Resources for Agents and Brokers in the Health Insurance Marketplaces

Resources for Agents and Brokers in the Health Insurance Marketplaces

Welcome

Welcome to the Agents and Brokers Resources webpage. This page is the primary outlet for agents and brokers to receive information from CMS about working in the Health Insurance Marketplace and the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP).

Latest News

Plan Year 2024 Registration and Training is Live for New and Returning and Brokers!

Plan Year 2024 Marketplace registration and training is now available for new and returning agents and brokers on the Marketplace Learning Management System (MLMS).

For more Information on Plan Year 2024 registration and training, visit the Registration and Training page.

Medicaid Unwinding

CMS posted the anticipated state timelines for initiating Medicaid unwinding-related renewals as of June 29, 2023. This chart details the expected first month for each state/territory's Medicaid unwinding-related renewals, as well as the anticipated effective date for the first procedural terminations. You can find the chart along with other Medicaid unwinding resources on Medicaid.gov/unwinding.

For more information on Medicaid unwinding and how you can assist consumers during these transitions, view the Agent and Broker Toolkit for Transitions in Coverage (PDF).

Thank you for Attending the 2023 CMS Agent and Broker Summit

Thank you to everyone who attended this year's 2023 CMS Agent and Broker Summit! Whether you attended in-person or virtually, you made meaningful contributions to the discussions and helped to make this an incredibly successful event. The presentation slides from each Summit session are available for download below.

Background

To the extent permitted by states, licensed agents and brokers may assist consumers determine their eligibility for insurance affordability programs, including advance payments of the premium tax credit and cost-sharing reductions, and enroll them in qualified health plans (QHPs).

Agents and brokers play a crucial role in educating consumers about the Health Insurance Marketplace, both during annual Open Enrollment and throughout the coverage year. Agents and brokers may also help employers understand their options for enrolling in SHOP coverage and assist them and their employees through the SHOP application and enrollment process.

Some states have set up their own State-based individual and small business Marketplaces, while the federal government runs the Individual Marketplace through HealthCare.gov and/or SHOP in other states. You can find out if a state is running its own Marketplace by visiting HealthCare.gov and selecting the state from the drop-down list. Agents and brokers can help consumers apply for and choose insurance options in any state in which the agents and brokers have an active state license that is approved for a health-related line of authority, regardless of whether the Marketplace is operated by the state or federal government.

Agents and brokers who wish to assist consumers in the Individual Marketplace on HealthCare.gov and/or SHOP must complete registration and required training on an annual basis—prior to assisting consumers enroll in a plan.

Upcoming Webinars and Office Hours

CMS hosts webinars and office hours throughout the year to help agents and brokers assist Marketplace consumers. For information on upcoming events, topics, and registration, please log on to REGTAP and register for Health Insurance Marketplace Updates for Agents and Brokers under Training Events.

Manage your Email Preferences

Agents and brokers can manage the emails they want to receive from the Marketplace by updating their subscriber preferences. To get started, visit the Subscriber Preferences webpage for HealthCare.gov emails, enter the email address at which you receive emails from CMS, and click "Continue."

To Subscribe to additional emails:

  1. Select the "Manage Subscriptions" tab.
  2. Click the "Add Subscriptions" link.
  3. Select the subscription topics on which you are interested in receiving information.
  4. Complete the Subscription questionnaire and click "Save"

To adjust the number of emails you'll receive:

  1. Select the "Email Frequency" tab.
  2. Complete the subscription questionnaire and click "Save."

If you need additional assistance, contact the Agent/Broker Email Help Desk at FFMProducer-AssisterHelpDesk@cms.hhs.gov.

Additional Resources

For a collection of notices including Eligibility, Special Enrollment Period Pre-enrollment Verification, Cross-Issuer, Data Matching, and Account Transfer notices, visit the Marketplace Notices webpage.

When helping consumers enroll in health coverage, the Marketplace may ask for documents to confirm information on the application. More information for agents and brokers regarding how to submit documents online or by mail.

The Affordable Care Act includes the individual shared responsibility provision and the premium tax credit that may affect your clients’ tax returns. Get more information on Affordable Care Act Tax Provisions for Individuals and Families.

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Page Last Modified:
02/06/2024 06:13 PM