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What is Happening at Pennie:
- Pennie's system went through some updates recently. Learn more below.
- Certified Training Coming Soon – The Pennie Certification Training will be available next month!
- REMINDER: Enhanced Premium Tax Credits Customer-Facing Materials:
- Pennie wants to ensure enrollees are informed early and often about potential cost increases in 2026.
- In late July/early August, Pennie will be sending a letter to customers receiving Advanced Premium Tax Credits. This mailer explains that unless Congress acts, enhanced premium tax credits will be expiring at the end of the year. This would mean prices will be increasing in 2026.
- As a reminder, Pennie created a webpage called pennie.com/costs. This webpage provides education and awareness for enrollees on the potential expiration of the enhanced premium tax credits.
Pennie Application System Updates – For Your Awareness:
Here are some high-level changes in the Pennie system:
Changes to Assister/Broker Access
Pennie has updated its system to prevent Assisters and Brokers from claiming households that already have a designated Assister or Broker.
- This means agents can no longer self-assign to households that are already working with another certified professional.
Maintaining Savings During Medicaid/CHIP Review
Consumers who are waiting for a Medicaid or CHIP eligibility decision can now keep their financial savings (such as tax credits) active until a final decision is made.
- This helps ensure uninterrupted coverage while the Medicaid/CHIP application is being reviewed.
- If the consumer is approved for Medicaid or CHIP, their eligibility will be updated automatically, and their Qualified Health Plan (QHP) will be adjusted accordingly.
- If the consumer is not approved for Medicaid or CHIP, then the system will retain their QHP and financial savings or update their eligibility and financial savings if updated household information was provided by the Department of Human Services.
Automatic Birth Event Logging
Previously, consumers had to manually report a birth through the "Confirm Life Event" process, which sometimes led to missed or delayed coverage.
Now, the system will automatically log a birth if a child is added to the application within 60 days of their birthdate.
- The child’s date of birth (DOB) will be used as the coverage start date for a Special Enrollment Period (SEP).
- Only the new child will be affected by the SEP.
Example:
A family enrolled as of January 1, 2025, adds a newborn with a DOB of February 25, 2025, to their application on March 20, 2025. Since this is within the 60-day window, the birth is automatically logged and the coverage for the child begins on February 25, 2025.
Real-Time Account Activity Alerts
Consumers will now receive notifications when an Assister or Broker makes changes to their account.
- This helps prevent unauthorized or unnecessary updates.
- It also gives consumers the opportunity to contact their Assister/Broker directly with any questions.
Enrollment Dashboard for Assisters/Brokers
A new dashboard feature is now available to Assisters and Brokers.
- It shows total enrollments over three timeframes:
- The last 7 days
- The last 4 weeks
- The last 12 months
- This allows you to track trends and assess performance more effectively over time.
Dental Coverage for Adults with Disabilities
Pennie has improved dental coverage protections for children with disabilities who turn 26.
- These individuals will no longer be automatically removed from dental plans during the renewal process.
- This automation reduces the need for manual corrections and ensures better continuity of coverage.
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