Dec 172013
When the federal Exchange was launched on October
1, 2013, online enrollment in the federal SHOP was not
available and employers were encouraged to submit paper
applications, with the promise that online enrollment would be
available later in the Fall. On November 27, 2013, the Obama
administration said that online enrollment in the federal
SHOP exchange will not be available until the 2015 open
enrollment period in November 2014. This latest delay only
applies to the federally run SHOP exchanges. States, such as
New York, that operate their own Exchanges will still be able
to offer online enrollment.
What does this Mean for Employers?
Rather than enrolling in the federal SHOP online, small
employers will enroll through an agent or broker, or directly
with an insurer. Agents and brokers will help employers fill
out paper applications for SHOP coverage that will be sent
to the federal Exchange. For your convenience, a fillable
PDF of the SHOP Paper Application for Employers can be
found at http://www.emersonreid.com/docs/Shop-Paper-
Application-Employers.pdf. Once the paper application has
been sent, employers are not required to wait to hear back
before beginning to enroll employees. The application is
only needed to qualify for a Small Business Health Care Tax
Credit. Employers can also fill out their own applications. For
additional information on this “direct enrollment process,” visit
the FAQs at http://marketplace.cms.gov/getofficialresources/
publications-and-articles/faqs-on-shop-enrollment.pdf.