Group Agents — how you can serve clients through lay-offs

Group Agents — how you can serve clients through lay-offs

Like many professions, the group health insurance industry is entering uncharted waters. We’ve already seen record national unemployment levels, and it is unclear how recent amendments to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a part of the CARES Act that offered federal small business loans, will affect the workforce in the coming months. 

We’ve put together a playbook you can download here that gives steps on how to keep your business afloat if your book shrinks.

Download a copy of the COVID-19 Recession Playbook for Group Health Insurance Agents here

Keep reading for an overview of:
- Coverage options after employer provided health insurance
- The HealthSherpa Referral Program: how it works and why you should join
- Best practices for employer and employee client communications

Coverage options after employer provided health insurance

As you well know, employers must offer COBRA to employees who lose job-based coverage.

In most cases, COBRA is not the best option for employees, and it is a strain on your employer clients as well.

There are resources in the COVID-19 Recession Playbook you can share to help guide employees to more affordable coverage. Specifically, it includes an overview of health insurance options after losing employer coverage and a worksheet to determine Medicaid eligibility vs. Marketplace savings.

The HealthSherpa Referral Program: how it works and why you should join.

You are going above and beyond if you provide off-boarding resources. With the HealthSherpa Referral Program, you can get compensated for your service.

Our referral program is straightforward for you and your client. You direct former employees to HealthSherpa, and we’ll pay you $50 for each individual who enrolls in one of your licensed states.

Here’s what you need to get started today:

1. Create a free HealthSherpa Referral Program Account
2. In the ‘Marketing’ tab, you’ll find a direct link and phone number that you can share with your client’s employees.
3. Start servicing these individuals, and share your link and phone number with any laid-off employee interested in Marketplace coverage.
4. Clients can self enroll through the link, or call the phone number to speak with a licensed and certified HealthSherpa Consumer Advocate. Each application written through your link or the phone number will be credited to you.

You can feel confident that you are providing good service by referring to us. At HealthSherpa, we only show Marketplace health plans. We don’t try to up-sell or cross sell your clients to other products. More than 3 million individuals have enrolled in ACA-compliant coverage through our website, and we are a CMS- approved alternative to healthcare.gov.

Best practices for employer and employee client communications

The success of your outreach depends on how you present information to employer clients and their employees.

Here are some email best practices to keep in mind:

Be clear about your role and what you can offer.
You will likely receive a lot of interest from your employer clients and their employees. Make sure you clearly define your role and the limits of what you can do from the start, so everyone knows what they can expect from your help.

Be sensitive and a resource.
This is a stressful time for your employer clients and their employees. Many employees are navigating individual health coverage options for the first time. Give them information that covers the basics (which you can find in the downloadable Playbook), and acknowledge the pressure they are under given the circumstances.

Make deadlines clear.
Former employees have a lot on their plate right now, and health coverage might not be their top priority. Make it clear when their Special Enrollment Period ends so they don’t miss their opportunity for coverage.

If you need more inspiration, you can find templates for emails to your employer clients and former employees in the COVID-19 Recession Playbook for Group Health Insurance Agents.

Start referring to HealthSherpa today

If you already have a HealthSherpa Referral Program Account, you can get your unique link and phone number to share with potential ACA enrollees today. Log in here to get started.

New to HealthSherpa? Don’t worry — it’s easy to get started with a free HealthSherpa Referral Program Account. HealthSherpa is an approved direct enrollment pathway for healthcare.gov, and more than 3 million lives have been covered in Marketplace coverage through our site. Visit our HealthSherpa Referral Program page today to learn more and sign up for an account.