Key Takeaways

• Your book of business is your most valuable long-term asset. Losing clients due to lapses, plan changes, or lack of follow-up can erode your income and reputation quickly.

• Building systems for retention, education, and compliance can ensure you maintain renewals while strengthening client loyalty and referrals.

Your Book Is an Income Stream, Not Just a List

For licensed Medicare agents, your book of business isn’t just a contact list. It’s a renewable revenue stream, a source of predictable commissions, and the foundation of your professional reputation. But it’s more fragile than many realize.

In 2025, retention is just as important as acquisition. If you’re focused only on new enrollments, you could be quietly losing clients on the back end. You worked hard to build your book—protecting it must be part of your business strategy.

The Most Common Ways Agents Lose Clients

Even top producers lose clients when they don’t have strong systems in place. Here are the major risks you need to address:

1. Plan Changes Without Your Knowledge

Each year during the Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 to December 7), your clients receive dozens of marketing messages. Some switch plans through another agent or even by mistake. If you’re not in touch, you may not even know they left until you see your commission drop.

2. Medicare Advantage Disenrollments

Medicare Advantage plans have stricter compliance rules, and even minor misunderstandings can lead to clients voluntarily disenrolling. If that happens within the first 3 months (the Open Enrollment Period from January 1 to March 31), you may lose the commission and damage your persistency score.

3. Losing to Direct Carrier Outreach

Clients sometimes get calls or mailers from insurance carriers encouraging them to switch plans or contact a new agent. Without regular engagement from you, they may not think twice before making that change.

4. Poor Education on Plan Benefits

If your client doesn’t fully understand how their plan works—especially how to access specialists, manage prescriptions, or resolve billing—they may blame the agent. Educated clients are more satisfied, more confident, and less likely to replace you.

5. Death, Moves, and Eligibility Changes

Medicare clients may move to another service area, become eligible for Medicaid, or pass away. Without tracking changes in status, you could miss key moments to assist with a Special Enrollment Period or coordinate a transition.

Proactive Steps to Safeguard Your Book

Preventing commission loss isn’t about reacting—it’s about preparing. Here are several ways you can retain more clients in 2025:

Use a CRM with Retention Workflows

If you don’t have a system to track birthdays, enrollment anniversaries, or eligibility changes, you’re leaving too much to chance. A reliable CRM can help you:

• Schedule annual plan reviews

• Monitor contract renewal dates

• Automate follow-up before AEP and OEP

• Flag clients who may be at risk of moving or disenrolling

The key is consistency. When you show up regularly, you remain top-of-mind—and in control.

Conduct Pre-AEP Outreach

Your book is most vulnerable in Q4. Use the first two weeks of October to:

• Review upcoming plan changes for each client

• Reach out with appointment reminders or plan comparison options

• Confirm intent to keep their current plan or explore alternatives

This step alone can prevent last-minute switches that catch you off guard.

Educate Through Monthly Communications

Sending regular, easy-to-digest updates helps clients stay informed and reduces confusion. Include topics like:

• Preventive care reminders

• Explanation of new Medicare rules or timelines

• Tips for using supplemental benefits

• Updates about plan perks (e.g., fitness programs, dental/vision policies)

The goal is to help clients feel supported year-round—not just during enrollment season.

Track Client Status Changes Year-Round

In 2025, the number of beneficiaries aging into Medicare or qualifying due to disability continues to grow. But existing clients can also experience changes that trigger:

• A Special Enrollment Period (SEP)

• Loss of current plan eligibility

• Dual eligibility (Medicare and Medicaid)

Staying alert means staying valuable. If you reach out when life changes happen, you’ll likely retain the relationship and the commission.

Offer Annual Plan Reviews

Many agents lose clients because they assume a satisfied client won’t shop around. But if another agent offers to review coverage, that opens the door. You should be the one initiating the review, even if their plan stays the same.

• Make reviews an annual tradition

• Document any changes in needs or medications

• Share new plan features or cost adjustments

• Confirm if the current plan is still the best fit

This not only builds trust but helps avoid unwanted surprises in January.

Encourage Client Referrals

Happy clients are your best marketing tool. When you keep your book engaged, you naturally create opportunities for referrals. Consider:

• Adding a referral line to your email signature

• Thank-you calls or cards for referrals

• Sharing helpful content clients can forward to friends

Retention and referrals go hand in hand. You protect your book by turning it into a community.

Timing Matters: What to Do and When

Protecting your commissions is a year-round effort. Here’s how to align your actions with the Medicare calendar:

January to March: Monitor OEP Disenrollments

If any of your Medicare Advantage clients are dissatisfied, they can switch plans once during this period. Stay in contact to:

• Resolve any issues quickly

• Reinforce how to use benefits correctly

• Assist with switching plans if necessary

April to August: Re-Engage with Education

Mid-year is ideal for check-ins that don’t feel like sales calls. Share reminders and check for changes like:

• Address updates

• Eligibility changes

• New health conditions

This helps keep your CRM accurate and your clients loyal.

September: Prepare for AEP

This is your planning month. Use it to:

• Order materials

• Review each client’s plan performance

• Set up your calendar for outreach

This month sets the tone for the rest of Q4.

October to December: Execute AEP Strategy

Every outreach, email, or call matters during this window. Your goal is to:

• Lock in renewals

• Address plan changes

• Help clients make confident decisions

This is where a protected book pays off.

Compliance and Persistency Go Hand in Hand

In 2025, CMS continues to track agent behavior, especially around:

• Inappropriate enrollments

• Rapid disenrollments

• Complaints

High persistency rates support your reputation and long-term standing. By proactively educating clients and avoiding churn, you maintain trust with both beneficiaries and carriers.

Protecting your book also protects your license.

The Cost of Doing Nothing

Letting client relationships drift after enrollment is one of the most common mistakes agents make. Here’s what that inaction can cost you:

• Lost commissions from dropped policies

• Lower persistency scores that affect future contracts

• Missed referral opportunities

• Reduced credibility and retention over time

You invested in building your book. It’s not just about acquisition anymore—it’s about stewardship.

Long-Term Business Health Starts with Retention

The agents seeing the most stable growth in 2025 aren’t necessarily those enrolling the most clients. They’re the ones keeping the most clients.

Retention fuels renewals, referrals, and reputation. It stabilizes your income in an unpredictable market. And it allows you to build a business that grows smarter—not just bigger.

Want to Keep More of What You Earn?

At BedrockMD, we help independent agents protect their books through automation, education, and personalized support. From CRM tools to compliance resources, our platform is built to strengthen your business at every stage.

Sign up today to see how we can help you retain more clients, save more time, and grow with confidence.