Electronic Onboarding

Transcription

1 Electronic Onboarding A SUBPRODUCER S GUIDE & FAQs The manual on the electronic onboarding process via Sircon s Producer Express from Producer Services and Administration Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma, and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, Divisions of Health Care Service Corporation, a Mutual Legal Reserve Company, an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association

2 Table of Contents Producer Express for Subproducers... 3 System Requirements and Compatibility... 4 Internet Browser Compatibility...4 Computing Devices...4 PDF Reader...4 The Invitation... 5 Getting Started... 8 Interview Questions... 9 Subproducer Information...9 Requested States Line of Business E & O Information Selecting Yes Selecting No Background Information Document Uploads Review and Sign Documents Send Request Print Packet Logging Back in to the Transaction Your Welcome Letter Frequently Asked Questions The Invitation Internet Browsers Computing Device Compatibility Passwords Producer Express General Questions Navigation Appointments and Fees Errors and Omissions Coverage Uploading Files Viewing and Signing Documents Updating Your Demographic Information... 24

3 Producer Express for Subproducers Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL), Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico (BCBSNM), Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma (BCBSOK), and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) are implementing an electronic onboarding process for new producers and subproducers to save time and costs associated with paper forms, hard copy mailings and file maintenance. The main tool we ll be utilizing for electronic onboarding is called Producer Express, a Web-based software application designed to help with managing the producer and agency relationship. It automates producer recruiting, onboarding, contracting, activation, re-contracting and maintenance processes. It is owned by Sircon Corporation*, which is a subsidiary of Vertafore, Inc.* Whether you are the subproducer or the recruiter or agency representative helping a subproducer, this manual details the steps required after an onboarding packet is sent to the subproducer. The manual details how the subproducer completes the packet in Producer Express. At the end of the manual are Frequently Asked Questions. Be sure to follow all instructions, and pay special attention to the Notes and Warnings like those shown below. Note: Paragraphs in purple offer suggestions, highlight noteworthy information or offer tips to improve the overall Producer Express experience. Warning: Paragraphs in orange like this one advise caution or provide critical information. If you have any questions or concerns with the onboarding process, please contact the Producer Service Center. Producer_Service_Center@hcsc.net Call , Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., CT Fax Mail Health Care Service Corporation Producer Service Center P.O. Box Oklahoma City OK * The relationship between Vertafore, Inc., and its subsidiary, Sircon Corporation, and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas is that of independent contractor. Producer Express, Sircon and Vertafore are registered trademarks of Vertafore Inc. Apple, ipad, iphone and Safari are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. Microsoft, Windows and Internet Explorer are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Adobe, Acrobat and Reader are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated. Mozilla and Firefox are registered trademarks of Mozilla Foundation. Google Chrome is a trademark of Google Inc. Opera is a trademark of Opera Software ASA. 01/17/2013 This proprietary document is intended for training purposes only. PAGE 3

4 System Requirements and Compatibility Internet Browser Compatibility Producer Express is a Web-hosted application. You will need Internet access to complete the onboarding process. Producer Express is compatible with two Internet browser applications: Microsoft s Internet Explorer and Mozilla s Firefox. If you use Google Chrome, Apple Safari, Opera or another Internet browser application, you may experience compatibility issues. Internet Explorer and Firefox are free Internet browsers. To download one of these applications, please visit their respective websites: Internet Explorer: Firefox: Warning: Producer Express may not be currently compatible with the Apple Safari browser, the browser used on most Apple ipads and iphones. Computing Devices Desktop and laptop computers are the preferred computer devices to use when accessing Producer Express. Some tablets and smartphones, especially if they use Internet browsers other than Internet Explorer or Firefox, can have compatibility issues. For example, Apple products using the Apple Safari Internet browser may experience significant compatibility issues. While some smartphones and tablets may have the ability to access the Producer Express application, especially if the smartphone or tablet utilizes Internet Explorer or Firefox, smartphones and tablets may still experience compatibility issues. PDF Reader When using Producer Express, you will need to review documents that are in the PDF file format. You will need a recent version of Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat to view documents, if applicable. Reader is free and is basic PDF reading software; Acrobat is not free and includes more features and functions. Producer Express supports only the two most recent versions of Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat. Errors will occur if you try to access PDF files using an older version of either software application. To download the free Adobe Reader software or to update it if you have an older version, visit If you have an older version and want to download a newer version, make sure to clear your Internet browser s cache and cookies from your browser settings before accessing Producer Express. 01/17/2013 This proprietary document is intended for training purposes only. PAGE 4

5 The Invitation The subproducer onboarding process begins with Producer Express generating an automated invitation to the subproducer. In preparation of receiving this , subproducers should add to their account s address book, contact list, safe senders or safe recipients list to make sure they receive important Producer Express s. When subproducers access their accounts the same accounts recruiters/agencies used to send the onboarding packets they should open the with the subject title of Your Invitation to Contract with Health Care Service Corporation. The body of the includes a link that launches the Producer Express application. This is a link intended for a specific subproducer. It cannot be transferred or used by another producer or subproducer. Note: Be sure to save this . Its subject line reads: Your Invitation to Contract with Health Care Service Corporation. You may need the link to access your onboarding transaction again in the future. Save this and consider bookmarking the link or saving it as a favorite. Inside the body of the , subproducers should click on the hyperlink to launch the electronic onboarding process in the Producer Express application. At the Welcome to Producer Express page, click on the Get My Password button. Producer Express will automatically a temporary password to the same address where you received your invitation. 01/17/2013 This proprietary document is intended for training purposes only. PAGE 5

6 Warning: When first using the Producer Express system, you have to obtain a temporary password first and then select your permanent password. During this process, do not close the Producer Express application. At minimum, complete all of the steps in Pages 3-5 in one sitting. Go to your account and open the new with the subject, Contracting Information for Health Care Service Corporation. The will contain an eight-character password, randomly generated and unique to the subproducer. This temporary password is only valid for 30 minutes. If 30 minutes lapses, click the Get My Password button to have another temporary password sent. Copy the password from the . Warning: Do not CUT and paste the password from this . Cutting the password will not accurately copy. Instead, COPY and paste the password or type it into the appropriate field in Producer Express. Go back to the Producer Express online system and the Welcome to Producer Express page. Paste or type the temporary password into the Password field under the Already have a password? area of the page. Then click the Continue button. 01/17/2013 This proprietary document is intended for training purposes only. PAGE 6

7 At the Change Password page, the subproducer must change the temporary password to a new, unique and memorable password with the following specifications: At least six characters long Contains at least one numeric character Contains at least one lower case letter Contains at least one upper case letter Note: Be sure to save the password. You may want to return to Producer Express later to view your documents. Click the Change Password button after entering your new password. The Getting Started page opens. 01/17/2013 This proprietary document is intended for training purposes only. PAGE 7

8 Getting Started The Getting Started page contains information on what a subproducer needs to do to complete the electronic onboarding process. Note: While working on the onboarding packet, you can click the Start Over button to return to the Getting Started page. You have the choice of retaining any data you had entered up to that point. Can t finish the onboarding in one sitting? Click the Save and Exit button. The system retains your data, and you can pick up where you left off next time. Be sure to read this page carefully. Click the Start button to continue. 01/17/2013 This proprietary document is intended for training purposes only. PAGE 8

9 Interview Questions The Interview Question tab of Producer Express includes several pages of information: Subproducer Information, Requested States, Line of Business and Errors and Omissions coverage information. Subproducer Information The first page of the Interview Questions tab is the Subproducer Information page, which captures personal and professional information. Many of the fields may already contain the subproducer s information. If this is the case, it is because the recruiter elected to key in some information on the subproducer s behalf. All information entered by the recruiter should be pre-populated in the form and be available for editing. Warning: Make careful note of fields outlined in red. Red fields must be completed before continuing. Complete the form. Once the required fields have been populated with accurate information, a green checkmark appears. Producer Express enforces data validation to ensure there are no errors. The Subproducer Information page of the Interview Questions tab requires the subproducer to enter personal information. The following fields will be pre-populated: First Name, Last Name, Address and Business Phone. Enter all required information: Social Security Number Resident Address Mailing Address, if different from Resident Address Business Address When you are finished, click the Continue button to save the data and proceed to the next section. 01/17/2013 This proprietary document is intended for training purposes only. PAGE 9

10 Requested States The Requested States page of the Interview Questions tab requires you to indicate the states in which you will be selling. The only states you will see are the states that your recruiter has selected on your behalf. You may only uncheck states that are incorrect. Click to uncheck the checkboxes corresponding to one or multiple states in which you will not be doing business, if applicable. Warning: Appointment fees will apply for subproducers wishing to do business in Oklahoma and New Mexico. The fee for appointment in Oklahoma is $30; the fee in New Mexico is $20. Appointment fees will be deducted from the parent agency s commissions. Note: If you deselect a state s checkbox and click on the Continue button, you cannot return to this page to re-select the state. If you return at a later date to complete the onboarding process, all states that have been deselected will no longer appear. When you are finished, click the Continue button to save the data and proceed to the next section. You may also click the Back button to return to the preceding section. Line of Business The Line of Business page of the Interview Questions tab will only appear if Oklahoma was chosen as a selling state on the Requested States page. This page allows you to indicate whether you intend to sell BlueLincs HMO. For the question, Contract for BlueLincs HMO (applicable to Oklahoma only)? select Yes or No from the dropdown menu. Warning: If you select Yes for BlueLincs HMO in Oklahoma, an additional appointment fee of $30 will apply. 01/17/2013 This proprietary document is intended for training purposes only. PAGE 10

11 When you are finished, click the Continue button to save the data and proceed to the next section. You may also click the Back button to return to the preceding section. 01/17/2013 This proprietary document is intended for training purposes only. PAGE 11

12 E & O Information The E & O Information page of the Interview Questions tab requires you to apply your errors and omissions insurance (E&O) information. The subproducer will need to verify if the subproducer is covered under the parent agency s E&O policy or if the subproducer has his or her own policy. Select the Yes or No radio button and click the Continue button to save the data. Selecting Yes If you select Yes and click the Continue button, no additional information is required and you proceed to Background Information page. Selecting No If you select No and click the Continue button, you will need to enter your personal E&O policy information. Enter all required information in the fields provided. Required fields on the E & O Information page are: E&O Carrier E&O Policy Number Policy Effective Date Policy Expiration Date Per Claim Amount Aggregate Claim Amount Warning: When entering dollar amounts into the Per Claim Amount and Aggregate Claim Amount fields, DO NOT enter any decimals. The system will remove the punctuation and merge the values together. For example, if you enter the system will interpret that number as Note: You will be required to upload a copy of your E&O declaration page further in the onboarding process. When you are finished, click the Continue button to save the data and proceed to the next section. You may also click the Back button to return to the preceding section. 01/17/2013 This proprietary document is intended for training purposes only. PAGE 12

13 Background Information The Background Information page of the Interview Questions tab requires you to answer a set of background information questions regarding your state insurance license(s). This page immediately follows the E & O Information page. No answers on the Background Information page will be prepopulated. All questions require an answer. Select the Yes or No radio button for each question. The questions are: 1. Has your license to sell insurance or HMO products ever been denied, suspended or revoked by any state? 2. Have any complaints been filed against you with any insurance regulatory board, agency or department of insurance within the last five years? 3. Have you ever been denied appointment or renewal appointments by any insurance and/or managed care company? 4. Have you ever been a party to a lawsuit relating to insurance or managed care coverage? 5. Have any settlements ever been made on your behalf? 6. Are there any claims or lawsuits presently pending against you? 7. Have you ever been convicted of a crime other than minor traffic violations? 8. Are you indebted to any policy holder, insurance company or managed care company? 9. Is there any objection to an inspection report at HCSC's expense? If you answer Yes to any of the Background Information questions, you will be required to explain each Yes answer, and upload supporting documentation on the Document Uploads page, which follows. When you are finished, click the Continue button to save the data and proceed to the next section. You may also click the Back button to return to the preceding section. 01/17/2013 This proprietary document is intended for training purposes only. PAGE 13

14 Document Uploads The Document Uploads page of the Interview Questions tab allows you to upload supporting and required documents. This page immediately follows the Background Information page. No information will be prepopulated. Required documents are as follows: E & O Declaration Page: A subproducer that has his or her own errors and omissions coverage must upload an E&O declaration page. If you are covered under your agency s E&O policy, and answered Yes to the Are you covered under the Agency s Errors & Omissions Coverage? question on the E & O Information page, then you are not required to upload the agency s E&O declaration page. Background Investigation Explanation: If you answered Yes to any of the questions on the previous Background Information page, supporting documentation or further explanation is required. Include those explanations in a document and upload that and any additional supporting materials here. Up to three additional documents may be uploaded on this page. Typically these are Background Investigation Explanation support documents. When you are finished, click the Upload Files button. Click the Continue button to save the data and proceed to the next section. You may also click the Back button to return to the preceding section. 01/17/2013 This proprietary document is intended for training purposes only. PAGE 14

15 Review and Sign Documents Once you complete all of the pages under the Interview Questions tab, the Review and Sign Documents page will open. This page provides a summary of the forms that you completed and indicates which documents require an electronic signature. Read all content on this page carefully. The following are the documents you will encounter: Subproducer Information Page: This is required for all subproducers. It highlights the information you filled out in the onboarding packet. Sign to approve the information. W-9: This document is required for all subproducers. For subproducers, the W-9 is used as an official document to validate your license information and process any necessary appointments. Signing the W-9 does not entitle a subproducer to direct commission payments. Commissions are paid to a parent agency or producer. New Mexico Addendum: This document is for subproducers selling in New Mexico. This is an addendum to the Standard Producer Agreement, applicable to New Mexico business rules only. It does not require a signature, but must be reviewed. This document is viewable only if you are selling in New Mexico. Oklahoma Addendum: This document is for subproducers selling in Oklahoma. This is an addendum to the Standard Producer Agreement, applicable to Oklahoma business rules only. It does not require a signature, but must be reviewed. This document is viewable only if you are selling in Oklahoma. After reading all content on this page, click the I Agree button. 01/17/2013 This proprietary document is intended for training purposes only. PAGE 15

16 Then an electronic version of the first document (Subproducer Information Page) will appear. Scroll through the document to review. In the signature box at the bottom of the page, with a single click, you can apply a legally enforceable electronic signature. Click the blue Click to Sign button. Producer Express locks your signature in to the document. Once you select the Click to Sign button, Producer Express presents the next document requiring a signature or requiring review. Repeat the review and signing process for all documents. Note: The New Mexico and Oklahoma Addendums do not require signatures so you will not see the blue Click to Sign button. You must review the addendums and click the Next button located near the Sign Document header. You will only see these addendums if you are selling in New Mexico and/or Oklahoma. 01/17/2013 This proprietary document is intended for training purposes only. PAGE 16

17 Send Request Once you have applied your signatures and reviewed all documents, the Send Request page opens. If you are sure that all information you ve submitted is accurate, click the Send Now button. Your documents will be sent to our Producer Administration teams, which Producer Express calls the Home Office, for processing. Print Packet Next, the Print Packet page opens. You have the ability to view, print and save PDF versions of your documents. Click on the View/Print Document icon ( ) to open any of the documents in Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader. You will notice that your signature is green on all of the documents that you signed electronically. Now your onboarding packet is complete! You may exit the system by clicking the Exit button at the bottom of the Print Packet page. You will receive an from the Producer Express system that the subproducer onboarding packet was sent to the Producer Administration Home Office for processing. 01/17/2013 This proprietary document is intended for training purposes only. PAGE 17

18 Logging Back in to the Transaction After the onboarding packet is complete, you can log back in to view your documents if needed. Open the initial you received from Producer Express the one containing your link. Click on the link in the body of the . Type in the password you created at the beginning of your onboarding process next to the Password field under the Already Have a Password? area of the page. Click the Continue button. You will be directed back to the Print Packet page, where you can view, save and print your documents. Your Welcome Letter You will receive an from the Producer Express system confirming that the subproducer onboarding packet was sent to the Producer Administration Home Office for processing. Upon receipt of all completed, necessary documentation for your subproducer application, Producer Administration will begin their review and validation process. Within three-five business days, your onboarding packet should be approved. After approval, you will receive a welcome letter via identifying your nine-digit producer identification number. This number is very important to all producer and sales transactions. Attached to this same will be a copy of your completed subproducer information document. Your parent agency will also receive a copy of your welcome letter and your completed subproducer information document. 01/17/2013 This proprietary document is intended for training purposes only. PAGE 18

19 Frequently Asked Questions The Invitation Q: What do I do if I lose or delete my invitation containing the link to my transaction? A: Make sure to save the original containing the link to your transaction until you have completed the entire onboarding process. Once you have signed all your documents, you will receive an to confirm that your onboarding process is complete. This will also contain a link to your transaction. Because a link is unique, it will only take you to your own transaction. We suggest bookmarking the link or saving it as a favorite to prevent losing it, and for quick access to your onboarding documents. If, however, you do lose the link, you should contact the Producer Service Center by calling , or ing Producer_Service_Center@hcsc.net. Q. What if the subproducer doesn t receive the invitation? A: applications have become more and more strict when analyzing incoming s and categorizing them as junk or spam s. In preparation of receiving this very important , a subproducer should add producerexpress@sircon.com to his or her address book, contact list, safe senders or safe recipients list to make sure important onboarding-related s are received. If the subproducer hasn t received the , check the junk folder. Also, a company s privacy settings may have blocked the . Internet Browsers Q: If Producer Express is an online application, what Internet browser should I use? A: Producer Express is compatible with two Internet browser applications: Microsoft Windows Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox. If you use Google Chrome, Apple Safari, Opera or another Internet browser application, you may experience compatibility issues. Some functionality may be available with other Internet browsers. Issues encountered with the application while using alternate browsers cannot be supported. Q: What version of Internet Explorer or Firefox do I need to have? A: Producer Express only supports the last two versions of Internet Explorer or Firefox. Older versions of either application may result in compatibility issues and cannot be supported. Computing Device Compatibility Q: What kinds of computing devices can I use with Producer Express? A: Desktop and laptop computers are the preferred computer devices to use when accessing Producer Express. Some tablets and smart phones, especially if they use Internet browsers other than Internet Explorer or Firefox, can have compatibility issues. Producer Express is not compatible with devices using the Apple Safari browser. 01/17/2013 This proprietary document is intended for training purposes only. PAGE 19

20 Passwords Q: The temporary password sent to me isn t working. What can I do? A: When you first begin the process, you will need to obtain a temporary password, which will be sent to you via . The will contain an eight-character password, randomly generated and unique to your producer user name. Do not CUT and paste the temporary password from this into Producer Express. Cutting the password from the will not accurately copy. Instead, COPY and paste the password or type it into the appropriate field in Producer Express. This temporary password is only valid for 30 minutes. If you try to enter the temporary password after the 30-minute window, you ll receive an error message. You ll need to click the Get My Password button again to have another temporary password sent to you. Q. What do I do if I lock myself out of the system (exceed the number of password attempts)? A: You are allowed four login attempts before you are locked out of the Producer Express system. If this occurs, contact a system administrator so they may reset your password. Your parent agency can help you determine your system administrator. You will receive an with a new, unique, and randomly generated password. Enter this password into the system; you will then be required to change your password. Producer Express General Questions Q. What is Producer Express? A. Producer Express is a Web-based software application designed to help with the recruiting, onboarding, contracting and management of agents and agencies. It is owned by Sircon Corporation, a subsidiary of Vertafore, Inc. Q. Who is the Home Office? A: The Home Office is the Producer Express phrase for our own Producer Service Center and Producer Administration departments. These departments are responsible for all processing actions once the subproducer has completed the onboarding packet. Q. What information will I need to have ready prior to accessing Producer Express? A: A subproducer might be required to upload a few documents during the onboarding process. Before beginning, have the following ready: 1. If the subproducer has his or her own E&O policy, then an E&O declaration page must be uploaded. 2. If a producer answers yes to any Background Information questions, background documentation will be required. Q: What is the difference between a packet and a transaction? A: The terms packet, transaction, and request are used interchangeably in Producer Express. All of these terms refer to the work that is being processed. For subproducers, this is the onboarding process. For producers it might be the onboarding, contracting or re-contracting process. Q. How will I know if there s an issue or error with the onboarding packet? A: If there is an issue with the onboarding packet that the Home Office cannot resolve, a representative from Producer Services and Administration will reach out to you to obtain more information or documentation. You will receive an update (your Welcome Letter) when your packet is complete and approved. Q. I ve completed my packet. How long will it take to receive my producer identification number? A: Once the Home Office receives all required documentation, you will receive an containing your nine-digit producer identification number within three-five business days. 01/17/2013 This proprietary document is intended for training purposes only. PAGE 20

21 Navigation Q. Will Producer Express time out after a certain amount of time of activity or inactivity? A: Yes, after a period of inactivity of approximately 45 minutes, your session will be timed out and you will be required to log back in to the system. All your work will be saved, and you will be able to pick back up where you left off. Q. Which fields are required? A: Each required field will be outlined in red (example to the right). Once the required field has been filled in appropriately, a green checkmark ( ) will appear. Some fields have validation logic built in to ensure the information being entered is accurate (i.e., the Confirm SSN/EIN fields). If the values entered are inaccurate, an error message box will pop up and will require the subproducer to enter correct information before continuing to the next page. All required fields must be populated before moving on to the next page. If you try to continue without entering all required information, you will see a validation error message. Q: What will happen if I use the Back or Forward buttons on my browser s toolbar? A: Since Producer Express is an online software application, and not like typical website pages, using the Back or Forward buttons on your Internet browser s toolbar will not take you back or forward to the last page visited. Instead, your browser may simply remain on the current page, or it may bring you back to the beginning of your transaction without saving portions of your work. DO NOT use your Internet browser s back and forward commands to move through the Producer Express system; use the Producer Express buttons instead. Q: How can I navigate back or forward through the screens? A: To move between different screens of Producer Express, click the Continue or Back buttons on the bottom of the Producer Express pages. You may also click on an inactive section header. Active section headers are displayed in bold, red, underlined font, while inactive section headers are displayed in a bold black typeface, and are not underlined. Also, you may click on an inactive tab. Active tab headers are displayed in a bold black typeface, while inactive tab headers are displayed in a gray font. Where available, you may also use the back ( ) and forward ( ) icons next to the workspace tabs. Q. Can I have multiple browser windows open while accessing Producer Express? A: You can have additional browser windows open as long as they are accessing sites other than Producer Express. You cannot have multiple Producer Express windows open simultaneously doing so will cause system errors. Q: What if I accidentally close the browser window before I complete the onboarding packet? A: Each time you click the Continue button, Producer Express saves your information. If you accidentally close the browser window, the application will save all of your information up through the last page you ve completed or the last page on which you clicked the Continue button. All you have to do is log back in to your transaction. To log back in, click on the link you were sent in the original invitation. (The s subject line is: Your Invitation to Contract with Health Care Service Corporation). You will be brought to your Producer Express login screen. Enter the password you created earlier in the process. Use the Continue button on the Producer Express pages (not the navigation buttons on the Internet browser application) to get to the pages that still need completing. Q. What happens if I Save & Exit if I ve only partially completed the onboarding packet? A: When you click on the Save & Exit button/icon, Producer Express will save all information you ve entered up to that point. All you have to do is log back in to your transaction. To log back in, click on the link you were sent in the original invitation. (The s subject line is: Your Invitation to Contract with Health Care Service Corporation). You will be brought to your Producer Express login screen. Enter the password you created earlier in the process. Use the Continue button on the Producer Express pages (not the navigation buttons on the Internet browser application) to get to the pages that still need completing. 01/17/2013 This proprietary document is intended for training purposes only. PAGE 21

22 Appointments and Fees Q. What if my recruiter or agency chose too few selling states and I would like to sell in more states? A: You will need to contact your agency in order to be screened and approved for onboarding/appointment in that state. Q. In which state(s) will I need to be appointed? A: Below are the appointment rules for New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas are as follows: Illinois: This state does not require appointments. New Mexico: All individual producers, subproducers and agency principals are appointed. Agencies are not appointed. Oklahoma: All individual producers, subproducers, agency principals and agencies are appointed. Texas: All individual producers and agencies are appointed. Neither subproducers nor principals are appointed. Q. What are the appointment fees for each state? A: All appointment fees are incurred per writing company, per appointment. Appointment fees for subproducers will be incurred by their parent agency. Subproducers will not be billed for the appointment fees. Illinois: $0 (We don t process appointment fees in Illinois per state regulations.) New Mexico: $20 Oklahoma: $34.50 Texas: $13.50 Q. I don t know if I plan to sell BlueLincs HMO in Oklahoma. How should I answer that question? A: The answer to this question defaults to No. If you are unsure whether you can sell BlueLincs HMO, we suggest leaving the response at No. If you answer Yes, you will incur an additional appointment fee. Selling BlueLincs HMO requires an additional appointment with the Oklahoma Department of Insurance due to HMO regulations in that state. If you intend to sell BlueLincs HMO, we will appoint the subproducer for this product line. That way, the subproducer can sell BlueLincs HMO as soon as the subproducer receives the welcome letter. Errors and Omissions Coverage Q. What is the E&O coverage requirement? A: The minimum requirement for Errors and Omissions coverage is $500,000 per claim and aggregate. Q. What if my policy doesn t meet the requirement? A: You will be required to submit evidence of our standard minimum Errors and Omissions coverage in order to complete the subproducer onboarding. You can carry your own coverage or be included on your agency s policy. 01/17/2013 This proprietary document is intended for training purposes only. PAGE 22

23 Uploading Files Q. Which file formats are acceptable for uploading my supporting documentation? A. Files must be in one of the following formats in order to be uploaded to the onboarding packet: PDF JPG PNG GIF JPEG TIFF Q. Is there a file size limit? A. The maximum file size per file is 3072 KB or 3 MB. To determine what file type and size your document is, locate the file you d like to upload. Right click on the document and select Properties. A Properties menu will appear detailing the file s specifics. Here you will find the type of file and the size of the file. Q. What if I try to upload a file with a file type other than those specified or larger than the allotted size? A. Acceptable file types are PDF, JPEG, JPG, GIF, PNG and TIFF. The maximum file size per file is 3072 KB or 3 MB. If a user tries to upload another file type, or a file larger than the allotted size, the user will receive an error message. The user will need to upload file(s) with valid file types and within the size allotment in order to proceed. Q. What do I do if my file size is too large? A. If a file exceeds the size limit, use the help file of your software program and follow the steps to resize or downsample the PDF or image file. Note that TIFF files tend to be larger image files than JPEG, JPG, GIF or PNG image files. 01/17/2013 This proprietary document is intended for training purposes only. PAGE 23

24 Viewing and Signing Documents Q: How will I be able to read and sign documents in Producer Express? A: You will need a recent version of Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat to view, print, sign and save your agreement documents, which are in PDF file format. Reader is free; Acrobat is not. To download Reader or to update it if you have an older version, visit If you have an older version of Reader and want to download a newer version, make sure to clear your Internet browser s cache and cookies from your browser settings. Q: What version of Adobe Reader will I need? A: Producer Express supports the two most recent versions of Adobe Reader and Adobe Acrobat. The most current version available is 11. As long as you have either version 10 or 11, you will be able to utilize all related functions within Producer Express. Q: What will happen if I don t have the correct version of Adobe Reader? A: Some specific functions of Producer Express may not be available to you if you do not have either Adobe Reader 10 or 11. These functions may include being able to apply an electronic signature. Q: I have the correct system requirements, but I m still having issues accessing the application. What now? A: Try the following: 1. Make sure you re using either Internet Explorer or Firefox as your Internet browser. 2. Check to make sure your Internet browser is a recent version. 3. Verify that you have a recent version of Adobe Reader or Acrobat. If not, download the latest version of the free Adobe Reader. 4. Clear your browser s cache and cookies. If you still have issues using Producer Express, contact the Producer Service Center by calling , or by ing Producer_Service_Center@hcsc.net. Please provide as much detail about the issues as possible. Q: How will I know that my electronic signature was applied to the document successfully? A: When you click the Click to Sign button on each document requiring a signature, the page will automatically take you to the next document for review or signature. Once you have completed signing all documents, you will be directed to the Print Packet page, where you can open PDF versions of each document to review and save. Your electronic signature will be shown as green text, while the demographic information will be blue text. Q. I ve already signed my documents and realize I ve made an error. How do I revise the information? A: If you haven t already clicked the Send Now button to send your documents to the Home Office for review, you still have the opportunity to click Start Over and return to the beginning of your packet. All of your information will have been saved in Producer Express. You will return to the Getting Started page and may review and edit any information previously entered. Click the Continue button on each page once you ve verified or corrected the information. You will have to resign any documents you ve already signed, since you ve restarted your packet and made updates. If you have already sent your documents to the Home Office for review, please contact the Producer Service Center at or via at Producer_Service_Center@hcsc.net. Please note that it is very important to make sure that your information is correct. Identify errors in the onboarding packet could cause the packet to be placed in Error status and may result in a rejection. Updating Your Demographic Information Q: Once I m through the onboarding process, how will I update my information in the future? A: Set up an account in the Blue Access for Producers portal. Click on the User Profile tab in the upper right-hand corner and then click on the Change Contact Information button. Update your contact information and click Submit at the bottom of the page. Your information will be passed on to our systems for updating. 01/17/2013 This proprietary document is intended for training purposes only. PAGE 24