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U.S. FEDRegulation

HHS pauses Exchange registration for new agents and brokers through February 2027

By LexCircuit Desk · · AI-drafted, human-reviewed

The Department of Health and Human Services published an interim final rule on September 23, 2026 (91 FR 60317, CMS-9872-IFC) codifying CMS authority to impose temporary moratoria on Exchange agent and broker registration, and immediately paused Plan Year 2027 registration on the federally facilitated Exchanges for agents and brokers without Plan Year 2026 agreements. The moratorium took effect September 22, 2026 and runs through February 1, 2027 unless CMS lifts, extends or modifies it; comments are due November 21, 2026.

Text (Federal Register) → · Federal Register (full text)

Key points

  • The moratorium pauses Plan Year 2027 Exchange registration for agents and brokers lacking Plan Year 2026 agreements.Federal Register (full text)
  • It took effect September 22, 2026, and runs through February 1, 2027, unless CMS lifts, extends, or modifies it.Federal Register (full text)
  • CMS issued the policy as an interim final rule with comment period; comments are due November 21, 2026.Federal Register (full text)
  • The rule codifies standing moratorium authority at 45 CFR 155.220(o); it does not reach State-based Exchange or web-broker registrations.Federal Register (full text)

Sources2 articles across 2 outlets

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RegulationU.S.HHS ACA Exchange Agent/Broker Moratorium IFCHealthcareInsuranceFor practitionersFor governance