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At HealthSherpa we provide agents & agencies with tools and resources to easily manage and grow their ACA business. This checklist helps agencies manage required setup steps to get started on HealthSherpa and prepare for ACA enrollments.
Agents who are new to the ACA space should review New to ACA? HealthSherpa is here to help prior to beginning the steps outlined below.
Steps outlined below are not required for every account type offered by HealthSherpa.
☐ Step 1: Make sure your agents get certified
Marketplace certification is required each year to sell ACA plans for the upcoming plan year. Certification requirements vary by state and is required for each agent who plans to sell ACA coverage.
If selling in states utilizing a "State-based marketplace using the federal platform" or a "Federally-facilitated marketplace:"
If selling in states utilizing a “State-based marketplace:"
Review the list of State-based exchanges
Select the state’s exchange website listed in bullet three to locate Marketplace certification instructions
Marketplace certification is not required for HealthSherpa Enrollee Assistance Full-Service account types.
☐ Step 2: Get your agents appointed
Carrier appointments are required if you plan to sell plans on a carrier’s behalf.
Appointment requirements often vary by state, by carrier, & by line of business (example: ACA vs. Medicare)
Appointments are secured by reaching out to carriers directly
There is often a broker or producer section of a carrier website, which can be a helpful starting place
Helpful resources:
Carrier appointments are not required for HealthSherpa Enrollee Assistance Full-Service account types.
☐ Step 3: Create or log in to your HealthSherpa account
HealthSherpa allows licensed agents to choose from three account types when working to connect consumers to Affordable Care Act (ACA) coverage.
Only certain HealthSherpa account types that are not already linked to an agency can create an agency account. Additionally, some HealthSherpa accounts can only be linked when the account types match.
Account creation is free and often takes only a few minutes.
☐ Step 4: Link agents to your agency hierarchy
An agency can organize its downline several different ways to form their desired agency hierarchy. Agency administrators have visibility into the agency downline and control over certain agent settings.
Individual agent accounts can be linked to an agency as well as separate agency accounts.
☐ Step 5: Make sure your agent have active FFM account integration
CMS requires agents using HealthSherpa (and all EDE partners) to have active integration with their FFM account. Agents without an active integration will not be able to search the Marketplace, submit applications, or view clients.
FFM account integration is a quick and easy process that is seamlessly built into the sign in flow.
FFM integration is not required for HealthSherpa Enrollee Assistance Full-Service account types or for agents only selling in states that utilize a State-based marketplace (SBM).
☐ Step 6: Make sure your agents enable Enhanced Direct Enrollment (EDE)
Enhanced Direct Enrollment allows agents to complete ACA enrollments directly in HealthSherpa, submit follow-ups, manage updates, and more. This allows agents to work without leaving the platform. To enable EDE:
Log in to the HealthSherpa account
Click Enable EDE at the top of the dashboard
Complete the required identity verification steps
Agents who are not FFM certified but are certified to sell within a supported state-based marketplace (example: Georgia) should contact Agent Support. Agent Support will manually complete identity verification so agents may proceed.
Enabling EDE is not required for HealthSherpa Enrollee Assistance Full-Service account types.
☐ Step 7: Review available bonus programs
Agents have various ways to earn bonus dollars for enrollment activity within HealthSherpa. Bonus programs are managed by individual agents.
The Bonuses page is home to the Enrollee Assistance Program, Medicare Referrals, Broker Bonuses, & the Associates program.
The Enrollee Assistance Program (EAP) allows agents to partner with HealthSherpa to provide application assistance, enrollment support, and ongoing consumer support. If EAP is enabled:
Agents select the carriers for which EAP is enabled
Applications submitted using EAP are processed using HealthSherpa’s NPN
Applications not submitted using EAP are processed using the agent's NPN or Override NPN
HealthSherpa compensates participating agents at the time of enrollment. Additional compensation may apply if consumers remain enrolled for a defined period.
Enabling EAP is not applicable for HealthSherpa Enrollee Assistance Full-Service account or carrier-specific account types.
Agents remain responsible for complying with all applicable state insurance laws regarding licensure and appointment. The EAP may not be used to circumvent state laws that require agents to be appointed with a carrier in order to discuss that carrier’s plans with a consumer. EAP functionality is disabled in certain states, and not all carriers participate in the EAP.
☐ Step 8: Review bonus payout structure
When agents opt into HealthSherpa bonus programs, bonus dollars are paid directly to the individual agent by default.
Primary agency administrators can choose to have bonus dollars earned by direct downline agents paid at the agency level instead. This allows agencies to distribute bonuses to downline agents based on internal agreements.
☐ Step 9: Update carrier settings
The Carriers tab allows agents to manage licensed states, indicate carrier appointments, and manage EAP carriers when EAP is enabled. The Carriers tab can be accessed from the Settings page or the Bonuses page.
The Carriers tab is not available within HealthSherpa Enrollee Assistance Full-Service account or carrier-specific account types.
☐ Step 10: Get to know the agency page
The Agency page is where agency administrators, also known as agency admins, manage agency level tools in the HealthSherpa dashboard. The page is broken into several tabs so administrators can manage key workflows, view reporting, and control certain agency settings in one central place.
☐ Step 11: Attend a training session
HealthSherpa offers multiple training options to help agents feel confident using the platform.
Office hours are available for new agents and include:
A live product demonstration
Live support from the Agent Success team
Additional training is available for all agents, which can be accessed from the agent training page.
☐ Step 12: Set up a branded enrollment website
Each HealthSherpa account comes with a branded enrollment website to help connect agents with consumers and support enrollment activity. The branded enrollment website allows consumers to complete the enrollment process independently, saving agents time and providing a helpful tool for marketing and promotion.
To set up a branded enrollment website:
Go to the Marketing page within the HealthSherpa dashboard
Customize the landing page
Share the unique enrollment link with consumers
Admins may choose to instruct downline agents to share a marketing link associated with an admin account instead of individual marketing links.
Carrier settings are not applicable for HealthSherpa Enrollee Assistance Full-Service account or carrier-specific account types.
☐ Step 13: Upload a book of business
Agents with an existing book of business may upload client & lead records into HealthSherpa. Uploading a book of business helps agents manage consumers, report changes, and process renewals in one place.
To upload a book of business, select the Import button from the Clients & Leads pages within the HealthSherpa dashboard, then follow the on-screen steps.
☐ Step 14: Start enrolling consumers
With setup complete, agents are ready to support ACA enrollment activity using HealthSherpa.
HealthSherpa helps support enrollment by providing:
Simple plan comparison and sharing tools
Fast, accurate subsidy estimates
Provider and prescription search tools
Streamlined renewal experiences
The platform is designed to make the enrollment experience easier and more efficient, while supporting different enrollment models based on account type.
Additional resources
For help using HealthSherpa or for other assistance, contact Agent Support. Agent Support is available by phone at (888) 684-1373, by email at Agent_Support@HealthSherpa.com, or by chat directly from your account.
For agency specific needs, contact our Agency Success team at Agency.Success@HealthSherpa.com.
Monthly newsletter: Agents can watch for the monthly newsletter, which highlights new product features, helpful resources, Marketplace insights, ACA news, and more.