Why this matters now
The Annual Election Period for 2027 coverage opens October 15 and runs through December 7. Two forces make this cycle different. New CMS marketing rules apply to CY 2027 marketing and communications beginning October 1, the first AEP under the most agent-friendly rulebook in years. And benefit pullbacks across the market mean more members will open their Annual Notice of Change letter and find a reason to shop. The work deciding who stays and who switches is happening now, in July and August, while competitors finalize scripts, events, and outreach under the new rules.
The new rulebook, in brief
The 2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D final rule rolled back several longstanding marketing guardrails. RISE covered the full list when the rule dropped. The changes with the biggest AEP impact:
- Same-day appointments return. The 48-hour Scope of Appointment waiting period is gone.
- Educational and marketing events now share a venue and a schedule, and agents collect SOAs at educational events again.
- The TPMO disclaimer moves from the first 60 seconds of a call to any point before plan benefits come up.
- Superlatives return to marketing copy when evidence backs the claim.
- Call recording retention drops from 10 years to six.
What the rules mean in practice
Speed wins more. Same-day SOAs remove friction from every community event and inbound call. If a competing plan's agents enroll ready members at the educational event while yours schedule callbacks for later in the week, the difference shows up in your enrollment numbers.
Relaxed rules do not relax accountability. CMS signaled greater trust in after-the-fact enforcement, so plans still own the conduct of contracted agents and TPMOs, and complaint patterns still surface in oversight. Build the substantiation file before the superlative ships.
The retention side of AEP
Acquisition gets the attention. Retention pays the bills. Supplemental benefits keep shrinking across the market. One analysis of plan filings found meal benefits fell from 55 percent of plans in 2024 to 45 percent for 2026, with transportation dropping from 44 percent to 36 percent in a single year. More pullbacks are coming in 2027 bids as payment pressure continues. Members who chose a plan for a dental allowance or an OTC card will notice the ANOC.
Switch intentions form over the summer, long before October. The plans keeping their members are the ones reaching at-risk households now, explaining changes before the letter lands, and resolving the complaint history driving members to shop.
What this means for your team
Marketing, sales, enrollment, compliance, and member experience own different pieces of the same 90-day window. Scripts, training, disclaimers, and event strategies need updates before October 1. Engagement teams need an at-risk member list and an outreach calendar before the ANOC drops. Sales leaders need broker and TPMO oversight ready for a faster-moving field.
Questions to consider
Which 2027 benefit changes create the most switching risk in your book of business? Are your compliance and marketing teams working from the same October 1 calendar? Who owns retention at your plan, and do they have summer resources or only AEP resources?
This community now has a bigger home. The Medicare Marketing & Sales Summit joins RISE National in 2027 as dedicated Marketing & Sales tracks, March 16 to 18 at Caesars Forum in Las Vegas. Same focused content on member acquisition, broker strategy, and member experience, now alongside the risk, quality, Stars, and compliance leaders who shape the plans you market. The timing works in your favor too. RISE National convenes right after AEP 2027 wraps, when the results need explaining, and the community compares what worked.