Insurance Exchanges

This three-part document provides a high-level overview of the role of agents and brokers in Federally-facilitated and State Partnership Marketplaces, also known as exchanges. It addresses common questions raised by states and other stakeholders on the role of agents and brokers in all Marketplaces – including State-based Marketplaces.  It also includes process flows for both pathways.

The Department of Health and Human Services has released this funding opportunity announcement for individuals or entities interested in applying to serve as navigators in the federally facilitated or state partnership exchanges.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has released its proposed rule regarding training and meaningful access standards for navigators and other personnel who will help individuals shop for health insurance in the new health exchanges. 

HHS has issued its proposed rule for the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP), which highlights special enrollment periods for the small-business exchanges and proposes policies for facilitating the transition for employers entering the new marketplaces. It also announced that the employee choice and premium aggregation components of SHOP will not be required until January 1, 2015, delaying them by one year.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) released its final rule on how it will administer two multi-state plans (MSPs) on insurance exchanges nationwide. While the final rule has not changed substantially from the proposed rule, it does finalize the provision giving MSP issuers the choice to either offer coverage that meets the standards set by the state benchmark plans or those of OPM’s benchmark plans.