags in January: MA OEP runs January 1 to March 31 for people already in Medicare Advantage, and turning-65 leads come in all year.
Compliance checkpoints for AEP follow-up
- Consent for automated and AI calls. In February 2024 the FCC ruled that AI-generated voices are “artificial” voices under the TCPA (FCC 24-17), so these calls need the person's prior express consent. Telemarketing calls to cell phones that use an artificial or prerecorded voice need prior express written consent (47 CFR 64.1200(a)(2)). Make sure your lead forms' consent language covers calls and texts from your agency, including automated technology.
- Calling hours. 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the lead's local time (47 CFR 64.1200(c)(1)), or narrower where state law requires it. Texts count as calls under the TCPA, so the same window applies to them.
- Call recording. Third-party marketing organizations (TPMOs) must record marketing and sales calls in their entirety and keep the recordings for at least six years (42 CFR 422.2274(g)(2)(ii)). If you sell under an FMO or other TPMO, ask what they need from you.
- TPMO disclaimer. TPMOs must use CMS's standardized disclaimer (“We do not offer every plan available in your area…”, 42 CFR 422.2267(e)(41)). Make sure every script that requires it includes it.
- Plan talk stays with the licensed agent. Whoever books the appointment, person or assistant, should not discuss, compare or recommend plans.
This page is general information, not legal or compliance advice. Medicare marketing rules change every year. Confirm your process with your carriers, your FMO and your own counsel.
What to automate and what to keep
| Task | Automate? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First call and text to a new lead | Yes | Speed is the whole game, and nobody can dial in seconds while presenting. |
| Offering times and booking | Yes | It's a calendar task. It needs your real availability, not a generic link. |
| Sending your SOA link | Yes, you verify | The form is yours; the reminder to complete it can be automatic. |
| Confirmations, reminders, reschedules | Yes | This is where most no-shows are prevented. |
| Plan questions, benefits, drugs, doctors | No | That's licensed work. It belongs to you. |
| Enrollment | No | You, with the beneficiary, under your carrier's rules. |
Where ConexaHub fits
We set up and run an AI assistant that does steps 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 for your agency: it calls and texts new leads in seconds, books them on your calendar, and confirms, reminds and rebooks them. It introduces itself as your agency's virtual assistant, calls are recorded, and it never discusses plans. It works in English and Spanish, goes live in about 7 days, and runs month to month. See how it works for insurance agents.
Sources
- Medicare.gov, Joining a plan (enrollment periods).
- 42 CFR 422.2264, beneficiary contact and Scope of Appointment.
- 42 CFR 422.2274, agent, broker and TPMO requirements (call recording).
- 42 CFR 422.2267(e)(41), TPMO disclaimer.
- 47 CFR 64.1200, TCPA consent and calling-hour rules.
- FCC, Declaratory Ruling FCC 24-17 (AI-generated voices), February 2024.
- Oldroyd, McElheran & Elkington, “The Short Life of Online Sales Leads,” Harvard Business Review, March 2011.