Ready-to-Sell (RTS) status overview
To enroll clients in Medicare plans, you’ll need to be appointed and Ready-to-Sell (RTS) with each carrier.
RTS status is granted when you:
Are appointed with the carrier
Are licensed in the state where you’re selling
Have completed required certifications (e.g. AHIP, NABIP)
Have finished any carrier-specific product training for the plan type (e.g. MAPD, PDP, Supplements)
We know managing RTS can be tricky — so we’ve built automated RTS checks right into the HealthSherpa for Medicare platform to make it simple.
How RTS status works on our platform
Carriers who have enabled integrated enrollment have done so by integrating their RTS statuses with our platform.
Once you have added your contracted carriers, we use your NPN and writing number to automatically identify your RTS status for each carrier.
Note: for the carrier HCSC (BCBS IL, MT, NM, OK, and TX), a more manual process is required, learn more here.
Your RTS status is displayed on your Carriers page, under each carrier card. If you're marked RTS, you’ll be able to submit enrollments through HealthSherpa.
Note: for United RTS statuses, it may take up to 24 hours for your statuses to populate.
Agency Owners: Using Agency NPNs
If you're an agency owner, you can set different NPNs per carrier – allowing you to use your Agency NPN with some carriers, while using your Individual NPN with others.
Currently, this feature is enabled for United Healthcare only. If you think we should add this for other carriers too, email rts@healthsherpa.com.
To set an Agency NPN, go to your Carriers page. When adding or editing United, you can choose to list your NPN or your Agency NPN within the 'NPN' field as shown:
Important: Federal regulations require that the NPN used for enrollment must belong to the agent writing the enrollment. You are responsible for ensuring compliance with NPN usage regulations.
Frequently asked questions
I was recently approved as RTS – what happens next?
If you were just approved by a carrier, you’re likely all set – the update may just need a little time to sync. Please allow 5–7 business days for the carrier to send us the updated RTS report reflecting the newly added appointment
How do I enable Aetna enrollment?
For Aetna, we'll need to get RTS statues from your upline agency directly. Have them email rts@healthsherpa.com to get set up, and enrollment enabled.
This manual process applies to Aetna MA / MAPD / PDP / SNP plans. Aetna Medicare Supp plans are available for quoting, but enrollment isn’t currently supported – you’ll be redirected to Aetna’s broker portal to enroll Supp plans.
How do I add my contracted carriers to my account?
Do this from within your Carriers page. Learn how here.
I saw a message that I do not hold RTS status with a carrier. I believe I do hold RTS status with the carrier.
First, you’ll want to ensure your NPN is listed correctly within your Settings page and your writing number is listed correctly for the carrier within your Carriers page. Then, make sure you've entered the correct Writing Number for that carrier. Next, you may wish to reach out to the carrier directly to ensure your licensure, appointment status, and certifications are active and up to date. If you recently completed your certification or licensure, these may still be processing. If you are unable to resolve your issue after following these steps, please reach out to rts@healthsherpa.com.
Other common reasons RTS may not be showing yet:
Other common reasons RTS may not be showing yet:
RTS is tracked separately by line of business. You may be RTS for ACA but not yet RTS for Medicare.
Required certifications may not be completed yet.
If you are a new agent, carriers typically require AHIP and their carrier-specific certifications as part of the onboarding process before you can be Ready to Sell (RTS). Agents are also required to complete certifications each year to maintain RTS status. Annual certifications for most carriers and AHIP are usually released between June and August. If these certifications are still pending or incomplete, your RTS status may not appear yet.
Carrier appointments can occasionally change over time. This can happen for a few different reasons, such as:
License renewals or lapses
Periods of non-production with the carrier
Changes to your upline, FMO, or agency
Appointment being terminated
These administrative updates can temporarily affect RTS visibility until everything is aligned again.
Missing a state appointment
You may be approved with a carrier in some states, but not yet in others. RTS status is determined based on:
An active state license
An approved state appointment with the carrier
If you were recently licensed in a new state, you will need to request the appointment through the carrier or your upline. Once the appointment is approved, it may take a few business days (or sometimes longer) for that state to appear in the RTS file we receive.
Some carriers require both the agent and the upline/FMO to be appointed in the state before RTS will display.
What is a “Writing number?”
Your Writing Number is a unique number assigned to you by carriers that grant you appointments – though many carriers use your NPN instead of a separate Writing Number. If you aren't sure where to find this, see our Writing Number guide.
If you’re unsure which Writing ID is correct, please email RTS@healthsherpa.com — we’re happy to help confirm it with you.
Where does HealthSherpa get my RTS status?
We get RTS data directly from carriers, typically refreshed nightly.
Can agencies view the RTS statuses of their captive agents?
At this time, agencies can’t view the RTS statuses for their captive agents. This is something we’re actively working on adding.
Questions? Contact support
Call (855) 521-4984 or email medicare-agents@healthsherpa.com with questions.
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