Overview

Assister Portal Benefits and Features

The assister portal integrates processes across MNsure's other IT systems, such as identity management and qualified health plan enrollment. Through the assister portal, consumers can authorize a MNsure-certified broker, navigator or CAC to seamlessly submit an application and enroll in coverage on their behalf.

Key elements of the assister portal:

• "Manage Assister" feature in the consumer's online account that enables them to authorize an assister, view assister details, and change or remove an assister.
• Assister dashboard which allows assisters to view their associated consumers and act on their behalf to apply and enroll in health insurance coverage.
• A MNsure internal resource manager role with authority to create and manage assister accounts.

Acting on Behalf of the Consumer

Access to the assister portal is available to all actively certified brokers, navigators and CACs.

• The assister portal can be used to help a consumer apply and enroll if an assister is meeting in-person, talking over the phone or following up after an appointment.
• A consumer can associate with an assister at any time in the process – before, during or after an application has been submitted.
• If the consumer has forgotten their password or encounters a technical issue, an assister can start or resume their application using the assister portal.
• When traveling for an appointment may be inconvenient, the assister portal allows an assister to help a consumer with their application and enrollment without ever needing to meet in person.
• If a consumer realizes they forgot information necessary for the application or wants some time to think about which plan to select, they don't need to come back to an assister's office to complete the process.
• Since an association continues until a consumer ends it, assisters can continue to help consumers through future benefits.

Associating with a Consumer

Even if the consumer submits an application or enrolls in a plan using their own account, there are still important reasons for assisters to ask all their clients to associate with them:

• Assisters can keep track of clients in a secure environment.
• Assisters can see when a consumer submitted an application, what their initial determination was and if they enrolled in a QHP.
• For brokers, associations made through the assister portal streamline the Agent of Record process.
• For navigators, associations made through the assister portal streamline the navigator per-enrollee payment process.

Limitations of the Assister Portal

The assister portal is an important tool for helping consumers however, there are some things that cannot be done using the portal:

• Only applications with financial assistance can be completed through the assister portal. Applications without financial assistance cannot be completed through an assister portal association.
• The assister portal only shows the initial status of a consumer's application. It may be necessary to contact the ARC or Broker Service Line if updates have been made to an application.
• Consumer notices are not visible through the assister portal. To check the current status of a consumer's application, the consumer will need to log into their own account to view notices or MNsure-certified assisters can contact the ARC or Broker Service Line.
• Assisters who want to be disassociated with a consumer cannot do so online. You must contact the ARC or Broker Service Line to process a disassociation.
• The assister portal does not allow assisters to correct errors or report changes to an application that has been submitted. Assister must follow current procedures for correcting application errors or reporting life event changes.