This type of Medicare event can be extremely successful in creating solid leads for Medicare agents if done properly and in accordance with CMS regulations. Educational events are very different from sales events in what you can and cannot say.
During an Educational event you are able to provide information on Medicare rules, products, and services. However, agents cannot give specific plan information on plans during this time, it must be very general in nature. If the agent is helpful in manner and answers questions to the beneficiaries contentment they may create a relationship with them and be the first agent the individual calls when it comes time to make a choice on a plan.
What You Can Do:
- Provide your contact information for attendees that wish to reach out when the time is right.
- Hand out general Medicare information pamphlets.
- Answer questions event folks ask of you.
- Provide a small meal or snack totaling no more than $15 per person.
What You Cannot Do:
- Provide enrollment information or specific plan materials to attendees.
- Collect SOA's during the event.
- Offer cash prizes to individuals.
- Require people to sign-in and provide contact information, this needs to be optional.
- Schedule future appointments.
- An agent cannot host a sales event at the same location within 12 hours of the educational event.
- Promote specific plans or answer plan specific questions.
- Host a 1:1 event, it must be a group setting.
Promotion of Event:
Promoting the educational event is key to its success in creating possible new leads for the agents. There are several ways in which one can promote the event, flyers, newspaper or radio ads, direct mailers, online marketing through social media or the agent's website can all be great ways to market an event of this type. The agent must advertise an educational event as such, and must include the disclaimer "For accommodations of persons with special needs at the meeting call (phone number and TTY number).
Compliance:
Secret shoppers are known to go to these event types quite often, carriers and CMS take compliance seriously, so it is important to be compliant in hosting a event like this. Penalties administered for not adhearing to compliance include:
- Administrative hearings and/or penalties
- Cease & desist orders
- License suspensions or even revocation
