 |
|---|
|
|---|
 |
|---|
Dear , Here we are, only a month away from Open Enrollment already! We've got a robust issue of your newsletter this week with Certification reminders, new subsidy information, Open Enrollment 14 Call Center Hours as well as the dates and times of Plan Year 2027's Virtual Broker Training; we hope to see you there! Sincerely,
Your Broker Support Team
(
contact
) |
|---|
New and Updated Topics this WeekPlan Year 2027 Virtual Broker TrainingIt’s that time of year again! Our annual Virtual Broker Training Session for Plan Year 2027 will be taking place on the following dates and times:
Come prepared for a wealth of knowledge and bring any questions you may have! Early Childhood Educators Financial HelpConnecticut is offering new financial help just for Early Childhood Educators. Qualifying educators working at licensed Connecticut child care centers, group child care homes and family child care homes can get between $1,000 and $1,200 a year to help lower the cost of health insurance through Access Health CT. Please note: preschool teachers working for a public school program are not eligible. The financial help is based on household income and will be available starting on January 1, 2027. Educators will be able to see the new state subsidy when window shopping for plans starting on October 16 and during Open Enrollment which starts on October 23. IMPORTANT: Early Childhood Educators must register for the Office of Early Childhood Professional Registry at oecregistry.org BEFORE applying for health insurance. The application will ask for their registry number. The subsidy can also be used with small group health plans offered by an early childhood education employer and with CHOICE Arrangements, also called Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements (ICHRA). Eligible early childhood education employers who set up a CHOICE Arrangement may also be able to get a tax credit! See below for more details. New State Tax Credit to Help Small BusinessesAccess Health CT Announces State Tax Credit to Help Small Businesses Offer Health InsuranceUp to $5 million in tax credits are available statewide, with tax credits offered on a first-come, first-served basis. HARTFORD, Conn. (Sept. 9, 2026) – Access Health CT (AHCT) announced a new financial incentive to help Connecticut small businesses offer health insurance to their employees. Eligible businesses, with 50 or fewer employees, can receive a tax credit of up to $1,000 per employee per year when they offer a CHOICE Arrangement, also called an Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement (ICHRA) through AHCT using the BusinessPlus platform. The credit is available for the first two consecutive years an employer offers a CHOICE Arrangement/ICHRA. This incentive was proposed by Governor Ned Lamont and approved by the Connecticut General Assembly during the 2026 regular legislative session. A CHOICE Arrangement is an allowance-based health benefit that gives employers a flexible and cost-effective way to contribute toward their employees’ health insurance. How it works:
Access Health CT is the only place business owners can access the tax credit. “This new tax credit gives Connecticut small businesses another reason to take a closer look at the health benefits available to them through BusinessPlus,” said Access Health CT Director of SHOP and Product Development John Carbone. “Our team is here to help employers understand ICHRA, learn more about the tax credit and explore whether it could make sense for their business and employees.” Help is available Employers wishing to set up a CHOICE Arrangement/ICHRA through AHCT BusinessPlus or learn more about the tax credit can visit AccessHealthCT.com/BusinessPlus. They may also call 1-860-241-8445 for assistance. Guardian AppointmentsWe’ve seen a handful of Brokers run into an issue when getting their appointments for Guardian. To ensure your appointment carries over and shows as ‘Active’ in State Based Systems (SBS), please make sure to specify that you want to be appointed in CT and you should not have this problem.Call Center Hours for Open Enrollment 2027Our call center hours of operation for this Open Enrollment season have been announced: The Broker Academy Mentorship SpotlightEvelyn Alejandro Written by Broker Academy Mentor Sheri Wright: I invited Evelyn [my mentee] to volunteer with me at our local food pantry in Lakeville, The Corner Food Pantry. I have volunteered there before, but it brought me full circle in understanding what it truly means to give back.
Thirty years ago, my mother moved our family to this area as a single mother raising seven children. As a child, I remember going to The Corner Food Pantry on Saturday mornings, signing in, and patiently waiting our turn to choose the items our family needed.
I never viewed it as a place of shame. I remember it as a place of kindness, dignity, and support. They even had crayons and coloring books available for children while families waited. Walking through those same doors now brought back those cherished memories and reminded me just how far my family has come.
My mother has always said, "You have to creep before you walk." Today, those words carry even greater meaning. They remind me not only of everything she sacrificed but also of how much we have both accomplished.
Being a mentor is about far more than teaching someone how to perfect their craft. It is about inspiring others to learn, grow, become their best selves, and understand the importance of giving back to the communities that helped shape them.
I know Evelyn will become an outstanding insurance broker because she genuinely cares about people. Her desire to serve her community shines through in everything she does. Technical skills can be taught, but compassion, integrity, and a servant's heart are what truly make an exceptional broker, and I am honored to help guide her toward achieving her goals and to watch her continue to grow. |
|---|
Watching Evelyn walk into the pantry was like watching a light fill the room. She was eager to learn how everything worked and immediately asked what needed to be done to prepare for the families. Once distribution began, she jumped right in. She packed groceries, translated for community members, made everyone laugh, and quickly became part of the team. The volunteers and families genuinely enjoyed interacting with her. Seeing her serve others with such compassion confirmed what I had already begun to see throughout this mentorship journey.Reminder! Certification for 2027Certification for the 2027 plan year has now begun! You now have access to Noverant, our Learning Management System (LMS) to complete your training and assessment. ALL assigned modules must be completed before you begin your assessment.
We require all Brokers to have their appointments and licensure renewals in place BEFORE we send out agreements to be signed. Please refer to the checklist we have created below.
Broker Checklist for AHCT Certification
Once all the above requirements are met, please send the following information to: [email protected]
The Broker support team will confirm all the required credentials are met. Once that is complete, you will receive a welcome letter from Noverant (our training system) to sign your agreement. After signing your agreement, the training modules and assessment will be released to you.
Questions regarding getting AHCT certified contact: [email protected]
You are allowed two attempts to pass the assessment. You must score an 80 or higher to pass. After passing the assessment you will receive an email from Broker Support with your next steps. |
|---|
Reminder! How to get Appointed with ConnecticareConnectiCare 2027 Broker Onboarding & Appointment ProcessBroker onboarding for Plan Year 2027 is now open. To ensure a smooth onboarding process, all new agents seeking appointment with ConnectiCare Marketplace products for 2027 must first select an approved ACA upline. Once an approved upline is selected, the upline will initiate the onboarding process and send the broker an invitation through the EvolveNXT platform. Important reminders:
This requirement helps ensure agents meet all contracting, appointment, compliance, and compensation requirements prior to becoming Ready to Sell for Plan Year 2027 How can new brokers identify an ACA-approved upline? Currently, the primary way for new brokers to identify an ACA-approved upline is by contacting Molina Broker Services. This information may not yet be available on Connecticare’s website. To ensure timely assistance and receive the most up-to-date list of approved uplines, brokers should email [email protected] or call our Broker Services team at 855-885-3179. As their website is currently being updated, email and calls remain the best resource for obtaining this information. Brokers should be aware that, while they may begin the onboarding process at that time, they must be fully onboarded, appointed, certified, and otherwise approved to sell before writing any business. Commissions will only be paid on business written after the broker is fully ready to sell. What is an ACA upline? An ACA upline is a Marketing General Agency (MGA) that partners with brokers and agencies for Marketplace sales. Brokers seeking to contract through an ACA upline must first contact an approved MGA. Once the relationship is established, the MGA will send the broker the appropriate onboarding invitation and contracting information to begin the process. Agency: Cortes Benefits Consulting LLC Address: 100 Beard Sawmill Rd Shelton, CT 06484 Website: https://cortesbenefits.com/ Contact: Cesar Cortes Email: [email protected] Phone: (203) 368-1086 Agency: JM Harlan Benefit Advisors, LLC Address: 175 Capital Blvd Rocky Hill, CT 06067 Website: www.jmharlan.com Contact: Jeffrey D Oswald Email: [email protected] Phone: (860) 798-6372 Agency: Otis L McQueen Financial Solutions Address: 480 Huntington Turnpike Bridgeport, CT 06610 Contact: Otis McQueen Email: [email protected] Phone: (203) 895-8463 Agency: Main Street Insurance, Inc. Address: 345 W. Main St Waterbury, CT 06702 Contact: Mark Russo Email: [email protected] Phone: (203) 757-5737 Agency: Luis Feliciano Insurance Agency Address: 157 Church St 19th Floor North Haven, CT 06510 Contact: Luis Feliciano Email: [email protected] Phone: (475) 254-9725 Agency: Jesse McDonald LLC Address: 111 River St Milford, CT 06460 Contact: Jesse McDonald Email: [email protected] Phone: (203)-882-9805 Agency: Muni Insurance Address: 211 Chase Ave Waterbury, CT 06704 Contact: Frances Batista Email: [email protected] Phone: (203)-527-3669 Reminder! Open Enrollment ExtendedAccess Health CT will begin Open Enrollment for 2027 coverage in October — more than a week earlier than in years past. Open Enrollment will begin on October 23 and end on January 15, 2027, at midnight. Window shopping, which allows people to get an early preview of plans available for the upcoming year, will begin on October 16, 2026. Customers who enroll by December 15 will have coverage beginning on January 1, 2027. Those who enroll between December 16 and January 15 will have coverage beginning on February 1, 2027. Why did we change the Open Enrollment dates this year? The federal government was requiring us to shorten Open Enrollment and end it earlier. However, a judge has now ruled that we can continue to have flexibility in setting our Open Enrollment dates. This means we can now give people even more time to compare plans and complete their enrollment. Reminder! DSS Outreach to HUSKY D MembersThe Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS) is sending informational emails to approximately 54,000 HUSKY D members. These emails are to alert members that new work rules are taking effect on January 1, 2027. Members are encouraged to complete the pre-screener questionnaire to see if the work rules apply to them. While this is to alert customers that changes are coming, the changes do not take effect until January 1 and there is nothing customers must do now to keep their coverage. DSS is encouraging all HUSKY D members to use the pre-screener link in the email to determine whether future work rules may apply to them. If a customer has questions, they can visit DSS’s dedicated work rules website or their local Community Action Agency. Reminder: Assisting Mobile Enrollment Outreach Specialist (MEOS)If you’re interested in assisting Mobile Enrollment and Outreach Specialists (MEOS) with mobile enrollment throughout Connecticut all year, please review the link below.This will guide you on how brokers can sign up to provide coverage for an existing MEOS appointment with a consumer. Follow the steps to select a location, choose an available appointment and confirm your participation. Note: you will be signing up for a given day and enrolling QHP & Medicaid plans. Keep checking back periodically for updates and new openings! Critical AlertsIf you have questions or problems logging on to BusinessPlus please contact us at [email protected]Make sure to ALWAYS list the correct citizenship or immigration status for each household member that is requesting coverage on an application. They will be asked to provide documents to prove this status if it does not align with the federal data hub. Foreign Passports can be listed on an application but are NOT acceptable documents to verify citizenship. They can only be used to verify Identity. If a foreign passport is listed as an immigration document, the consumer will be given 90 days to provide further verification. If the consumer fails to provide acceptable documentation, coverage will end after 90 days.
DO NOT re-enroll consumers who have lost coverage due to missing or failed verifications. Please reach out to Broker Support for further assistance. Inform your consumers when initial payments need to be made so they don’t run the risk of being terminated for non-payment. Do not re-enroll consumers who have been terminated for nonpayment. Reach out to Broker/CAC Support for assistance on these issues to see if reinstatement may be possible.
DO NOT provide any sensitive information about your clients, such as SSN, in the body of your emails/escalations to Broker Support. At most please only include the last four digits. A name and app ID are sufficient.
If you want to see something addressed in the Newsletter, to be featured in a Spotlight or even suggest a Broker Portal Enhancement, please do not hesitate to Contact Broker Support. |
|---|
|
|---|
We’re here to help…and all help is FREE |
|---|
|
|---|
