Got Trade-In Energy? It May Be Time for a Plan Review Too!

Trade Anything Day Vibes: Consider a Coverage Checkup?

GameStop is launching its first “Trade Anything Day” on December 6, 2025 allowing customers to swap unused items for store credit. See their rules here: https://www.gamestop.com/trade-anything-day.

So what does any of that have to do with insurance? Surprisingly, quite a bit.

If a plan isn’t being used, insurance enrollment windows let people swap it for a plan that delivers what they need. Why would anyone want to hang on to a plan that doesn't match their needs? It's like leaving a package of benefits to gather dust on a shelf.

OEP is the insurance industry’s most critical visible event. Clients can consider new products, and agents can help their clients comparison-shop. For OEP 2026, there are 183 Qualified Health Plan (QHP) issuers on HealthCare.gov according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

The opportunity to find a plan that fits the beneficiary’s needs is exceptional, although not guaranteed in every market. Clients may shop through dozens of plans. For agents, this is a perfect analogy for making a client’s plan review feel simple, yet worthwhile.

Why People Switch Plans, and the Real Need for a Needs Analysis

• People often change because their income changes. This may affect premium tax credits or cost-sharing reductions.

• Insurer changes, such as plan offerings and entering or leaving a market, are strong reasons why anyone would need an annual needs analysis.

• Health needs change. Clients who have a new chronic condition or a need for specialized care may look for plans with broader coverage or network access.

• Life events, such as losing coverage, starting or leaving a job, the birth of a child, or moving to a new area, can trigger a plan change. 

In 2016, the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) conducted a “Survey of Non‑Group Health Insurance Enrollees” that revealed 69% did not shop around before renewing. A 2022 - 2024 reenrollment / switching study covered only states using HealthCare.gov, not those with state-based marketplaces.

The study revealed that fewer people relied on auto-renewal than in some past years. With auto-renewal at about 21% of enrollees actively revisiting the marketplace, this suggests an opportunity for agents to reach out and assist clients with their options.

This is the time of year when people are shopping – that includes shopping for insurance. If your clients have a plan that doesn’t serve their needs, or if they’re paying for benefits they’re not using, it’s time for a needs analysis and comparison shopping.

Why We Hold On: The Power of “Plan Stickiness”

GameStop’s upcoming “Trade Anything Day” works because the company understands human nature: we tend to hang on to things—sometimes long after they’ve stopped working for us.

Insurance is no different. Many people think, “If it isn’t broken, why fix it?” Others assume changing plans is complicated, inconvenient, or risky. This creates plan stickiness—the tendency to stay in a plan simply because it’s familiar.

But sticking with a plan without reviewing it can leave clients underinsured or mismatched. A plan that seemed “good enough” years ago may not fit their current health needs, budget, or doctor preferences today.

That’s why a needs analysis is not only required, but highly beneficial to discovering a client's needs, but also their wants. Choosing insurance solely based on a premium or a single desired feature can result in an unused plan.

Go over the Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) with your client so they know exactly what they’re getting. Otherwise, it’s the health-insurance version of paying for a gym membership you never use, or buying a dental plan your dentist can’t accept. 

At GameStop, they want gamers to bring in their old games to level up. Likewise, when ACA clients don’t comparison shop for plans, it can be like owning a game you’ll never play, sitting on the shelf, and collecting dust.

It’s time to give your clients the chance to pick up that “dusty old plan,” look at it honestly, assess its benefits, and potentially swap it for something they need – no judgment, no hassle – just a plan that matches their life, now.

GameStop’s “Trade Anything Day” may be playful, but there is a very real message behind it. Sometimes we keep things simply because we’ve always had them. Health insurance shouldn’t fall into that category. As our health and priorities evolve, our plan options should grow with us.

Reach out to Messer to learn how to become an independent agent, build a book of business, and offer clients real-life solutions for their insurance needs.