July 2017 Marketplace News for Agents and Brokers 

The MLMS Is Closing for Plan Year 2017

Plan year 2017 Marketplace registration and training for agents and brokers will close, or “go dark,” on the Marketplace Learning Management System (MLMS) on July 21, 2017 at 12:01 PM Eastern Time (ET) as we prepare to launch registration and training for plan year 2018.

Registered Agents and Brokers: Final Steps

If you have already completed plan year 2017 registration and training and signed the necessary agreement(s), log in to the CMS Enterprise Portal and complete the following actions by July 21, 2017:

  • Check that your MLMS profile is up-to-date.
  • Print your Registration Completion Certificate(s) for the Individual and/or Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) Marketplace before 12:01 PM ET on July 21, 2017.

Unregistered Agents and Brokers: Begin Training by July 14, 2017

To be sure your profile is updated before the MLMS closes on July 21, 2017, do NOT sign up for a new plan year 2017 training curriculum (via the MLMS or a CMS-approved vendor) after July 14, 2017. Follow these steps to complete plan year 2017 registration and training:

  • Start your plan year 2017 training curriculum by July 14, 2017.
  • Complete registration, including identity proofing, required training and exams, and signing the applicable agreement(s), before 12:01 PM ET on July 21, 2017.
  • Once you have completed registration, print your Registration Completion Certificate(s) for the Individual and/or SHOP Marketplace before 12:01 PM ET on July 21, 2017.
  • Check that your MLMS profile is up-to-date. Check out this resource for additional information and quick tips.

What’s Your Plan Year 2017 Registration Status?

If you are not sure whether you completed all the registration requirements, the agent and broker landing page on the CMS Enterprise Portal should reflect your registration status for plan year 2017. If you have completed registration, the statuses of Complete Identity Proofing and Complete Agent Broker Training should both be marked as Complete on the Agent Broker Registration Status page. In addition, you can confirm your registration completion on the Federally-facilitated Marketplace (FFM) Registration Completion List. This list is updated as frequently as daily, and provides the self-reported National Producer Numbers (NPN) of agents and brokers who have completed the FFM agent and broker registration process. If you completed registration and don’t see your NPN listed, please check back in a day or so when the new list is posted. Your information should eventually appear on that list, which will confirm that you have completed the plan year 2017 registration process.

Go-Dark Tip: How to Print Certificates

Beginning July 21, 2017 at 12:01 PM ET, plan year 2017 Registration Completion Certificates will no longer be available as the MLMS goes dark to prepare for plan year 2018. If you completed all plan year 2017 registration and training steps, including signing the necessary agreement(s), be sure to print your certificate(s) prior to July 21, 2017 by following these steps:1. Sign in to the CMS Enterprise Portal with your User ID and password. The My Status page will appear.2. The Complete Agent Broker Training entry will show Complete in the Status column if you have completed plan year 2017 training. 3. Select the Print Certificate(s) link and follow the prompts.

SHOP Marketplace Corner

*Updated Rates Available on HealthCare.gov*

The new quarterly rates are in – check out the new state-by-state SHOP Marketplace rate sheets to help forecast the cost of 2017 health coverage for your small business clients. Take the rate sheet for your state with you on your next client meeting and show your clients what the SHOP has to offer. These rate sheets show an overview of monthly premiums by plan category and age group to help you and your clients explore the lowest-cost premiums in your area. You can also help your clients get a custom quote for 2017 plans. Take a look today!

Upcoming Plan Year 2018 Webinars

In the coming weeks, we will host multiple webinars to help both new and returning agents and brokers prepare to complete plan year 2018 FFM registration and training. New agents and brokers, who did not complete plan year 2017 registration and training, are required to take the full training for plan year 2018. As for returning agents and brokers, who completed plan year 2017 registration and training, they are eligible to take the shorter Refresher Training offered for plan year 2018, which takes about half the time to complete!

If you haven’t completed plan year 2017 registration, make sure you start your training curriculum by July 14, 2017 and complete all registration steps before 12:01 PM ET on July 21, 2017 to be eligible. To help you prepare for registration, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) sponsors webinars to share information on topics to help you succeed in assisting consumers throughout the year. Register for one of our webinars to learn more:

“MLMS 3.0 and Find Local Help Updates for Plan Year 2018”

  • 7/19/17, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM ET

“Plan Year 2018 Registration and Training for Agents and Brokers New to the FFM”

  • July 20, 2017 1:00 PM–2:30 PM ET
  • July 26, 2017 1:00 PM–2:30 PM ET

“Plan Year 2018 Registration and Refresher Training for Agents and Brokers Returning to the FFM”

  • July 21, 2017 1:00 PM–2:00 PM ET
  • July 27, 2017 1:00 PM–2:00 PM ET

If you have questions on the webinar registration process, visit the Agents and Brokers Resources webpage for more information. Note: Registration closes 24 hours prior to each event.

Recently Released Resources

Visit the Agents and Brokers Resources webpage for up-to-date information, including these helpful resources:

Quick Tips: MLMS Closing for Plan Year 2017

Agent/Broker Help Desks


If you have any questions, please call us toll-free (888) 539-1633.

Don’t Forget to Follow Us on Social Media

facebooktwitter