Free Trial with EBroker

[craig_ritter]

Given the changes in WBE regulation, I wanted to post an offer to give agents a free trial to test out my ACA enrollment product.

I'm offering a free month of eBroker Software to forum members and readers. This offer expires on 12/31/15. Just use this offer code: insforum2015

We've been doing the double redirect from the beginning (the "proxy" method was not available to us). Double redirect is not a good user experience, it’s gotten better since CMS released version 2.0, but it doesn’t compete with “proxy”. We also support the direct enrollment pathway which is a good enrollment option. Our standard pricing is $49/month (no per enrollment fee) after the free month.

One unique feature we have is that we can provide an API key which allows you to directly embed the quote program into your website (as opposed to linking to the WBE's website with a personalized page). There is a one-time fee of $199 for the API key and an hour of technical support to get the API displaying correctly on your website. We also provide a personalized page for free. If you use Agent Methods to host your website, we provide the API for free, since we've already worked out the technical specifications to get a good quality display.

We're also working on Med Supp rates. It's currently active in the agent quoting section, but not publicly available as we work with each of the states for approval (we've gone through about 25 states, so far). Med Supp will be quote and lead gen (no enrollment, currently).

Finally, we have the only CMS approved Medicare advantage/PDP website (that I'm aware of) available for agent use via link (can't be embedded since it's CMS approved) or as a personal page. We're currently offering that to agents that do Medicare business through my FMO (Ritter Insurance Marketing), but we may extend this to eBroker Software customers who open an account at www.ritterim.com (PM me if you are interested in this). Medicareful.com only does quote and lead gen (no enrollment, currently).

I'm hopeful that CMS will finalize the proposed rule making and begin offering an API to WBE's to facilitate enrollment on the web brokers website. Once CMS documents and supports the API, we fully intend to take advantage of that!!

I'll have some of my developers and agent support staff monitor this thread if anyone has any questions or feedback.

 

[Sam]

Thanks, Craig. This offer has our full approval!

 

[hockeyday]

can we use your site to look up a current app and enroll that person into a new plan, or do we need to do the full app..

 

[llkennedy]

can we use your site to look up a current app and enroll that person into a new plan, or do we need to do the full app..

Whether your client has an existing 2015 on exchange policy (Passive Renewal) or you have started a 2016 application on Heathcare.gov, first you must run a quote on our system, select the plan and be redirected to Healthcare.gov. Once on Healthcare.gov you can locate the existing application and complete the application.

 

[CHUMPS FROM OXFORD]

$49 per month. If it's consumer-friendly, not a bad price. How is EBroker a better option than ACA Express or HealthSherpa (assuming Sherpa offers a monthly option less than $50 in the very near future)?

Thanks.

 

[jbage007]

I tried Craig's software specifically because it was Craig's stuff. That was three months ago and I have since been forced to cancel.

The quoting software itself is not particularly user-friendly. For one thing, it does not provide side-by-side comparisons. In addition, it is very difficult for typical users to ascertain male versus female, and other buttons that should be easy to figure out. As I mentioned more than once to tech-support, it seemed obvious to me that the software had not been written by an actual insurance broker.

The consumer facing quoting engine we had installed on our site was particularly disappointing. It was full of bugs from day one. Instead of running quotes, it would freeze up, time after time. Support kept indicating that they had a ticket, but I needed the stuff fixed, and it never got fixed. (Support ended up believing the problem had to do with WordPress, but all I know for sure is it did not work. At all.)

To their credit, because Craig is such a standup guy, ebroker refunded installation fees and one month's service fee. I had hoped for a spiffy, user-friendly, reliable alternative to Sherpa and Express but sadly, this was not it.

YMMV. Anyone interested should be willing to give the software a try, knowing Craig's reputation for dealing honestly with people. See what you think for yourself.

 

[FLM2]

I don't work through Ritter for any of my carriers or use the eBroker software but it is so refreshing to see a stand up guy like Craig in a business where the norm for FMO's is (unfortunately) the exact opposite.

I am going to give eBroker the rest of this season to finish their development and will probably use them next year (I will certainly try them out).

 

[craig_ritter]

$49 per month. If it's consumer-friendly, not a bad price. How is EBroker a better option than ACA Express or HealthSherpa (assuming Sherpa offers a monthly option less than $50 in the very near future)?

Thanks.

First, let me tip my hat to HS and ACA Express for their innovations. It was hard to compete with their “proxy” while we were using double redirect. Since it seems that’s off the table now, and that was the primary competitive advantage they had, things are more commoditized. Table stakes for WBE’s (in the short run) will be accurate quoting and subsidy calculations, ease of use, stable platform, agent service and a professional looking front end for your clients.

Longer run, I think there will be other features that differentiate the products and different WBE’s will probably go in different directions. Ultimately, I think CMS will bring back the “proxy” method, but will provide it as a secure API with high security standards for its use and then make it available to all WBE’s.

My vision is geared toward building a single platform to assist agents in managing and retaining clients in a variety of products, most specifically, federally-regulated health products like ACA, Medicare supplement, Medicare advantage and Medicare Part D. I’m not there yet, but I’m very pleased to be making big strides within each product category.

On the ACA side, we’ve been using the direct enrollment pathway (primarily) and double redirect (occasionally) for a couple years, so we’ve gotten very good at these two pathways, especially since we never had the ability to use “proxy”.

Finally, my agency has a lot of experience working with the major carriers and CMS over the past 11 years working on the Medicare side. As CMS ramps up regulation on these products (both directly and indirectly through insurance companies), I think that’s going to become a bigger component in operating as a WBE.

So, I wanted to make it low/no risk to try eBroker out. I feel really good about our price point, our future development plans and our ability to service agents and build long term relationships.

 

[llkennedy]

I don't work through Ritter for any of my carriers or use the eBroker software but it is so refreshing to see a stand up guy like Craig in a business where the norm for FMO's is (unfortunately) the exact opposite.

I am going to give eBroker the rest of this season to finish their development and will probably use them next year (I will certainly try them out).

We welcome you when you are ready. We recommend you take advantage of the free offer and for a month try our system alongside with what you are currently using and see how you like it.

 

[craig_ritter]

I tried Craig's software specifically because it was Craig's stuff. That was three months ago and I have since been forced to cancel.

The quoting software itself is not particularly user-friendly. For one thing, it does not provide side-by-side comparisons. In addition, it is very difficult for typical users to ascertain male versus female, and other buttons that should be easy to figure out. As I mentioned more than once to tech-support, it seemed obvious to me that the software had not been written by an actual insurance broker.

The consumer facing quoting engine we had installed on our site was particularly disappointing. It was full of bugs from day one. Instead of running quotes, it would freeze up, time after time. Support kept indicating that they had a ticket, but I needed the stuff fixed, and it never got fixed. (Support ended up believing the problem had to do with WordPress, but all I know for sure is it did not work. At all.)

To their credit, because Craig is such a standup guy, ebroker refunded installation fees and one month's service fee. I had hoped for a spiffy, user-friendly, reliable alternative to Sherpa and Express but sadly, this was not it.

YMMV. Anyone interested should be willing to give the software a try, knowing Craig's reputation for dealing honestly with people. See what you think for yourself.

Jbage007,

I appreciate you trying us out and for providing the feedback. I'll always try to "do the right thing" so even through it didn't work out, I appreciate the comments.

Integrating the style sheets of 2 different websites can be tricky, especially considering Wordpress limits flexibility somewhat.

We have had some successes as well. Here is a website we integrated for a major credit union in PA: Individual Quote | Members 1st Federal Credit Union (use zip code 17112)

Here is a sample of how we integrate with Agent Methods: Chelsea Ebroker Demo | Home Page (click get a quote).

Additionally, we can quote side-by-side comparisons now and I think our male/female indicator is a bit more straightforward, so we appreciate feedback!

Thanks again!

Craig