Make the Most of Medicare Open Enrollment

October 27, 2023

Last year our resident expert Samantha Pomeroy, IPC Director of Pharmacy Services, wrote an article about whether Open Enrollment is an opportunity or a waste of time. Leveraging over 18 years in community pharmacy, Samantha explains the benefits of providing comparison consultations, how starting early benefits you and your patients, marketing your open enrollment consultation service, and how to create a simple workflow.

We wanted to add to what Samantha wrote so you don’t miss your chance to make the most of Medicare open enrollment.

This is the season when our elderly population is inundated with information about choosing the right insurance plan for their healthcare needs. Here are our recommended steps to help you serve your senior patients to ensure they get the support they need while continuing to get the best care available at your pharmacy.

Steps to Make the Most of Medicare Open Enrollment

Step 1

Appoint a Dedicated Team for Open Enrollment Campaign Execution

Designate a team member to spearhead the Open Enrollment Campaign. Create a comprehensive task list and streamline the workflow for seamless execution of all campaign components.

Step 2

Start with Your Most Valuable Patients

Make a list of those patients that are the most profitable for your store. Ensure they have everything they need from your store and are not tempted to select plans that eliminate their option and desire to remain a customer of your store. Run reports to identify these individuals within your store.

Woman and pharmacist going over Medicare open enrollment options

Step 3

Stay Informed About 2024 Plan Options

Equip yourself and your designated team member with the latest information on the 2024 Plan Options. Stay ahead of the curve by participating in PSAO and Vendor Webinars to grasp the upcoming plans and emerging trends.

Step 4

Master a Plan Finder Tool

Choose a plan finder tool, whether CMS.gov or the many Medicare comparison platforms that are available and become proficient in its usage to do your plan comparisons. This preparation ensures a smooth process when you begin scheduling appointments.

Step 5

Use a Multi-Channel Marketing Approach

Use in-store and digital marketing platforms to communicate that you are available to discuss plan options during the enrollment period. Here are some steps that we have seen work for our members:

  1. Add Medicare Part D plan comparison consultation to your list of services on your website.
  2. Utilize bag stuffers.
  3. Place signage at your check-out counter and in your drive thru.
  4. Utilize your pharmacy dispensing system or a platform that can help you with marketing such as text messaging with an appointment sign up link.
  5. Add a Medicare open enrollment greeting to your IVR phone system.
  6. Promote the service on your Facebook page.
  7. Reach out to local senior centers, churches, assisted living facilities, and other community organizations to explore opportunities to host a presentation and provide educational information about open enrollment.
Medicare Open Enrollment Ahead Sign

IPC GPO members, log in for exclusive access to our PowerPoint slides that you can use as a foundation for your presentation.

Step 6

Measure and Track to Stay Top of Mind

As Samantha recommended last year that you “create a simple workflow” we are adding another step to that. Ask the team member who is leading this initiative to provide updates at your daily team huddles so you can celebrate successes and identify opportunities to improve. Simply report on the number of conversations offering the consultation, the number of consultations, and the number of patients who choose a plan where you can continue to serve them.

Make the most of open enrollment for your patients and for your stores. If you have any questions, please reach out to our Pharmacy Services team at [email protected] and we will get right back to you.