Reform Update: Online Insurance Brokers Get to Play on Federally Run Exchanges

Increasing enrollment in health insurance is one of the primary goals of the health reform law. The CMS took a major step to achieve that this week by signing agreements with five Web-based insurance broker firms to help enroll Americans in the insurance exchanges in the 35 states where the federal government will run them.

The participating Web-based brokers each will set up a website that is linked to the state insurance exchange websites. Individuals will be able to enter information on where they live, age and income to determine plan rates and whether the individual is eligible for subsidies. It will be possible for the Web-based brokers to determine eligibility because their sites will communicate with the federal data hub. If necessary, customers will be able to contact a broker, either online or over the phone, for support.

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Source: Modern Healthcare

Earlier this summer, the CMS released draft agreements for Web-based brokers looking to enroll people in the federally run exchanges. It will make available an application programming interface that would let them integrate their websites with the exchange offerings.