ACA marketplace sales have their own rhythm: a defined federal Open Enrollment window, then a year of Special Enrollment Periods triggered by real life events. An inbound call source that only shows up during Open Enrollment misses most of the calendar. Callmart's ACA and health insurance campaigns are meant to be run against both.
Open Enrollment and SEP, and what changes between them
| Window | Typical timing | Call volume |
|---|---|---|
| Federal Open Enrollment | November 1 through January 15 in most states | The highest concentration of inbound ACA interest in the year |
| State-based marketplace Open Enrollment | Varies by state, some run longer | Follows the same pattern, on a state-specific calendar |
| Special Enrollment Period | Year round, triggered by a qualifying life event | Lower and less predictable volume, tied to job loss, a move, marriage, or a new dependent |
Exact marketplace dates can shift year to year and by state; confirm current dates with the marketplace itself before you plan a campaign push around them. What stays constant is the pattern: a concentrated Open Enrollment surge, then a thinner, event-driven SEP flow the rest of the year.
The subsidy conversation is different from the health conversation
A lot of an ACA call is really a subsidy call before it is a plan call. The consumer wants to know what they will actually pay after premium tax credits, not just what a plan costs on paper, and that number depends on household income and size, not on anything Callmart controls. Screened ACA calls are qualified upstream before they reach you, through an IVR or a script that confirms basic answers depending on the campaign, but the subsidy math and the plan selection are still your conversation to run once you are on the phone.
Callmart does not screen for subsidy eligibility or verify income. Screening confirms basic qualifying answers set by the campaign, not a consumer's actual subsidy amount.
Pricing and buffers for ACA and health calls
Screened ACA and health insurance calls start at $25 per connected call. Each campaign sets its own buffer tiers, the minimum connected seconds required before the call bills, with a floor of 10 seconds, so a short subsidy question that hangs up in five seconds is not billed. Connected time is measured after your destination number answers, not from the first ring, and you are billed once, when connected time reaches the buffer you selected.
Working SEP volume without overspending
- Keep ACA and health campaigns on at a lower daily limit outside Open Enrollment to catch SEP volume without staffing for a surge.
- Raise the daily limit going into Open Enrollment if your team is staffed to work it.
- Use recordings to review how the subsidy conversation is going during a smaller SEP volume, where each call matters more.
What an SEP caller usually needs to bring
A Special Enrollment Period call is rarely as simple as picking a plan. Most SEP applications require documentation of the qualifying event itself, a termination letter from a previous employer plan, a lease or utility bill showing a new address after a move, or a marriage certificate, before the enrollment can be finalized. Setting that expectation on the call, before the prospect hangs up expecting to be covered immediately, avoids a frustrated follow-up call later and saves you from re-explaining the same requirement twice.
It is also worth being clear on the call about the difference between a marketplace plan, where premium tax credits apply, and an off-marketplace plan, where they do not. A caller who assumes any health plan comes with a subsidy is a common source of confusion, and that distinction is worth making explicit early rather than after a quote has already been discussed. Getting this wrong tends to surface later as a billing surprise for the consumer, and an avoidable callback for you.
Licensing and marketplace certification
You need an active state health insurance license, and typically a current federal marketplace certification, to sell ACA plans and discuss subsidies. Those requirements are set by your state and by CMS, not by Callmart. This page is general information, not legal or compliance advice; confirm your specific obligations with your own compliance resource, especially since marketplace certification requirements can change from one plan year to the next.
Common questions
01Do ACA call prices change during Open Enrollment?
Callmart's published starting price for screened calls is $25 per connected call. Actual campaign pricing and buffer tiers are shown in your workspace before you turn a campaign on and can vary by campaign.
02Does Callmart verify subsidy eligibility before sending a call?
No. Screening confirms basic qualifying answers depending on the campaign, not a consumer's income or actual subsidy amount. That conversation happens on the call.
03Should I run ACA campaigns outside Open Enrollment?
That depends on your capacity, but Special Enrollment Periods generate real, if smaller, volume year round, so many agents keep a campaign on at a lower daily limit rather than turning it off entirely.
04What license do I need?
An active state health insurance license and typically current federal marketplace certification are required to sell ACA plans. Requirements are set by your state and CMS, not Callmart.