Frequently Asked Questions

Sentara Health Plans (SHP) and Sentara Health Insurance Company (SHIC) require that all Agents/Brokers and Agencies be appointed before the release of any marketing materials, proposal quotes, or information regarding new and existing business. Appointments with SHP and SHIC are not guaranteed. Interested brokers can start the appointment process by completing the Broker Appointment Process. All requests are subject to review and approval of designated SHP and SHIC management. Contact Us for more information.

Sentara Health Plans offers a full suite of commercial products, including consumer-driven, employee-owned and employer-sponsored plans, individual & family plans both On- and Off- Marketplace, Medicare plans, employee assistance plans, and plans serving Medicaid enrollees. To learn more, please visit Plan Selections.

Please visit our Contact Us page for information on enrollment, sales, office locations, and more.

Sentara Health Plans (SHP) and Sentara Health Insurance Company (SHIC) require that all agents/brokers and agencies be appointed before the release of any marketing materials, proposal quotes, or information regarding new and existing business. Appointments with SHP and SHIC are not guaranteed. Interested brokers can start the appointment process by completing the Broker Appointment Process. All requests are subject to review and approval of designated SHP and SHIC management. 

Sentara Health Plans will pay commission to any broker who is appointed with Sentara Health Plans, in good standing with the Bureau of Insurance and is designated as the agent or broker of record by an employer group. For more information refer to the Broker Guide or contact your general agent.

Yes.

Employees who reside and work outside of the service area, or spend more than 90 consecutive days for business purposes outside of the service area, (foreign travel excluded) can be included in the quote and will be offered a variety of options based on group size. See your Broker Guide or contact your general agent for more information.

Many of our broker marketing resources are available online. Appointed small group, mid-market, and BusinessEDGE®  brokers can find materials throughout sentarahealthplans.com/broker or contact their general agent to secure marketing materials. Due to the unique nature of large group sales, large group brokers may obtain marketing materials from their Optima Health account representative.

The Broker Rewards Program is a points-based program that brokers receive when they meet certain goals, such as selling new commercial group and individual product contracts. The incentives may change depending on the time of the year and other factors. 

Yes. Throughout the year, Sentara Health Plans may award points to brokers for participating in educational and training seminars, attending special events, annual renewals, and more. Sentara Health Plans will notify brokers when there is an opportunity to earn points.

All Sentara Health Plans appointed brokers are eligible to participate. To enroll, please sign in to eBroker, agree to the Terms and Conditions, and provide SF-W9 information.

Brokers can use the points toward name-brand merchandise, local events, charitable donations, travel, gift cards and more. To view the types of rewards available, sign in to Broker Rewards.

Your points never expire and there is no limit to the number of points you can earn, for as long as the Program remains active.

No. Points have no cash value and cannot be redeemed for cash.

Brokers active in the Program may supplement their points with a credit card for up to 10% of the Program reward point value.

No. Points are not transferrable to any other broker or account for any reason, including retirement, death, agent-of-record change, as an inheritance, or in connection with a divorce.

No. Points are awarded to the individual broker, not the agency. As long as you continue to be an appointed Sentara Health Plans broker, your points remain yours.

The points are taxable upon redemption. Sentara Health Plans is required to report compensation where required by federal and state law.

No. When you meet the requirement and earn points, they are automatically loaded to your account, usually six–eight weeks after they are earned.

No. The Broker Rewards Program is in addition to our already competitive commission plan.

You may return an item by calling 1-877-AWARDHQ (1-877-292-7347) and a Customer Service Specialist will gladly help you. 

Sign in to eBroker, call Broker Services at 757-552-7217 (toll-free: 1-866-927-4785), or email brokerrelations@sentara.com for more information about the Program.

Federal and state privacy laws require us to obtain a Release of Information/Authorization of Designated Agent form whenever anyone other than the member needs to obtain and/or change the member’s health information. This form must be signed, witnessed and returned for it to be in effect.

eBroker is the interactive, secure portal that enables our small group brokers to manage their book of business, access proposals, and stay informed about the latest issues affecting Sentara Health Plans and the health insurance industry.