Off-exchange vision plan shopping is available in the HealthSherpa account and allows agents to submit a stand-alone vision enrollment.

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The term exchange refers to the Marketplace, either the Federally-facilitated Marketplace (FFM) or a State-based Marketplace (SBM). Off-exchange vision plans do not go through the Marketplace and are not subsidy eligible.

Off-exchange vision plans are stand-alone policies. They are not a vision benefit attached to a medical plan. A consumer does not need a medical plan enrollment submission in order to enroll in off-exchange vision coverage.

Enrollment submission for off-marketplace plans begins with plan shopping. Use the quoter to review available plans with the consumer, then use discovery questions to narrow options and identify a plan that fits the consumer’s needs.

After a plan is selected, complete the consumer’s off-marketplace application to submit the stand-alone vision enrollment.

Off-exchange vision plans are currently available in HealthSherpa for select carriers and states.

Agents must be appointed with the carrier to sell off-exchange dental plans on the carrier's behalf.

Agents can start plan shopping at any time by clicking the drop-down menu on the Quote button and selecting Quote Off-Ex Vision.

Enter the consumer's information into the quoter.

BCBS Michigan vision coverage is available for adults age 19 and older on the coverage effective date. If anyone included in the vision quote is under age 19, BCBS Michigan vision plans do not display.

Plan results display below the quoter after the consumer's information is entered.

To review a plan in more detail, click Plan details on the plan card. When available, the Plan details page also includes official carrier documents.

Some vision plans bill annually. For these plans, HealthSherpa displays the monthly equivalent for comparison, along with the annual amount the consumer will be billed.

Plan results can be filtered to narrow options based on the consumer’s needs. Start by identifying the consumer’s priorities and how they expect to use coverage.

Use filters & official carrier document to align plan results to the consumer’s needs.

From plan results, agents can save a quote or share plan options with a consumer.

Plan shopping and the off-marketplace application are distinct parts of the flow that culminate in an enrollment submission.

Select Enroll on a plan card to continue with the enrollment submission flow.

Off-exchange vision plans can be sold year-round and do not require the consumer to be within an enrollment period to enroll.

Consumers who start plan shopping or start an off-marketplace application but have not submitted an enrollment display on the Leads page. After an enrollment is successfully submitted, the consumer moves to the Clients page.

No. Off-exchange vision plans are stand-alone policies with a separate application and premium. They are not a vision benefit attached to a medical plan.

Payment is not collected inside the HealthSherpa application. After the application is submitted, the success page displays Pay Premium. Select Pay Premium to open the BCBS Michigan payment page in a new tab, where the consumer can pay the first premium.

Coverage is not confirmed until the carrier processes the enrollment and the required payment.

BCBS Michigan vision plans are only available in Michigan for adults age 19 and older on the coverage effective date. If the quote includes anyone under age 19, or if the ZIP code is outside Michigan, BCBS Michigan vision plans do not display.

Off-exchange vision plan quoting may not be available for all HealthSherpa account types. If Quote Off-Ex Vision does not display in the Quote drop-down, it typically means the functionality is not available for that account type or the agent is not licensed in any of the supported states.

When using an agent's marketing link, consumers can only complete on-exchange enrollment submissions. Off-exchange plans in HealthSherpa are only available to agents.

For help using HealthSherpa or for other assistance, contact Agent Support. Agent Support is available by phone at (888) 684-1373, by email at Support@HealthSherpa.com, or by chat directly from the HealthSherpa account.