Did You Use a Web Broker to Enroll Clients on the Exchange this Year? How Did to Go?

[Sherota1]

Did you use a web broker we to do direct enrollments this year such as GoHealth, ACA Express, INXS Cloud or HealthSherpa? What did you like or dislike? Would you do it again?
I used ACA Express for most submissions. It was very easy to use.I like that I did not need to create an account for applicants with no computer skills which helped me to do most of my applications right over the phone. No screen sharing. I liked that I could see if someone looked at my agent portal and from what states they were from. It even showed the number of people who looked at it from a given state. I love the export feature which allowed me to download a copy of my client list in csv or excel so I have access to my client information even if I'm offline.
An issue that I encountered with INXS Cloud, ACA Express and HealthSherpa was it displayed the wrong carrier information for Fairfax County VA. I showed Anthem plans for the entire county which forced me to use Healthcare.gov whenever I had to do an application in that county. The carrier territories Anthem and CareFirst are divided by a street and your zone is determined by what side if that road your address falls on not by the zip code or the county so I hope CMS corrects this issue for the web broker entities next year.
Also using a web broker did not completely solve my NPN not transferring to the carriers even though the Marketplace says the information is there.

 

[russelltw]

Used Healthsherpa. Was a little rough at the beginning, but smooth sailing afterwards. Hope to use it during SEP if the Feds will let them. I tested them out last summer during SEP. It was nice then, it is nicer now. The $10/app was a no brainer for me.

 

[yorkriver1]

My FMO is a web broker. At first I balked at using the portal because their system is a bit wonky with some outlier situations, such as writing children only. Had to contact Marketplace on apps that were started. One of my backstops is getting many of my clients to name me as authorized rep on their acct.
I had to rely on Marketplace to enroll some on the deadline nights when web broker portal stopped working. Still, it's a good thing, and I can look up clients there, upload exchange required docs, view eligibility results, etc.

 

[AllenChicago]

March 5, 2015

FFM registered Web Brokers must offer Dental for 2016, and additional features, according to this guidance chart put out by Healthcare.gov / CMS last week.

https://www.regtap.info/reg_librarye.php?i=814

 

[Yagents]

WBE Rules of the road explained:

How Web brokers can share their HealthCare.gov pipelines | LifeHealthPro

 

[YouGotMyMoney]

WBE Rules of the road explained:

How Web brokers can share their HealthCare.gov pipelines | LifeHealthPro

Interesting the bit about charging fees

 

[Yagents]

What service can one provide outside exchange agent role?

The officials then reversed the command that Web brokers should not charge QHP enrollees a service fee, by adding, "Unless: Permitted under state law [and] the fee is reasonable and for a bona fide service of value that goes beyond the traditional assistance" provided by a HealthCare.gov exchange agent.

 

[FLM2]

Another article (and linked in this one) provides an estimate of a broker 'value' as $41 per hour-this would suggest that a full time health insurance agent working 40 hours per week should net $85,000 per year:
How Web brokers can share their HealthCare.gov pipelines | LifeHealthPro

 

[taterpeeler]

hahah... who on here only worked 40 hours a week during enrollment.... try more like 110 or more a week....

 

[FLM2]

hahah... who on here only worked 40 hours a week during enrollment.... try more like 110 or more a week....

None of us worked 40 hours a week during OEP, my comment was based on the entire year, or 2080 total.

It doesn't matter how the hours are distributed as it relates to this $41 per hour 'value' for agents (nor do I necessarily agree with it).