Information on Navigators and Registering
There is Florida law regarding the registering and regulation of the “Navigator” position created by federal health care reform. The law states:
- Individuals acting as a "navigator" under the PPACA are required to be registered with the Florida Department of Financial Services (DFS).
- To be registered as a navigator, an individual must:
- Be a natural person at least 18 years of age;
- Be United States citizen or legal alien who possesses work authorization from the United States Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services;
- Submit the application for registration by answering all of the questions and paying the fees to complete the online application;
- Provide official certification that he or she has successfully completed all required training by the federal government and has been certified by them as a Marketplace Navigator for the current or upcoming enrollment period. The certificate of completion that states it is "not an official certification record" is not sufficient. Please provide the official certificate that has the navigator's unique ID number assigned by HHS and the organization whose grant they are operating under. This certificate can be uploaded in the person's MyProfile account;
- Submit fingerprints for a criminal background check, and
- Certain crimes would either permanently bar an individual from registration or disqualify an applicant for specified periods.
- A navigator is prohibited from:
- Soliciting, negotiating, or selling health insurance;
- Recommending the purchase of a particular health plan or represent that one health plan is preferable over any other;
- Recommending or assisting with the cancellation of insurance coverage purchased outside the Exchange;
- Receiving compensation or anything of value from an insurer, health plan, business, or consumer in connection with performing activities as a navigator, other than from the Exchange or an entity or individual who has received a navigator grant under the PPACA.
- Grounds for suspension or revocation of registration and authorizes DFS to impose an administrative fine in lieu of, or in addition to suspension or revocation.
- Any person who acts as a navigator without registration is subject to an administrative penalty not to exceed $1,500.
- If a navigator registered by Florida DFS fails to maintain an active, valid navigator’s status with the Federal Government, the navigator’s registration issued by Florida DFS shall expire by operation of law. A navigator with an expired registration may not be granted subsequent registration until the navigator qualifies as a first-time applicant.
Navigators are required to adhere to strict security and privacy standards – including how to safeguard a consumer’s personal information. They are required to complete training by the federal government to be certified, will take additional federal training throughout the year, and will renew their federal certification yearly. All types of enrollment assisters – including Certified Application Counselors and agents/brokers – are required to complete specific training and are subject to federal criminal penalties for violations of privacy or fraud statutes, on top of any relevant state law penalties.
Individuals interested in becoming Navigators should contact the entities that are awarded Navigator grants by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for potential employment opportunities. Navigators are not hired directly by the federal government or the Marketplace. General information on the navigator program can be found on the In-personal Assistance in the Health Insurance Marketplace website.
The training curriculum for Navigators is available on the Marketplace website. Please know that completion of the federal navigator curriculum does not automatically qualify an individual to become a navigator.
Certified Marketplace Application Counselors are not required to be registered as a navigator by the Florida Department of Financial Services (DFS) as they are not regulated by DFS. If you are a certified Marketplace Application Counselor, please do not apply for registration as a Florida navigator.
If you are currently registered in Florida as a navigator, you do not need to re-apply, re-qualify, or re-register with the DFS. Please be sure to check your registration status via your MyProfile account. You only need to email your Marketplace Navigator certificate for the next enrollment period to the Department or you may upload it via your MyProfile account.
Health and Human Services Contact Information
If you wish to access information from the Federal Government, such as information regarding the Federally facilitated Marketplace or Health Insurance Exchange, please go to their website at https://www.healthcare.gov.
FFM Agent/Broker Training
Annual FFM Registration Requirements
All agents and brokers participating in the FFM must complete registration on the CMS Enterprise Portal at https://portal.cms.gov (i.e., create an FFM user account, select the agent/broker role, and complete identity proofing) if they have not done so previously.
To continue participation in the Federally facilitated Individual Marketplace each year, agents and brokers must also complete a Marketplace Learning Management System (MLMS) profile, complete the required training and exams, and execute the Individual Marketplace Agreements (i.e., General and Privacy & Security Agreement). To begin this process, agents and brokers must log in to the CMS Enterprise Portal at https://portal.cms.gov with their existing credentials.
To continue participation in the Federally facilitated SHOP Marketplace each year, agents and brokers must also complete an MLMS profile and execute the FF-SHOP Agreement and are strongly encouraged to complete the associated training and exams. To begin this process, agents and brokers must log in to the CMS Enterprise Portal at https://portal.cms.gov with their existing credentials.
Got Questions?
Check out the information our Division of Consumer Services has on its website.