Medicare AEP Marketing: Your Annual Enrollment Period Playbook

AEP is the biggest seven weeks of the year for Medicare agents. Here's how to fill the pipeline before it opens instead of scrambling once it does.

Published June 6, 2026 · 6 min read · By JYNLAB

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What is the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period?

AEP runs from October 15 to December 7 each year — the window when Medicare beneficiaries can switch plans for the following year. It's the single highest-intent period in Medicare marketing: for seven weeks, millions of people who are otherwise hard to reach are actively deciding whether to stay with their current plan or move. Every other insurance line spends money creating demand. During AEP, the demand already exists — the job is being the agent they find and trust when it opens.

Top Medicare AEP marketing channels

Educational seminars

In-person or virtual seminars at libraries, senior centers, and community rooms remain one of the highest-converting Medicare channels, because the audience is self-selecting — people who show up to a Medicare seminar are actively comparing plans. Run these in September and early October, before AEP opens, so attendees already know you by the time they're allowed to enroll.

Community outreach

Medicare buyers trust local, familiar faces more than any ad. Partner with senior centers, churches, pharmacies, and community health fairs for a table or a short talk. This is slow to build but compounds — the agents who show up every year become the default choice in their community.

Facebook ads for seniors

Facebook's older-skewing user base makes it the strongest paid channel for Medicare, especially for plan comparison and "is my current plan still the best fit" messaging. Start these ads in September to build awareness ahead of the window, then shift to direct enrollment messaging once AEP opens on October 15.

Email & direct mail

Existing clients need a reminder that AEP is their annual chance to review coverage — even happy clients should hear from you every year, because carriers change plan details and a client who feels forgotten is a client a competitor can poach. Direct mail still works for the Medicare demographic specifically; don't assume digital-only.

Pre-AEP preparation

The agents who win AEP aren't the ones scrambling on October 15 — they're the ones who spent August and September building the pipeline: seminars scheduled, Facebook ads warming up, past clients emailed, and a fast follow-up process ready so no inbound call sits for more than a few minutes once the window opens. Treat September as the campaign; October 15 to December 7 is just when it closes.

Read the full pillar playbook →