Required Certifications
In order to sell Health Insurance Marketplace (ACA) products you will need to complete the CMS trainings required for each state you intend to write business in.
There are 2 different types of certifications. Federal & State.
The insuructions for both are below.
​
The ACA marketplace is also known as the individual health insurance marketplace or exchanges. It includes the websites where Americans go to buy under-65 health insurance plans.
​
The map shows yellow and blue states. If your licensed state is BLUE, follow the FFM instructions below. If it is YELLOW, follow the State instructions below. You must complete and send us a copy of your certificates to Support@MonarchAgencySolutions.com before your contracting for ACA can begin.
​
Federal
States
FFM
Selling ACA plans in Federal States only requires one annual certification if you are planning on only selling in a Federal Exchange state: the Federally Facilitated Marketplace Certification(FFM). Unlike with other products in your portfolio, carrier certifications aren’t required. Even better — FFM certification is FREE! (Blue on the Map)
​​
For new agents completing the FFM training for the first time, there are 10 training modules and four exams. These four exams are: the Basics, the Individual Marketplace, Privacy and Security Standards, and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. In order to pass each exam, you must score a 70 percent or higher. For returning agents looking to renew their certification, there's a condensed training available. CMS states that this training should only take 90 minutes.
If you are planning on selling plans in states that do not participate in the federal exchange, learn more about your state’s marketplace from CMS.
​
The federal marketplace can be accessed through HealthCare.gov.
However, the federal marketplace is not accessible in all states.
The following states have their own marketplace sites or exchanges:
​
Please use the information below to complete the required trainings. Once you are certified, feel free to submit appointment requests by clicking here.
​
The FFM training can be found here: https://portal.cms.gov/
-
New Agent Slides for detailed instructions to set up your FFM account
The FFM (healthcare.gov) states are: AL, AK, AZ, AR, DE, FL, GA, HI, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MI, MS, MO, MT, NE, NH, NM, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WV, WI, WY
State-Based
Exchanges
These are the Yellow states on the map above.
​
AR: Certification required – no exchange. Please visit www.nipr.com and request Arkansas certification.
​
CA:
-
Individual Agents – Email support@monarchagencysolutions.com and request a CoveredCA account.
-
Agencies – https://coveredca.com/agents/steps/agencies-of-one-or-more/ (additional training required)
CO: Follow instructions here: https://connectforhealthco.com/for-certified-brokers/
DC: Follow instructions here: https://dchealthlink.com/brokers
​
GA: This year GA is going to be operating on the Federal Exchange but it is preparing the switch to the State based exchange model in 2025. https://georgiaaccess.gov/for-partners/agents/
KY:
-
Follow instructions here: https://kyhbe.ky.gov/
-
Agent Welcome Packet and Instructions: https://khbe.ky.gov/Agents-kynectors/Documents/kynectorWelcomePacket.pdf
-
Help Desk: 502-564-0104
MD: Follow instructions here: https://mhbe.force.com/training/CustomCommunityLogin
​
NV: Follow instructions here: https://www.nevadahealthlink.com/brokers-agents-onboarding/
**Nevada only allows NV residents to certify.
NJ: Follow instructions here: https://nj.gov/getcoverednj/home/assisters_ba.shtml
NM: Follow instructions here: https://www.bewellnm.com/getting-started/agents-brokers/
To request access email: Partners@nmhix.com
NY: Follow instructions here: https://nystateofhealth.ny.gov/agent
PA: You need to pre-register on the PA state-based exchange and complete your PA Exchange Authority producer certification training.: https://agency.pennie.com/brokers/
​
WA: Follow instructions here: https://www.wahbexchange.org/partners/insurance-brokers. This application takes a little while to set up (3-7 days) but once you get access it goes pretty quick.
You are required to submit a $50 certification fee before your training will be loaded into your LMS account.
​