As technical problems continue to hinder consumers trying to enroll for health insurance plans through the www.healthcare.gov portal, some agents and brokers have decided to take low-tech approaches instead.
NAIFA member Ed Anderson of Edina, Missouri, reports:
We have concluded that there is not sufficient time to wait for the federally facilitated marketplace (FFM) to get their online application functional for many clients needing coverage January 1, 2014. We have begun providing clients and prospects with a hard copy of the application, and completing Appendix C so we will receive compensation on the case. For those NAIFA members stuck with clients unable to complete the online process, it is at least moving in the right direction.
There has been some confusion about whether brokers and agents would receive compensation for clients who enrolled in plans using the federal exchange paper application or the FFM call center. The Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (CCIIO) has confirmed that call center operators have been trained to accept the agent’s national producer number (NPN), and Appendix C on the paper application is used to obtain this information.
The Obama administration says that the most serious problems with the ACA website will be fixed by the end of November. Filling out the paper application or trying to get someone at the call center can be time consuming and frustrating, but for advisors with clients or prospects frustrated by the online lapses, they present options.