3 Reasons Your Open Enrollment Campaign Will Fail
Open enrollment can be one of the most profitable campaigns a cash-based physical therapy clinic runs all year.
But it isn't automatic revenue.
In this episode, Jeremy breaks down the three biggest mistakes that cause open enrollment campaigns to underperform, why some clinics sell just a handful of packages while others sell 75 or more, and what clinic owners need to do now to make their 2026 campaign successful.
Episode Topics
- Why sending emails alone won't drive a successful open enrollment campaign
- The importance of personal follow-up with current patients and warm leads
- How to amplify your offer across multiple marketing channels
- Why your staff needs to be involved in the campaign
- The preparation timeline for November 2026 open enrollment
1. You Skip the Manual Follow-Up
This is one of the biggest differences between clinics that sell a few packages and clinics that generate significant open enrollment revenue.
Jeremy explains that approximately 80–90% of open enrollment revenue in the campaigns he's run comes from personal outreach, not mass emails.
That means building a list of people who already have a relationship with your clinic and reaching out directly.
Your outreach list should include:
- Current patients nearing the end of their packages
- Past patients who never continued into another plan of care
- Leads from workshops, referrals, or advertising who never booked
- People engaging with your open enrollment emails or social posts
Jeremy recommends three personal follow-ups during the 2026 campaign:
- November 2: Campaign launch
- November 11: Mid-campaign follow-up
- November 19: Final reminder before open enrollment closes
These should be personalized conversations, not generic promotional text blasts.
The emails create awareness. The personal conversations drive the sales.
2. You Don't Amplify the Campaign
Open enrollment isn't just an email campaign. Your patients need to see the offer repeatedly throughout the campaign window.
Jeremy recommends reinforcing the message across multiple channels:
- Email sequences that explain the offer and remind patients of important dates
- Instagram and Facebook posts throughout the campaign
- Personal text messages and phone calls
- Signs at the front desk and inside treatment rooms
- Conversations between patients and their PTs during appointments
Each channel supports the others.
A patient might see an Instagram post, skim an email, notice a sign during treatment, and finally make a decision after talking with their PT.
Jeremy also recommends involving the entire staff through regular updates, team meetings, and incentives so the campaign becomes a clinic-wide effort rather than another task for the owner.
3. You Wait Until the Last Minute
This is the mistake Jeremy believes is most likely to derail clinic owners preparing for 2026.
Open enrollment requires more than a last-minute email written the night before launch.
You need time to:
- Build and organize your patient and lead outreach lists
- Write and schedule the email sequence
- Create social media graphics and in-clinic materials
- Set up your CRM and follow-up tracking
- Prepare your staff and assign responsibilities
- Finalize your offer, landing page, and campaign deadlines
The clinics with the strongest results started preparing weeks before open enrollment began. Some even generated package sales before the official launch.
For 2026, Jeremy recommends opening the campaign on November 2, with outreach lists and campaign materials ready during the week of October 26.
Waiting until November to start building everything means you've already lost valuable time.
The Takeaway
Open enrollment works when you treat it like a complete sales campaign instead of a few promotional emails.
The three mistakes to avoid are simple:
- Skipping personal outreach
- Failing to amplify the offer across multiple channels
- Waiting too long to prepare
Build the lists. Schedule the emails. Create the assets. Get your staff involved. Then personally follow up with the people most likely to benefit from continuing care.
The offer matters, but the execution is what makes the campaign successful.
Get the Free Open Enrollment Playbook
Jeremy put together the complete Open Enrollment Playbook to help clinic owners build and execute their campaigns.
The guide includes the campaign timeline, email sequence, patient outreach lists, follow-up scripts, CRM setup, landing page structure, social media strategy, and preparation checklist.
Download the Free Open Enrollment Playbook
More Free Resources
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