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Agency accounts

This article explains agency accounts on HealthSherpa.

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Written by Amber Dotson
Updated this week

Setting up an Agency account on HealthSherpa allows you to compliantly link HealthSherpa accounts together in a variety of structures. Agency administrators have increased visibility into the agency downline to better assist with troubleshooting and varied control over certain agent settings. This article will cover:


Agency set-up

Setting up your agency on HealthSherpa is fast and easy. Once you’ve created your agency account, you will decide how you’d like to arrange the folks aligned to you, then assist those individuals (and sub-agencies when applicable) with joining your agency downline.

Creating an agency account on HealthSherpa

Any HealthSherpa for Agents account that is not already linked to an agency on HealthSherpa can be made into an Agency Account. The user who first creates an agency on HealthSherpa becomes the “primary administrator” (aka “primary admin”) for the agency.

You can create an agency during your initial HealthSherpa for Agents account creation by selecting "create an agency account" in step three.

If you already have a HealthSherpa for Agents account, you can create an agency account at any time by visiting your Settings page. Enter an agency name, a phone number for your agency, and select the ‘create’ button to create your agency account on HealthSherpa. Note: you may update the name and phone number associated with your agency at any time by visiting your Settings page.

Here's how the create an agency section looks within the Settings page:

Once you have created an agency account, you will see a “join code” populate within your Settings page. The agency join code listed is unique to your agency and should be used when inviting users to your agency.

Agency Hierarchy

There are two main ways you may arrange agent accounts linked to your agency. You may link agents directly to your agency as “downline agents” or you may link entire agencies to your agency as “sub-agencies” making you their “upline agency.” Here is an illustration that depicts these possible hierarchies.

In this example, Agency A’s downline consists of four direct downline agents and one sub-agency, Agency B. Agency A has visibility into all accounts pictured above, including those aligned under Agency B and C. Agency A controls many features for its direct downline agents, but will not be able to control agency features for Agency B, Agency B’s downline agents, or Agency C.

Linking agents to your agency

Each of your licensed agents will need their own HealthSherpa for Agents account to link to your agency; under no circumstances may agents share credentials. To join your agency, an agent simply needs to add your unique agency join code to their account. Once agents add your unique join code, they'll appear as a downline agent in your Agency page.

Your agents can manually enter your agency join code during their account creation process or they may enter the code afterwards within their Settings page:

You may also invite agents to your agency by using the “Invite agents” button located within your Agency page. The “Invite agents” button allows you to email your agents an invite that includes a unique link directing them to create a new account. Once they click on the link and follow the steps, their new account will automatically be connected to your downline - no manual join code entry required. Here is the window that opens after selecting the “Invite agents” button.

Linking sub-agencies to your agency

If another agency would like to join your downline, they will become your sub-agency and you will become their upline agency. Only the primary admin of an agency can join their agency to yours as a sub-agency.

To join your agency, the primary admin of the agency should enter your unique agency join code within their Settings page.

Once the primary admin adds your unique join code, they'll appear as a sub-agency in your Agency page. Please note that certain agency settings will still be controlled on a per-agency basis.


Important steps

When getting your agency set-up on HealthSherpa, we recommend going through all steps outlined in our Agency onboarding checklist. A few notable steps include determining how you’d like to have bonus dollars paid, deciding how you’d like access distributed among your agents and setting restrictions for certain capabilities, and determining how you would like to leverage your branded enrollment website.

Bonus payouts for agencies

There are several bonuses available to agents within their HealthSherpa for Agents account. One of the bonuses available is the HealthSherpa Enrollee Assistance Shared-Service Model.

By default, HealthSherpa pays bonus dollars earned to the individual agents who earn them. Alternatively, you may choose to participate in our HealthSherpa Agency JMA, which pays these dollars out at the agency level instead of to the agents directly. This lets you disperse payouts according to your agent agreements. If you’d like bonus dollars paid at the Agency level instead of the individual agent level, reach out to Agent Support for more information about participating in an Agency JMA.

Distributing access & setting restrictions

Agency administrators can control a handful of settings that allow you to distribute access to agents in your downline and restrict certain capabilities. Note: Downline agents often need to have EDE enabled in order for you to be able to set these permissions.

From the “Agency” page inside your dashboard you can:

  • Shared Book: Grant agents access to each other's clients and leads

  • Full Book: Grant agents access to your entire agency-wide book of business

  • NPN Override: Give agents the ability to apply other NPNs from your agency hierarchy to their applications and control whether downline agents can use their own NPNs.

  • Restrict export capabilities for direct downline agents

  • As the primary admin for your agency, only you are also granted the ability to:

    • Admin: Grant administrator access (restrictions apply) to other agents in your agency

    • Link your agency to an upline agency

From the “Settings” page of your dashboard you can:

  • Restrict certain post-enrollment email reminders for direct downline agents and clients

  • As the primary admin for your agency, only you are also granted the ability to:

    • Link your agency to an upline agency

Leverage your branded enrollment website

Each HealthSherpa for Agents account includes a free, customizable direct marketing link. When selected, your unique marketing link leads consumers to an enrollment website where consumers may quote to see available plans and even enroll!

When clients enroll through your unique direct marketing link, they are associated with your account and will have your NPN automatically applied to any application submitted. Note: If you are participating in the Enrollee Assistance Program (EAP), the NPN applied will depend on your specific EAP and any alternative Carrier Settings you have in place for respective carriers.

As an agency administrator, you may wish to share your unique link with your agents so that all consumer driven applications are connected to your carrier settings. Consumer driven applications that are submitted using one of your downline Agents’ unique links will follow the carrier settings associated with the respective agent’s account.


Agency tools & features

Agency administrators have access to an Agency page within their HealthSherpa for Agents account. Here, you will find several unique agency tools and features organized into tabs for easy viewing:

Overview tab

The Overview tab is the default landing page when opening your Agency page. From the Overview tab within your Agency page, administrators can:

  • View the total number of agents and clients associated with your agency

    • The Agents calculation includes your direct downline agents, as well as agents associated with your sub-agencies

    • The Clients calculation can include un-submitted people or people who were submitted via another avenue. Note: This is different from enrollments. Depending on where you're looking, enrollments can refer specifically to submissions on the HealthSherpa platform

  • View, search, and access downline agents and sub-agency accounts

  • Distribute access to agents in your downline. Note: Downline agents often need to have EDE enabled in order for you to be able to set these permissions.

    • Shared Book: Grant agents access to each other's clients and leads

    • Full Book: Grant agents access to your entire agency-wide list of clients and leads

    • Admin: Grant administrator access (restrictions apply) to other agents in your agency. Note: This setting is only available to primary admins

Insights tab

The insights tab allows agency administrators to view key performance indicators and metrics associated with their agency. You may view these at the parent agency level or you may choose to include any sub-agencies linked to your agency. From the Insights tab within your Agency page, administrators have access to:

  • Insights overview:

    • Agent EDE adoption rate

    • Enrollment metrics:

      • Total applications submitted

      • Rate of enrollments blocked by the CMS InvalidAction error

      • Total enrollments blocked by the CMS InvalidAction error

      • Average applications per week

      • Average applications per day

      • Total members enrolled

      • Gross premium

  • Enrollment segments:

    • Enrollments by carrier

  • Effectuation metrics

    • Payment statuses

    • Follow-up document statuses

NPN override tab

The NPN override feature lets agency accounts choose EDE-enabled agents from their immediate downline (including the agency admin themselves) and make them an "override agent."

Every agent in the agency can then select from a list of override NPNs at the end of the application. Whichever NPN they choose will be applied to that application. Note: NPN overrides should not be used to avoid state appointment laws.

From the NPN override tab within your Agency page, administrators can:

  • Add override NPNs giving agents the ability to apply other NPNs from your agency hierarchy to their applications

  • Control whether downline agents can use their own NPNs when override NPNs have been designated

  • Remove override NPNs

Exports tab

As an Agency Administrator, you have access to the standard Agent Exports within your HealthSherpa for Agents account as well as unique reports that pull data at the agency level. From the Exports tab within your Agency page, administrators can:

  • Restrict export capabilities for your direct downline agents

    • Enrollments export: Includes plan information, application details, and more

    • Agent roster: Review your current roster of downline agents and sub-agencies, as well as their account settings

    • DMI follow-ups: View Agency-level DMI statuses

    • AOR at-risk clients: Identify clients where the agent of record (AOR) status might be at risk

    • EDE permission revoked clients: Identify clients where EDE permission has been revoked

    • Payouts awaiting consent upload: Contains EAP enrollments at the agency level that need consent before payout can be administered


Managing your downline

HealthSherpa allows you to easily manage both your downline agents and sub-agencies. Agency administrators can manage their downline by:

Viewing downline accounts

When an agent or sub-agency uses your join code to link their account to your agency, they'll appear on your Agency page within the Overview tab.

You may search your list of downline agents by keying their name or NPN into the search bar; and you may search your list of sub-agencies by keying their agency name into the search bar.

Selecting an agent or sub-agencies name will allow you visibility into their account which can be especially helpful when assisting with client escalations. When viewing a downline account, you will notice a reminder banner at the top of the page where you may choose to go back to your account at any time.

Releasing or terminating downline accounts

Releasing an account allows the account holder to keep the associated book of business. Terminating an account provides an opportunity for the agency to keep the associated book of business.

Only the primary admin is granted the ability to approve or deny the release or termination of a direct downline agent or sub-agency account from your agency. To release or terminate a downline account, the primary admin should reach out to Agent Support.


Training videos

If you want to learn more about our unique Agency features, watch a recent overview of these features in English. TIP: using the 'chapters' icon within the video control panel provides viewers with the ability to navigate easily through different sections of the training

  • Review our HealthSherpa Agency features in English

  • You may also recent recordings of Agent Training webinars in English and Spanish here.


Additional Resources

For agency specific needs, contact our HealthSherpa Agency Sales Team at Agency_Sales@HealthSherpa.com.

If you are having any technical issues using HealthSherpa, please contact our Agent Support team at (888) 684-1373, at agent_support@healthsherpa.com, or via chat from within your account.


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