CMS announces enhanced direct enrollment for exchange coverage

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services today announced enhancements to the platform that web brokers use to enroll consumers in an exchange health plan, a process known as direct enrollment. Enhanced direct enrollment will allow these broker websites to connect to HealthCare.gov in a manner that is invisible to the consumer, CMS said. In addition, consumers will be able download exchange notices, get status updates, or follow up on actions they need to take directly through the partner’s website. When each web broker will begin providing the enhanced direct enrollment capability depends on when they finalize their preparations and CMS approves their websites. For more information, see the CMS FAQs.