Federal health insurance exchange system managers have taken paragraphs about federal agent and broker oversight out of a batch of advice for health insurers.
The Centers for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (CCIIO) released the final version of the guidance for health insurers today.
CCIIO (pronounced "Sih-Sighyo"), is an arm of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), which is, in turn, an arm of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
In both a draft issued in early March and the final version, CCIIO officials said "federally facilitated exchanges" (FFEs) — exchanges run fully or partly by HHS hope to work as closely with agents and brokers as state laws allow.
CCIIO said state insurance regulators, not HHS, will be in charge of applying any agent and broker compensation standards.
The only thing HHS has to say about exchange broker compensation is that the health insurers selling coverage through an exchange should pay the same commissions for a plan sold both inside and outside the exchange, officials said.
