Medicare results from the 2021 Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) campaigns are in and analysis is in full swing as marketers begin their 2022 campaign planning, looking for ways to improve the results of their Medicare marketing efforts.
Reviewing 2021 Medicare Marketing Campaigns
2021 Medicare Marketing campaigns focused on “standing out” among competitors during the AEP. Direct mail campaign messaging emphasized the value of services, highlighted “choice” and “freedom” with a vast network of doctors, spotlighted rewards opportunities, and drew attention to their five-star ratings—all in order to encourage enrollment. Medicare marketers also looked for ways to stand out in the mailbox. For instance, BlueShield of California provided recipients with stickers to place on the return enrollment form to indicate where consumers were in their enrollment process. Recipients selected the sticker that best fit their situation from the following options:
“I’m in Original Medicare. Show me how I can get extra benefits.”
“I have other health coverage. But I’d like to explore my options.”
“I just want to know more. Please send my free information.”
According to Comperemedia, 2021 AEP acquisition direct mail volume (574 million pieces) decreased by 4% compared to the previous year (596 million pieces). During the pandemic years of 2019 and 2020 AEPs, consumers were hyper-focused on health and insurers took this opportunity to boost health insurance options and increased their mail volumes. Top mailers during the 2021 AEP were Aetna, Anthem, Cigna, Humana, and UnitedHealthcare.
What’s Hot for 2022 Medicare Marketing
In their “2022 Insurance Omnichannel Trends” report, Comperemedia stated, “Insurers will continue to develop their suite of product offerings in order to enhance their overall value to new and existing customers.” Marketers have the opportunity to add educational elements to their Medicare marketing campaigns to showcase their ability to adapt with the changing times and help consumers understand how these new solutions can fit into their everyday lives.
Incorporating Trends and Best Practices into Medicare Marketing
Be sure to follow Medicare marketing trends and include best practices in your AEP direct marketing campaigns:
Educational Elements: To encourage consumers to attend Medicare educational sessions, consider using drive time geocoding in your direct mail campaigns as a way to connect consumers with nearby Medicare resources. Drive time geocoding informs the recipient of the time it will take to drive to a Medicare meeting.
- Example: “Mr. Jones, learn more about Medicare coverage options. Attend the Medicare seminar located less than ten minutes from your home.”
New Benefits: Add a message on the outer envelope to get the recipient’s attention, highlight benefits that make your services standout, and get them to open your direct mail package.
- Example: “See any doctor in or out of network. Don’t wait. Open to learn more about new benefit options.”
Every-Day Lives: Use active imagery in direct mail campaigns to showcase how members can take advantage of their plan benefits and how specific benefits fit into their everyday needs.
- Example: Promote portal access by showcasing the simplicity of logging in when members need assistance using a computer and phone.
IWCO Direct has special expertise in healthcare marketing, evidenced by our recent recognition by the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) with a Gold Mailbox Echo Award. Our specialists have the Medicare marketing expertise to review past AEP campaign results, and creatively and strategically enhance your AEP direct marketing campaigns using industry-proven best practices. If you are a Medicare marketer, contact one of our healthcare experts today! Now is the time to look at how to improve your AEP campaign results in 2022.
