Call tracking for Medicare agencies

Two windows drive Medicare calls

Medicare.gov gives the Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) as October 15 to December 7. During that window people can join, drop or switch Medicare Advantage and Part D plans, and coverage starts January 1. The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs January 1 to March 31 for people already in a Medicare Advantage plan, who can switch to another plan or return to Original Medicare.

Between those windows, calls come from people turning 65, people who just lost employer coverage and people with a special election period. Volume is lower, but callers are often ready to act, since they have a deadline of their own. Those callers respond to different ads than the AEP crowd, so keep them apart.

What to track: which sources produce Medicare calls

Medicare marketing leans on direct-response channels, and many agencies work with outside lead vendors. Useful splits for a tracked number plan:

• TV and streaming spots, one number per creative or station group when the budget justifies it;
• direct mail, one number per drop or per postcard version;
• paid search for plan and eligibility terms, kept separate from branded search;
• Facebook and other social campaigns aimed at people approaching 65;
• each lead vendor or marketing partner, on a number that only that partner uses;
• your own website and existing-client outreach.

The question is plain: of the calls that reached your phones, which source sent them, and which answered calls were long enough to be real conversations? The desk shows source label, status and duration on every call, and that is enough to rank sources by calls and by answered calls. Direct mail and print are covered in offline and print ads.

CMS marketing rules that touch calls

This is general information from the regulations, not legal advice. Rules change, and the CY2027 rule took effect for marketing on October 1, 2026, so read the current text or ask your compliance contact before relying on anything below.

• TPMO disclaimer. A third-party marketing organization (TPMO) must give a CMS-specified disclaimer, stating how many organizations and plans it represents and pointing to Medicare.gov and 1-800-MEDICARE. The regulation covers verbal delivery on calls, electronic communications, websites and marketing materials. See 42 CFR 422.2267(e)(41) for the wording and timing.
• Call recording. Under 42 CFR 422.2274(g), TPMOs must record marketing and sales calls, including the audio of web-based calls, and retain them for six years, in audio for the first three years and as audio or transcript after that. Calls that lead to enrollment carry a separate, longer record rule.
• Scope of appointment. An agent must agree on and record the scope of a marketing appointment with the beneficiary before it takes place (42 CFR 422.2264(c)(3)). CMS has changed the timing rules for scope of appointment over the years, so check the current text of the rule rather than relying on a waiting period you remember.
• Unsolicited contact. Cold calls, robocalls, texts and voicemails to beneficiaries are restricted (42 CFR 422.2264(a)(2)).

Setting it up with VereTel

Start with the channels you already pay for, and give each a labeled number that forwards to your agency line. Add a number for each mail drop and each vendor before AEP begins in mid-October. Then, once a week, filter the desk to the period and count calls and answered calls by source.

Keep an eye on missed calls in AEP. They pile up in the afternoon when a mailer lands or a spot airs. The desk logs missed calls as well as answered ones, so you can see which source is sending calls you cannot pick up. Sizing usually points to the Growth plan (up to 10 numbers) or, for larger teams, Scale (25 numbers). Overage is $0.06 a minute. Full detail is on pricing. Numbers are not on sale yet. Create a free account and ask to be told when they are.