ACA Leads for Open Enrollment: A Buyer's Guide to Calls and Form Leads
By Miguel Chavez Chacon, Founder, MGM ScaleCraft
Open Enrollment compresses a year of ACA demand into a few weeks. Agencies that set their call rules, consent records and staffing before November 1 spend less on unanswered calls and wasted records. Here is how to plan your ACA lead and call buying for the season.
Know the enrollment calendar for your states
On HealthCare.gov, Open Enrollment begins November 1. Deadlines vary by state, and several states run their own exchanges with different end dates. Confirm the official dates for every state you write in before setting budgets, because demand tends to spike near each coverage deadline.
Outside Open Enrollment, most consumers need a qualifying life event to enroll. Plan smaller, Special Enrollment Period campaigns for the rest of the year rather than running the same budget year round.
Inbound calls or form leads?
An inbound call starts with a live conversation, which suits agencies with licensed agents ready to answer during peak hours. A form lead costs less per unit but needs fast follow-up, and contact rates fall as the record ages. Many agencies run both: calls for peak hours and forms to fill gaps in agent capacity.
Define a billable call by duration, state and caller intent, and agree on how duplicates and existing clients are handled.
Qualify for the right plan conversation
- Confirm the caller's state and ZIP code match your agent licensing.
- Screen out callers asking about Medicare or Medicaid if you do not serve them.
- Ask whether they have current coverage or a recent qualifying life event.
- Never promise a specific premium or subsidy amount in ads or scripts.
Consent and CMS documentation
CMS requires agents and brokers to document a consumer's consent before helping them enroll or make changes through the Marketplace. Separately, your marketing outreach must follow TCPA consent rules. Ask vendors for the source page, exact disclosure, timestamp and a TrustedForm or Jornaya record for every lead, and recordings for every call.
Records support your compliance program but do not guarantee it. Have counsel review your disclosures and scripts before the season starts.
Staff for the peak before you buy
Unanswered calls waste budget fastest during Open Enrollment. Match daily call caps to the number of licensed agents online, set hours of operation by time zone, and review answer rates every day. Measure cost per enrolled policy, not cost per call.
FAQs
When does ACA Open Enrollment start?
On HealthCare.gov it starts November 1. End dates vary, and state-run exchanges can set their own, so check the official dates for each state you serve.
Are ACA calls exclusive?
Ask every vendor. With MGM ScaleCraft, each call or lead is routed to one buyer per state and vertical, not resold.
Can I buy ACA leads after Open Enrollment ends?
Yes, but volume drops because most consumers need a qualifying life event. Plan smaller Special Enrollment Period campaigns for the rest of the year.
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