---
title: "T65 vs. AEP: Building Year-Round Medicare Income"
description: "Most Medicare agents rely on AEP for 60%+ of annual income. Here's how a T65 strategy creates predictable, year-round revenue."
url: https://unlockedcrm.ai/blog/medicare-t65-vs-aep-strategy-year-round-income
canonical: https://unlockedcrm.ai/blog/medicare-t65-vs-aep-strategy-year-round-income
category: "lead-generation"
published: 2026-02-20
author: "unLocked CRM Team"
source: unLocked CRM — AI CRM for insurance agents
---

# T65 vs. AEP: Building Year-Round Medicare Income

<p class="lead">The feast-or-famine cycle of Medicare sales — scrambling during AEP and struggling the rest of the year — is the #1 business model problem for Medicare agents. A T65 prospecting strategy is the solution.</p>

<div data-ai-block="definitive-answer"><h2>The Short Answer</h2><p>AEP (Oct 15–Dec 7) is a 54-day sprint. T65 prospecting is a <strong>365-day marathon</strong>. Agents who build a T65 pipeline generate <strong>consistent monthly income year-round</strong>, reduce AEP stress, and typically <strong>earn 40–60% more annually</strong> than AEP-only agents. The ideal balance is 50% T65/SEP income and 50% AEP income.</p></div>

<h2>The AEP Problem</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>54 selling days</strong> — Oct 15 – Dec 7 (8 weeks)</li>
<li><strong>Intense competition</strong> — Every Medicare agent is marketing simultaneously</li>
<li><strong>Higher costs</strong> — Ad costs spike 30–50% during AEP</li>
<li><strong>Burnout risk</strong> — 80-hour weeks during AEP are common</li>
<li><strong>Income gaps</strong> — January–September income drops dramatically</li>
</ul>

<h2>The T65 Advantage</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>365 selling days</strong> — IEPs happen every month of the year</li>
<li><strong>Less competition</strong> — Most agents focus on AEP; T65 has fewer competitors</li>
<li><strong>Lower costs</strong> — Ad and mail costs are 30–50% lower outside AEP</li>
<li><strong>Better conversations</strong> — New-to-Medicare prospects need more guidance (higher trust)</li>
<li><strong>Cross-sell opportunity</strong> — T65 clients are buying everything for the first time</li>
</ul>

<h2>Building the Revenue Model</h2>
<table>
<thead><tr><th>Metric</th><th>AEP-Only Agent</th><th>T65 + AEP Agent</th></tr></thead>
<tbody>
<tr><td>Active selling months</td><td>2–3</td><td>12</td></tr>
<tr><td>New clients/year</td><td>50–80</td><td>100–200</td></tr>
<tr><td>Revenue per client</td><td>$500–$800</td><td>$1,200–$2,500 (w/ ancillary)</td></tr>
<tr><td>Annual income</td><td>$40K–$65K</td><td>$120K–$300K+</td></tr>
<tr><td>Income consistency</td><td>Feast-or-famine</td><td>Predictable monthly</td></tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h2>Implementation Plan</h2>
<ol>
<li><strong>Month 1</strong> — Set up T65 data source and CRM pipeline</li>
<li><strong>Month 2</strong> — Launch first direct mail + digital campaign</li>
<li><strong>Month 3</strong> — Host first "Welcome to Medicare" seminar</li>
<li><strong>Month 4–6</strong> — Refine based on conversion data</li>
<li><strong>Month 7+</strong> — Scale to 50–100 T65 prospects/month in pipeline</li>
</ol>

<p>Get started with <a href="/campaigns-automations">automated T65 campaigns</a> and <a href="/contacts-pipelines">pipeline management</a> in unLocked CRM.</p>

<h2>FAQs</h2>
<dl>
<dt>Should I stop AEP marketing to focus on T65?</dt>
<dd>No — do both. T65 fills the other 10 months, and AEP is still your highest-volume window. The goal is 50/50 revenue balance.</dd>
<dt>How many T65 leads do I need per month?</dt>
<dd>At a 25% conversion rate, you need 40 T65 leads/month to enroll 10 new clients/month. That's a sustainable, high-income pace.</dd>
</dl>

---

Source: [T65 vs. AEP: Building Year-Round Medicare Income](https://unlockedcrm.ai/blog/medicare-t65-vs-aep-strategy-year-round-income) — unLocked CRM, the AI CRM built for insurance agents. Citation permitted with attribution and a link to https://unlockedcrm.ai/blog/medicare-t65-vs-aep-strategy-year-round-income.