Educational events can be an underutilized tool for Medicare agents. While you are not allowed to distribute marketing materials or discuss plan specifics, you can gain the respect and attention of attendees by appearing knowledgeable and helpful during presentations or at the booth. Sales events have a different pull and may attract a different attendee. Both events can be valuable, and each has its compliance rules. Read on to learn more.
Educational Events
At educational events, you can educate consumers about Medicare programs and plan types and answer questions. You can hand out business cards, set up appointments and fill out Scope of Appointment Forms. Your agency can display a banner with your logo and the plan name, and can give away promotional items worth less than $15. These displays and items cannot have specific plan information. You can also provide meals, snacks or gifts of nominal value.
There are some limits to what you can do at educational events. The event has to be held in a public venue and be advertised as educational. At the event, you cannot distribute plan specific marketing materials, premiums or benefits. You can’t distribute or collect enrollment forms or mandatory sign-up sheets, and you can’t discuss the plans you offer.
Sales Events
Sales events can be formal or informal based on whether the agent is presenting to an audience or manning a table. You have to report the sales event to your carrier based on its time frame requirements and process, and you should know what they need from you if the event is canceled. If the event is canceled last-minute, an agent should be there to let attendees know.
You can provide gifts, snacks and promotional items, but they have to be within the nominal value limit. You can use sign-in sheets, but they can’t be mandatory, and you can’t require attendees to provide contact information.
If your sales event is in a healthcare setting, you may have to operate within physical distance requirements. Your event could be held in community areas or recreational or conference rooms if you are in a nursing home or hospital, for example, but a sales event at a pharmacy would need to be at least 15 feet away from the pharmacy counter.
Common Restrictions
At neither educational nor sales events are you allowed to provide gift cards or cash as giveaways, and you can’t restrict admission to the event.
