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Agent Onboarding Checklist

This onboarding checklist will help you get familiar with your new HealthSherpa for Agents account.

Marianna Di Regolo avatar
Written by Marianna Di Regolo
Updated over a week ago

Our goal at HealthSherpa is to provide you with the right tools and resources so you can easily manage and grow your business. To get started, we recommend going through the steps outlined in this checklist. Each step will help you get familiar with your HealthSherpa for Agents account so you’re ready to start utilizing the tools, training and support available to you.

If you are new to the ACA space, you may wish to reference our New to ACA? HealthSherpa is here to help article in addition to the steps outlined below.

☐ Step 1: Complete your FFM certification

In order to sell Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance plans, first you need to complete the Federally Facilitated Marketplace (FFM) certification for the most recent plan year. You can get certified through HealthSherpa while also earning free continuing education (CE) credits. If you’re interested in selling ACA plans in a State-Based Marketplace (SBM), you will have to go through that state’s specific training and certification process.

☐ Step 2: Get appointed with carriers offering ACA Plans

The next step is to choose and get appointed with carriers offering ACA health insurance plans in states where you’re licensed. To see a list of these carriers visit HealthCare.gov’s Rate Review page. To learn about new carriers who are entering a state’s ACA market, we recommend checking for announcements directly from that carrier.

☐ Step 3: Create or Login to your HealthSherpa for Agents account

Click here to log into an existing HealthSherpa for Agents account, or create a new account by following these steps. If you’re a part of an agency, make sure to ask your agency admin for their unique "join code.” You can enter this code during the account creation process or after you’ve created an account from within your "Settings" page.

☐ Step 4: Integrate your FFM account

CMS requires HealthSherpa (and all EDE partners) to require agents and brokers integrate their FFM accounts. Agents who fail to do so will not be able to search the Marketplace, submit applications, or view clients.

Integrating your FFM account with your HealthSherpa for Agents account is a quick and easy process and is even seamlessly built into the sign in flow. Integrations last for 12 hours at a time. Click here for more information.

☐ Step 5: Enable Enhance Direct Enrollment (EDE)

Enhanced Direct Enrollment is an exciting technology that allows HealthSherpa to fully integrate with HealthCare.gov. That means you can process applications, submit follow-ups, and track status without ever leaving HealthSherpa — so managing your ACA business is easy and more streamlined. To turn on EDE, log into your HealthSherpa for Agents account, click on the “Enable EDE” button on the top, and complete the short ID verification process.

☐ Step 6: Decide if our Referral Program makes sense for your business

Update as of August 16th, 2024: The HealthSherpa Referrals Program is temporarily disabled. Please contact our Agent Support team at (888) 684-1373 or agent_support@healthsherpa.com if you have any questions.

With HealthSherpa, you have the option to refer applications to us for a referral bonus. If you decide to join the Referral Program, you will be able to set which carriers you’d like to refer. Keeping the carrier list in your account updated is very important because it determines whether an application is submitted as a referral. Fee amounts will vary, depending on region and carrier. For more details, read more here.

You remain responsible for complying with all applicable state insurance laws regarding licensure and appointment. The Referrals Program may not be used to circumvent state laws that require you to be appointed with a carrier in order to discuss that carrier’s plans with a consumer. When referring an application, you also remain responsible for complying with all CMS consent regulations.

☐ Step 7: Update your carrier settings

The “Carrier” menu is where you can add your licensed states and appointed carriers. If you have the referral program turned on, you can also choose which carriers you would like to refer. To access this menu, click on the gear icon located on the top, right-hand side of your dashboard, and select "carriers." Click here for more information.

☐ Step 8: Register for HealthSherpa Agent training

Our team hosts live webinars so you can get familiar with HealthSherpa’s powerful shopping, enrollment and marketing tools designed to help you grow your business. Register for a training session in English or in Spanish.

☐ Step 9: Set up your own branded enrollment website

When you create a HealthSherpa for Agents account, you also get access to your own branded enrollment website. We love this feature because it gives your clients the opportunity to self-enroll and saves you time to focus on other parts of your business. Plus, it’s a great tool for marketing and promotion.

To start using your own branded enrollment website all you have to do is click on the marketing page inside your dashboard, customize your landing page, and start sharing your unique link with clients. Also, all applications submitted through your enrollment website will have your carrier settings applied.

☐ Step 10: Upload your Book of Business

Now it’s time to import your existing book of business. Once you do, you will be able to easily manage your clients and leads, report changes, process renewals, plus more, directly from your HealthSherpa for Agents account. To get started, head over to the “Clients” page inside your dashboard and click on the “Import” button. Then follow the steps shown to upload your existing clients. To upload leads, go through the same process starting from the “Leads” page.

☐ Step 11: Start growing your business!

With your HealthSherpa for Agents account you get access to powerful shopping and enrollment tools so you can: 1. Easily filter, compare, and share plans with your clients. 2. Access fast, accurate quoting with subsidy estimation. 3. Quickly search for providers and prescriptions. 4. Find plans from all carriers in your area. 5. Access pre-filled renewal applications. Plus more! To start enrolling clients, click on the “Quote” button on the top of your dashboard


Questions?

Contact our HealthSherpa Agent Support team at Agent_Support@HealthSherpa.com or (888) 684-1373. We're available to answer any questions that relate to your account, enrolling clients, new policy, plus more. You can also find our contact information by clicking on the question mark icon on the top, right-hand side of your dashboard and selecting the "Support" button.

Agent Help Center: If you have any questions that relate to your HealthSherpa for Agents account, you likely will find the answer here. Our Agent Help Center is made up of over 100 articles, each one providing a detailed walkthrough of the tools, training or support available to you. Click here to visit the Help Center in Spanish.

Monthly Newsletter: Keep an eye out for our monthly newsletter where we share exciting new product features, helpful resources, Marketplace insights, ACA news, plus more.

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