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).
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.
Plan Year 2022 Registration and Training is Now Available
Plan year 2022 Marketplace registration and training is now available on the Marketplace Learning Management System (MLMS).
For more information on plan year 2022 registration and training, visit the Registration and Training page.
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 now choose the types of emails they want to receive from the Marketplace by updating Subscriber Preferences. Click here to find out how. To get started:
- Log in to the Subscriber Preferences webpage using the email address at which you receive emails from CMS and your password, if you’ve set one up
- Select the Email Frequency tab
- Next to Send Me Fewer Emails, select the Yes radio button
- Select the Save button
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. Agents and brokers can access more information regarding how to submit documents online or by mail by clicking here.
The Affordable Care Act includes the individual shared responsibility provision and the premium tax credit that may affect your clients’ tax returns. For more information on Affordable Care Act Tax Provisions for Individuals and Families, click here.
