Approximately 10,000 people a day turn 65 in the United States. That’s a huge opportunity to gain new patients not only during Open Enrollment for Medicare Part D, but throughout the entire year. Before we dive into year around marketing, let’s talk about the more pressing time of Open Enrollment. With it starting next week, be sure you are helping your patients find the best plan for them. Taking the time to reviews options with your patients can be very beneficial for you and the patient, in many ways:
Allows your patient to review plans to make sure they are on the right one for their current needs. Many times, patients will sign up for a plan, then never think about it again…kind of like car insurance.
Gives you an opportunity to let patients know about your other services. Do they know you can help with vaccinations, packaging their medications, etc.? At the end of the Medicare Part D review, had them a brochure or flyer that lists all that you offer.
Helps control the message. Your Medicare Part D customers will be inundated with information from insurances companies, medicare.gov, etc., especially if there is a change in their current insurance plan. If you don’t talk to them, they may think they have to use another pharmacy, often a chain or mail order. And if you don’t do any lost patient outreach, you may not realize the patient has ever left.
Reaching out to your 65+ patients can be done through a letter, voice message, or in-store materials. If you wanted to take it a step further, and gain new business, you can try posting messages on your Facebook page, or use geofencing. When using digital options, consider targeting the caregiver market as well, as they could be influencers in helping their loved ones decide. By marketing this service to beyond just your patients, you can position yourself as a community expert. This established connection can help you promote your other services and be a resource for local media on health-related stories.
While it’s important to market during Open Enrollment time, marketing to 65+ patients all year can also be beneficial. As mentioned above with 10,000 people are turning 65 every day, a few of those are bound to be your patients on a monthly basis. Consider reaching out to them one to three months before they turn 65, letting them know you can review Medicare Part D plan options with them. This information can be pulled from your dispensing system, or if you use a third-party service. Reach out by sending them a short letter or voice message. Again, this also gives you the opportunity to promote your other services. By having patients use several of your different services, you create a “stickiness” with them, and it makes it harder for them to transfer.
If you need any assistance marketing during Open Enrollment or throughout the year, please don’t hesitate to contact us at 515-280-2914.