The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is recruiting licensed brokers and agents for the health insurance exchanges set to open for enrollment in October. CMS, a division of the Department of Health and Human Services, will begin collecting personal and professional information such as location and licensure status from brokers and agents — a process that has yet to begin.
CMS posted information about this recruitment in last week’s Federal Register in compliance with federal law, but the actual collection does not have a start date. A CMS spokeswoman confirmed that it is not possible to register at this time. According to Marcy Buckner, director of state affairs at the National Association of Health Underwriters, organizations can submit comments about the outlined collection process through April 8, also in compliance with the law. She says the earliest the collection would begin is July 1.
Jessica Waltman, senior vice president of government affairs at NAHU, says this will likely help HHS gauge how many agents and brokers are “out there in the exchange-based market.” And while it doesn’t mean a lot for group insurance-based brokers and agents now, “it means a lot for farther down the road that brokers and agents are included,” she says.
CMS noted in Thursday’s Federal Register that: “A key component of the registration process requiring data collection is verifying the agent/broker's licensure status.”
“This is not a surprise,” says Waltman. “It signals that they intend to work with brokers for individual and small group policies.”
The Federal Register indicates that brokers and agents will be provided a training program, presumably for their role in the exchanges, following the registration. Timing and content of the training was not provided. A spokeswoman from CMS confirmed that this collection is taking place, but noted that information about the role of these registered brokers and agents is forthcoming.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to clarify timing of the information solicitation.
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18 Comments
Posted by: David L | February 19, 2013 12:14 PM
i HAVE BEEN TRYING TO FIND OUT ABOUT :-WHERE TO SIGN UP TO BE A NAVIGATOR FOR THE ACA PROGRAM?i SEE WHAT INFO THEY WANT BUT WHERE DO YOU SEND IT?HAS ANYONE ACTUALLY ENROLLED FOR THE NAVIGATOR JOBS YET?PLEASE SEND INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO DO SO.THANK YOU!
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Posted by: RC77 | February 12, 2013 12:50 PM
To clear up the confusion of "Where do I send my registration/how do I register?", I might add that I think that the author may have accidentally written that CMS is collecting information about agents/brokers through April 8. However, if you read the information from the Federal Register:http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013-02-07/pdf/2013-02714.pdf... it mentions that the documents in the .zip file that everyone's referring to are proposed documents for the proposed information collection regulations, and that you have until April 8th to submit comments regarding the proposed regulations/documents.
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Posted by: Rosanne W | February 11, 2013 4:10 PM
How do I register? Rosanne Wolfe
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Posted by: MARTI | February 11, 2013 4:03 PM
Link is just as hogbear has posted. Try to copy/paste his link in your brouser, it will take you to CMS website. You will see a "download" in middle of the page CMS-10464 [ZIP 1007KB]. Save it to your computer then "open" it. You will see 3 pdf files. Open each and print. Recommend you look at the bottom right corner of this page and register your email address to receive email updates, you will be directed to select your items of interest. I have been reading from Life/Health Pro all day, found HHS's history of using agents in the PCIP effort, they announced May2011 $100 referral per appl but in agent comments some were not paid before "need for agents" was pulled in Apr 2012. By Jan2013 only 82,000 apps of 342,000 expected. Gov't has not even met their requirements of Final Resolution on Basic Health Plans, that was delayed on Fri, comments maybe by 2013, Final Resolution maybe 2014, ready to sell maybe by 2015. That ref to $32 is their idea of what an agent averages per hr and was used to calculate your time spent to past their quicky/zippy registrations & certification, it will cost you an average of $153 of your time (not your monies) to do this. Gov't has no concept of how much/how long you are going to have to explain to these uninsured citizens, and how disappointed they will be once they hear (gross less subsidy = prem they must pay). This reinventing the wheel is difficult, presently Gov't thinks vision/dental are part of major med benefits, last time I looked these are supplemental voluntary benefits. You will have to really really know Health Ins pre-ACA to realize what HHS is trying to create, and what you are expected to sell. You will have to learn their HIX site, HIPPA and all modifications. You will need a network of relationship referrals like you have never attempted before. Colorado thinks they will have to write 800,000 applications every day for 8 months to cover that state. If ACA has you registering by Apr, certifying by Jul at the same time you have to recertify for AEP Pt D, start testing their HIX by Sep, selling by Oct 1, then break from Oct 15-Dec7 for your AEP commitments, go back to HIX Dec8 through about May. Maybe you can survive not getting paid for over a year while HHS verifys your applications. They did not approve Pt D commissions until Sept 2009, 9 mo after AEP ended. HHS might need agents, but we are more like their Cinderalla's. If you can figure out how to do this, then help, but do not expect to get rich, you wont. HHS does not forsee that you will have newly insured calling you for Q&A all year long. Health agents work hard for about 4 yrs to build a base of renewals, then every yr to replace deceased or AOR's lost. HHS will not understand that and you will not be compensated the same in ACA. A GS14-Level 1 who makes $150,000 a year (including benefits) will be incharge/overseeing your effort. Experienced agts already know this, maybe HHS will be reading these comments.
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Posted by: Sid Finkel | February 11, 2013 3:25 PM
I got the link but where is the application?Sid Finkel
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Posted by: Patricia D | February 11, 2013 3:15 PM
Appears that registration/training will be at the exchange portal beginning on or aroung 7/1/2013.
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Posted by: Sid Finkel | February 11, 2013 3:02 PM
Please provide a link to enroll.Sid Finkel
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Posted by: Jason M | February 11, 2013 2:16 PM
Typical government operation. They put out that they are registering agents and the information on the site is just the explanation and samples. I do love how they estimate agents make $32.12 per hour which is about $67,000 per year, but they are going to pay the trainer $89,000 a year plus benefits. I guess I am going to have to fire my two staff since I won't even make enough to cover my cost let alone their compensation. Once day we might look back and say do you remember the good ole days when the unemployment was low at 7.9%. 8%+ here we come.
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Posted by: Patricia D | February 11, 2013 2:12 PM
Ok, so how do you complete the form and submit?
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Posted by: Terry T | February 11, 2013 2:06 PM
I have the link - now what? How do you fill it in and where do you submit it?
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Posted by: JKL | February 11, 2013 1:57 PM
Same question - How do I register?
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Posted by: Gillian Roberts | February 11, 2013 1:47 PM
From the CMS: http://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Legislation/PaperworkReductionActof1995/PRA-Listing-Items/CMS-10464.html
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Posted by: wendi z | February 11, 2013 1:45 PM
Ok I went to the website and downloaded everything to register and in all 10 pages there is not ONE WORD about how agents are going to be compensated. Anybody know if we are doing this for free?
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Posted by: RONALD R | February 11, 2013 1:29 PM
The posted link does not work! Anyone have a working link to apply?
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Posted by: RickB_GA | February 11, 2013 1:04 PM
Ditto on the first two comments ... how about a link?
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Posted by: bedrock | February 11, 2013 1:02 PM
So where do I regester larry levine
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Posted by: hogbear | February 11, 2013 1:02 PM
http://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Legislation/PaperworkReductionActof1995/PRA-Listing-Items/CMS-10464.html
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Posted by: Albert M | February 8, 2013 2:55 PM
How do we go about registering with CMS. Please provide a link.
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