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“Serving Those that Serve Others”
(844) 696-3975 · AskHPM.com
Edition 3 ∙ Q1 2026
Touchdown Tactics TIPS FOR HANDLING EVERY HANDOFF
Welcome to the first quarter of 2026, the Super Bowl of health plan sales!
they’ve been frustrated with their plan and your lack of follow-up. Being the one to make the call first also helps tremendously with retention, as a client who feels heard and appreciated is more likely to stay with you than someone who feels they can’t get anything done unless they grab their phone to unload on you.
As the above sentence indicates, I’m a big football fan. I love the game so much that it’s difficult not to use it as an analogy for our agents’ work this time of year. The final three months of 2025 were our playoffs, when Agents hit the ground running to assist clients with their health insurance needs and expand their business book as much as possible. You may have been incredibly successful in reaching new benchmarks in the previous quarter, but the real test comes during the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period from Jan. 1 to March 31. If you thought Q4 was customer service-heavy, the game is about to get even more intense. The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period is a get-out-of- jail-free card for clients who missed the earlier enrollment window or realize they made a mistake in their plan selection. It’s also the time for you, as Agents, to go into “defense mode” and take a proactive approach to serving your clients at the start of a new year. Q1 is an opportunity for you to contact all your clients, especially new ones, to ensure they’re pleased with their plan or to address any concerns or questions they may have promptly. Of course, it’s also the time to send out those thank-you cards. Taking the initiative and calling clients first may lead to them notifying you of problems or needed changes much earlier than if they leave these issues to boil in the background and get even worse before they would have contacted you . It’s always better to reach out to a client to ask how everything is going than to learn later that
Of course, you’re never alone when client complaints or concerns arise. Agents
are encouraged to respond to a
client’s need by opening a ticket with our bilingual client services department. Making the most of this service has two benefits: First, the department will take that client issue off your plate, and second, you give your clients the added peace of mind knowing you have a solid team behind you and are not just scrambling to handle their problem or request alone. Each HPM agent receives 50 client service department tickets annually, with additional tickets available through our President’s Club. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you’d like more information on using our client support unit to your advantage. As you hit the phones this quarter, remember that every interaction with a client is an opportunity for a new referral. After you ask them how they’re doing, whether they got their dental work scheduled, or whether they’re using their new gym membership, don’t overlook the chance to ask them if they know of anyone else you can help. Whether hitting the gridiron or guiding your clients toward brighter futures, all games are meant to be won. Use this quarter to shape your strategies for continued success. And if you need a coach who believes in you to help you reach the championship game, you know how to find us.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF OUR NEW NEWSLETTER? PLEASE CONTACT US AT SUPPORT@ASKHPM.COM WITH FEEDBACK AND SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE CONTENT.
—Justin Jacobs
(844) 696-3975 • 1
GET ‘CLOSED!’ Inside HPM’s New Podcast
There’s a seemingly endless supply of podcasts on YouTube, but HPM has one that will make your life as an agent easier, more efficient, and more supported than ever before. Launched in October and hosted by HPM’s Justin Jacobs, “Closed!” is a series devoted to helping agents “win without burning out.” Jacobs offers practical (and often frank) real-world advice and perspectives on everything from time management to providing lifetime value to clients. Designed to help agents embrace a better work-life balance in a competitive and often complex marketplace, the first handful of “Closed!” episodes posted during Q4 explore ways agents can successfully tackle the ups and downs of the Annual Enrollment Period (AEP). Archived on HPM’s official YouTube channel (YouTube.com/@ healthplanmarketsorlando) , and worth a watch regardless of the time of year, these Q4 videos explore subjects including (but not limited to) the following: • The top five mistakes agents make during AEP
• The downside of “window time” • Scaling visibility without violations • How to maintain energy during a challenging cycle
“Closed!” topics slated for Q1 include client services, improving retention, and turning client concerns into opportunities for greater loyalty. Whether you watch them in your free time or on your lunch break, every episode will give you wisdom and inspiration to guide you to your next success. Excel with ease and work without wearing out. Scan the QR code to subscribe to the HPM YouTube channel, and open your mind to “Closed!”
• The most critical metrics to follow • Daily habits that define elite agents • How to organize your clients for speed and service • Working in your underwear (yes, working in your underwear) • Objections handling during Medicare sales
Retention Strategies Are Your Key to Success
KEEP CLIENTS COMING BACK TO YOU
Building a strong Retention Strategy is essential to growing your customer base, not only to keep existing clients but also to generate steady referral opportunities that fuel year-round sales. Why a Retention Strategy Matters 1. Protect your AEP Book of Business. Stay connected with new customers through consistent follow-ups to reinforce trust and prevent avoidable disenrollments. 2. Create a steady stream of referrals. A retention-focused mindset encourages brokers to regularly ask satisfied clients for referrals, one of the most effective ways to drive new business. 3. Reduce compliance risks. High disenrollment rates can trigger compliance concerns for both agents and health plan partners. Strong retention is correlated with fewer issues, creating a healthier business environment for everyone involved. 4. Minimize rapid disenrollments. Ongoing engagement significantly lowers the likelihood of members disenrolling within the first 90 days. Early touchpoints help address confusion before it becomes a cancellation. 5. Secure consistent renewals. Loyal clients lead to stable renewals and dependable renewal income, giving you long-term peace of mind.
Taking exceptional care of your customers is the foundation of sales growth. Clients depend on you to explain their coverage, guide them through renewals, and help avoid unexpected costs. Regular check-ins, clear explanations of plan changes, and timely reminders build trust and reinforce your role as a reliable advisor. Use the ‘Touch Base in 3’ approach: Connect with clients three days after enrollment to ease concerns and prevent cancellations before the effective date. From there, follow a 30-60-90-day outreach cadence to maintain engagement during the critical early period. Fast, respectful issue resolution is equally important. When clients encounter billing problems, network confusion, or claim denials, your ability to step in and advocate for them can transform a stressful moment into a loyalty-building experience. These moments often determine whether a client stays long term. HPM’s CRM system supports your retention efforts with built-in automation for lead capture, client and task management, digital SOAs, automated touch campaigns, and more, making it easier than ever to stay connected. At its core, retention is about building lasting relationships rooted in reliability and care. When brokers communicate proactively, personalize recommendations, and stay engaged throughout the year, clients feel genuinely valued, not just insured. The result: stronger loyalty, more referrals, and a thriving book of business built on trust.
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Cross-Selling Strategies for Medicare Sales
Effective Cross-Selling Strategies Understanding Your Client’s Needs: Using open-ended questions about their lifestyle, family situation, employment, and future goals will give you keen insight into them and help identify gaps in coverage. Timing Is Critical: Don’t be afraid to introduce a new product or other variation of their current plan when you are talking to them during a natural opportunity, such as annual renewal, a positive claim experience, or learning about a life event they may have recently experienced that may warrant a change in their coverage. Personalize Your Recommendations: Use the data from your CRM (Client Retention Management) system that you have populated. It is a perfect utilization of your CRM to offer tailored product suggestions for their specific circumstances. Educate, Don’t Push: Focus on a consultative, educational approach, explaining how additional coverage provides value and peace of mind, rather than resorting to aggressive sales tactics that can damage trust. Leverage Technology: Use your CRM System to track client interactions, set reminders for follow-ups, and automate personalized marketing campaigns.
Provide a Seamless Experience: Offer a hassle-free process for adding new policies, handling administrative tasks, and ensuring a single, convenient point of contact for their insurance coverage needs.
In the Medicare Insurance world, cross-selling is a strategy of offering additional insurance or complementary products to your customers that may provide more comprehensive coverage and increase customer value. This approach benefits the customer, who can consolidate policies and potentially save money, as well as the Agency and the Agent, who may experience additional revenue, better overall retention rates, and lower client acquisition costs. Key Benefits Increased Revenue: Offering multiple policies to your clients that provide them with additional solutions boosts the average revenue per client, which may lower your overall per-client acquisition cost. Enhanced Client Loyalty and Retention: Clients with multiple policies from the same source are less likely to switch to a competitor. The key is offering relevant coverage options, elevating you to a Trusted Advisor from simply an Agent. Convenience for the Customer: Bundling simplifies their insurance management by providing them a single point of contact: YOU! Better Risk Management: These strategies provide the Agent with a more comprehensive view of their client’s risks, offering a clearer overall picture for both the Agent and the Client.
Supplemental Solutions Offered by HPM Through UHOne
Don’t know where to begin? Health Plan Markets has access to the UHOne product line offered by UnitedHealthcare. Here are their solutions for your clients that are typically not covered to the same extent by Carrier Plans! Dental: Covers common dental care services Mental Health Complete Plus: A telehealth access to personalize mental health care, general doctor visits, and dermatology as well. Vision: A plan for ongoing vision care with vision insurance. Accident Insurance: Use accident insurance to pay for unexpected medical costs. Critical Illness: Critical illness insurance helps keep the focus on getting well, not paying bills! Telehealth: Skip that trip to the doctor for minor issues with a telehealth membership. See a doctor by phone or video without leaving home!
If you’ve spent any time in this industry, you know that it’s 10 times harder for an agent to find a customer than to keep one, and that’s why your quest for retention should never end. As discussed in this month’s cover article, Q1 is the time to check in with your clients to address any concerns they may have with their new plans or finalize any changes that still need to be addressed following Q4. Additionally, it’s a great time to provide them with one of the best keys to ongoing retention: ancillary products. Add-on dental, vision, critical illness, cancer, and hospital indemnity plans are among the ancillary options that build upon the value you’re already providing to your clients and can lead you to greater success with your bottom line. We have agents within our organization who have added six figures of income by going back to clients and suggesting other products to strengthen their existing coverage. Additionally, research shows that the five-year retention rate for clients with more than five policies is nearly 8% higher than that of those with only one. Clients who purchase ancillary products are more likely to stay loyal to you for various reasons. First, they may think twice about accepting an invitation from an outside entity to switch their Medicare plans if they have multiple services tied to you. Second, RETENTION REVIVAL Power Through Ancillary Plans
incorporating ancillary products fosters greater trust with your clients, who can rely on you as their primary point of contact to address multiple needs. If you’re not currently selling ancillary products, please contact us at Contracting@askhpm.com to get started today. We offer our agents various ancillary product support services, including training and shadowing for UnitedHealthOne. Providing ancillary products makes you more well-rounded and potentially more profitable, and it gives clients greater confidence that they’ve made the right choice by having you as an agent.
Make the next three months count by making these products work for you!
(844) 696-3975 • 3
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Inside This Edition
“Serving Those that Serve Others”
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Plan Your Power Play
Your YouTube Success Series Why a Powerful Retention Strategy Leads to Better Business The Business Benefits of Cross-Selling Maximize Value, Multiply Loyalty
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Stay Ahead of 2026 ACA Changes
ACA MARKETPLACE UPDATE: Key Changes Agents Must Know for Plan Year 2026
With 2026 here at last, Agents need to be on their toes to stay on top of the market. Here are six things we believe all Agents should be aware of in the new year. 1. Subsidy Changes for 2026 Enhanced APTCs are scheduled to expire after 2025, meaning many clients may face higher premiums. Prepare clients early and run multiple cost scenarios to ensure optimal results. 2. Higher Out-of-Pocket Maximums: Federal limits will increase to about $10,600 for individuals in 2026, raising client exposure. 3. Marketplace Integrity Rules are changing: stricter income checks, pre- enrollment SEP documentation, and updated reenrollment workflows will apply. Carriers may require past-due premium payments before activating new coverage. 4. SEP & Enrollment Changes: The ≤150% FPL Low-Income SEP is being eliminated. Navigator funding will drastically decline, resulting in an increased reliance on licensed agents. 5. Risk Adjustment & Plan Transparency Updates in risk scoring and public quality metric reporting may influence plan pricing and availability. 6. Agent Licensing Requirements Agents must have an active state health LOA and complete the 2026 certification to maintain system access.
AGENT ACTION ITEMS:
Verify LOA and NIPR status
Prepare 2026 client outreach
Strengthen SEP workflows
Complete Marketplace training
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