Cigna Joins the HealthCare.gov Super Broker Team

HealthCare.gov managers have announced the names of six new super web brokers, and Cigna Corp. is one of the companies that has achieved that status.

Cigna and the other five companies on the new list can serve as “enhanced direct enrollment ” (EDE) partners for HealthCare.gov.

(Related: HealthCare.gov Managers OK First Super Broker)

Earning the EDE designation means that the companies have met the security requirements and other requirements imposed on companies that want to connect their online health insurance sales systems directly to the federal Affordable Care Act exchange plan application verification system.

Cigna and the five other new EDE partners can help consumers sign up for Affordable Care Act exchange plan coverage, with ACA premium tax credit subsidies, directly through their own websites, without handing the consumers off to HealthCare.gov.

The EDE partner companies can do that by embedding an “application programming interface,” or connection to the federal ACA exchange application verification system, on their websites.

HealthCare.gov managers named the first EDE partner, HealthSherpa, in December. HealthCare.gov now has a total of seven EDE partners, and it appears to be processing more EDE partner applications.

GetInsured, a web broker, says on its website that it’s applying to be an EDE partner.

In the past, HealthCare.gov web brokers had to pass health insurance shoppers who qualified for ACA premium tax credit subsidies over to HealthCare.gov. Web brokers rarely managed to keep their producer numbers attached to those shoppers’ applications.