Health insurance agents and brokers now face new identity checks and consent requirements before they can act on a HealthCare.gov application. The rules take effect ahead of open enrollment for 2027 coverage, which begins Nov. 1. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) also froze registration of new brokers through Feb. 1, 2027, under an interim final rule in the Federal Register that took effect Sept. 22 and is open for public comment until Nov. 21.
The changes land weeks before millions of people shop for plans. For households that use a broker, they limit what the broker can do without a consumer's direct approval. For people who enroll on their own, they add protections against someone quietly attaching a broker to their account.
