Navigators beat agents in fight for young PPACA exchange plan buyers

But, for now, the official public exchange websites and call centers seem to be the big gorillas: 52 percent of the exchange QHP users in the sample said they shopped for their QHP coverage on an exchange website, and 21 percent said they got help from an exchange call center.

Navigators and producers were midsize players: 14 percent of the QHP users in the samples said they sought in-person help from a navigator, and 12 percent used agents or brokers.

Ten percent shopped for coverage through an insurance company website. Just 3 percent bought their coverage from an insurance company call center, and only 1 percent bought coverage from the new, much-publicized brick-and-mortar health insurance stores.

Agents and brokers may have sent the exchanges older applicants than the navigators did.

Agents and brokers brought in 87 percent as many QHP applicants as the navigators did for the 55-and-older age group; 80 percent as much for the 35-to-54 age group; and only about 68 percent as much in the 18-to-34 age group, according to the Deloitte survey data.

See also: Health insurers choose their pipes