The Center for Consumer Information & Insurance Oversight
SHOP Resources
When assisting small employers with Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) health insurance, agents and brokers can work with insurance companies to help employers enroll, manage coverage, and pay premiums.
Changes to SHOP beginning in 2018
The enrollment process is changing for SHOP plans that start on or after January 1, 2018. Small businesses and non-profits will now enroll through an insurance company or with the help of an agent or broker. Small employers will no longer enroll using HealthCare.gov.
Small employers that are new to SHOP insurance will need to verify their eligibility using the eligibility determination tool at HealthCare.gov. HealthCare.gov also offers important online SHOP resources for agents and brokers, and small employers.
For more information about the changes to SHOP plans for 2018, visit HealthCare.gov.
Registering for SHOP
Agents and brokers must still register to sell SHOP insurance.
- To register to sell SHOP insurance, you must have a CMS Enterprise Portal User ID. If you already have one to sell individual plans, you do not need to create a second account.
- After logging in or creating an account, select the agent/broker role and request “application access,” and then complete the identity proofing process. When finished, your CMS Enterprise Portal user ID will be activated.
- Next, you need to sign the SHOP Privacy and Security Agreement in the Marketplace Learning Management System (MLMS) by logging into the CMS Enterprise Portal. Once you sign the SHOP Privacy and Security Agreement, you’ll be able to sell SHOP insurance.
- All agents and brokers who have signed the SHOP Privacy and Security Agreement will be searchable by employers through the Find Local Help tool at HealthCare.gov.
Key SHOP Resources
- Minimum Participation Rate Calculator
- Who Can Use the SHOP Small Business Health Care Tax Credit & Premium Assistance Programs
- SHOP: Health Insurance for Small Business (Video)
For additional SHOP resources, visit:
www.HealthCare.gov/small-business
https://marketplace.cms.gov/outreach-and-education/outreach-and-education.html
SHOP Call Center:
Contact the SHOP Call Center at 1-800-706-7893 (TTY: 1-888-201-6445)
Resources for Agents and Brokers
- Resources for Agents and Brokers in the Health Insurance Marketplaces
- General Resources
- Plan Year 2020 Open Enrollment
- Plan Year 2020 Registration and Training
- SHOP
- Web-brokers in the Health Insurance Marketplace
- Help On Demand
- Video Learning Center
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QUICK LINKS:
- Issuer and DE Partner Directory
- Agent/Broker FAQs
- Agent/Broker Newsletters
- Agent/Broker Help Desks
- Registration Completion List
- Agent/Broker Marketplace Registration Tracker
- Registration Termination List
- Find Local Help
Updates
- March 5, 2020 Information Related to COVID–19 Individual and Small Group Market Insurance Coverage
- March 12, 2020 FAQs on Essential Health Benefits Coverage and the Coronavirus (COVID-19)
- March 18, 2020 FAQs on Catastrophic Plan Coverage and the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
- March 24, 2020 FAQs on Availability and Usage of Telehealth Services through Private Health Insurance Coverage in Response to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
- March 24, 2020 Payment and Grace Period Flexibilities Associated with the COVID-19 National Emergency
- March 24, 2020 FAQs on Prescription Drugs and the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) for Issuers Offering Health Insurance Coverage in the Individual and Small Group Markets
- April 11, 2020 FAQs about Families First Coronavirus Response Act and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act Implementation
*This document was updated on April 15, 2020, to correct an error in footnote 10 regarding the current end date of the public health emergency related to COVID 19. - April 13, 2020 Postponement of 2019 Benefit Year HHS-operated Risk Adjustment Data Validation (HHS-RADV)