Thanks to the CMS, you as a Marketplace-registered, state-licensed agent or broker can receive referrals from consumers in need. The online process is known as Help On Demand and is accessed through Healthcare.gov. Learn how to sign up and what to know about this process to get free ACA leads.
What Is Help on Demand?
Help On Demand, run by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), connects consumers who need assistance with Marketplace-registered agents to provide help with Marketplace plans and enrollment. Consumers can access this help by clicking the Help on Demand button at Healthcare.gov then entering their contact information. The system, which works with mobile technology, matches the consumer with an available agent or broker who is licensed in the consumer’s state. The agent or broker receives a notification email, then has 15 minutes to accept the request for help before it moves to the next agent in the queue.
How to Sign Up for Help on Demand
Agents wanting to sign up for Help On Demand must be Marketplace-registered, state-licensed agents or brokers. There are a few steps agents must take before they can sign up for Help On Demand. They include the following:
- Complete Individual Marketplace registration and training and sign privacy and security agreements at:http://portal.cms.gov.
- Complete Help On Demand specific coursework on the Marketplace Learning Management System (MLMS), only available after signing CMS agreements at: http://portal.cms.gov.
- Ensure that they have an active state license and health-related line of authority for the state(s) where they plan to offer assistance with enrollment in Marketplace plans.
- Confirm that their National Producer Numbers (NPNs) are listed as valid on the Agent and Broker Federally Facilitated Marketplace (FFM) Registration Completion List at https://data.healthcare.gov/ffm_ab_registration_lists.
Once an agent has completed their coursework and training for Help On Demand, they will be sent a secure link within two days to activate their accounts, complete their profiles, and begin receiving referrals from customers.
How to Maximize Help on Demand Leads
There are three notification methods you can choose from to receive your Help On Demand consumer assistance referrals. These options are email and text, email and app notification, and email only. Choosing to only receive notifications to your email may result in delays and therefore lost referrals.
You can update your availability by going to the Availability Settings tab. You can specify hours of availability, including closed days and added breaks. You can also manually override your schedule through today’s availability button. Using the out-of-office feature, you can mark yourself down as unavailable for a set period of time.
You can only receive referrals from consumers in states you are licensed in. If you have an active state license in more than one state and want to limit which states you receive referrals from, you can customize your state preferences.
You won’t be penalized for rejecting a referral. Missed referrals will send you a notification.
You’re expected to contact the consumer within 30 minutes of receiving the referral. You’re also encouraged to make three attempts to contact the consumer if they don’t answer your phone call the first time. You can mark the consumer’s status as Not a Good Referral if they could not be reached. You change the consumer’s status under Manage Referrals.
For more lead tips, contact Western Marketing.