Connect with us

Technology

CrankWheel Enhances E-Signature Toolkit with New CMS Marketplace Forms Ahead of AEP

Published

on

Streamlining Compliance and Agency-Level Controls to Empower Health Insurance Agents for the 2026-2027 Enrollment Season

Key Takeaways

CrankWheel has expanded its e-signature toolkit by adding the CMS Model Consent Form and the CMS Model Eligibility Application Review Form, both available in English and Spanish.The addition brings CrankWheel’s total to seven e-signable form variants, enabling insurance agents to complete ACA, CMS Marketplace, and Medicare requirements during active screen-sharing sessions without app downloads.These tools help agents comply with documented consumer consent and eligibility review requirements established by CMS after the 2024 suspension of Marketplace Agreements due to unauthorized enrollments.The update supports the CMS Contract Year 2027 Final Rule, which streamlines sales cycles by removing the mandatory 48-hour wait period between a Scope of Appointment and plan-specific discussions.New administrative features allow agencies to automatically append producer details to CMS forms and manage agent access to specific forms through a per-form visibility toggle.

REYKJAVÍK, Iceland, Sept. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — CrankWheel, the instant screen-sharing platform built for sales teams, today announced the addition of two new Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Marketplace forms to its e-signature toolkit, ahead of the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period (AEP), which begins October 15, 2026.

The new forms, the CMS Model Consent Form and the CMS Model Eligibility Application Review Form, are each available in English and Spanish, giving health insurance agents four new form variants they can send to clients for electronic signature and complete during a live CrankWheel screen-sharing call without leaving the session.

Both forms are built on the official federal template, CMS-10840, Appendix A (OMB control number 0938-1438, revised 07/2025), and join CrankWheel’s existing insurance lineup: the 2025 Affordable Care Act (ACA) Consent Form, the 2025 ACA Attestation Form, and the Medicare Scope of Appointment (SOA) form.

That brings CrankWheel’s total to seven e-signable form variants spanning ACA, CMS Marketplace, and Medicare requirements, which agents can complete during an active screen-sharing session without requiring customers to download an app or handle printed paperwork.

The release builds on a broader shift toward stronger enrollment documentation and consumer protections. Between June and July 2024, CMS suspended roughly 200 agent and broker Marketplace Agreements over unauthorized enrollments and plan-switching, prompting new requirements for documented consumer consent and confirmed eligibility review before submission. CMS accepts electronic signatures and text-based documentation to satisfy these requirements, a format CrankWheel was purpose-built to deliver.

The timing also lines up with CMS’s Contract Year 2027 Final Rule, which takes effect June 1, 2026, with new marketing and communication provisions taking effect October 1, shortly before AEP begins on October 15. The rule removes the 48-hour mandatory wait after a Scope of Appointment before a plan-specific discussion can occur, among other changes affecting how agents engage with consumers during the enrollment process.

For agents, these changes come during the industry’s busiest enrollment period, with AEP (October 15–December 7) flowing almost immediately into Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment (January 1–March 31) and overlapping ACA Open Enrollment windows.

“Insurance agents are under pressure to move quickly while also documenting every step of the enrollment process correctly,” said Jói Sigurdsson, CEO and Founder of CrankWheel. “We’re continuing to invest in CMS-specific tools because compliance shouldn’t create friction between an agent and a customer. With CrankWheel, agents can review the required information, send the right form by text, get it signed, and keep the conversation moving, all within the same call. Especially during AEP, that ability to stay compliant without breaking the flow of the sale can make a meaningful difference.”

This release also introduces two new capabilities for agencies: an “agency block” that automatically appends agency name, NPN (National Producer Number), owner, phone, and email to CMS forms, and a per-form visibility toggle that allows agencies to control which forms appear in each agent’s CrankWheel pop-up menu. Every signing session is tied to a recorded call, supporting the documentation trail regulators expect and CMS’s multi-year retention standards for consent and SOA records.

Frequently Asked Questions

What new CMS Marketplace forms did CrankWheel add to its e-signature toolkit?

CrankWheel added the CMS Model Consent Form and the CMS Model Eligibility Application Review Form. Each form is available in English and Spanish, giving health insurance agents four new form variants they can send, sign electronically, and submit during a live CrankWheel screen-sharing call.

How many e-signable form variants does CrankWheel now support?

CrankWheel now supports seven e-signable form variants. Its lineup includes ACA, CMS Marketplace, and Medicare forms completed during an active screen-share, including the 2025 ACA Consent Form, the 2025 ACA Attestation Form, and the Medicare Scope of Appointment form.

How long do insurance agents need to keep CMS consumer consent records?

CMS requires agents, brokers, and web-brokers subject to the Marketplace consent rules to retain documentation of consumer consent for at least 10 years and be able to produce it if CMS requests it as part of monitoring, audit, or enforcement activity.

What documentation do CMS Marketplace agents need before enrollment?

Agents generally need documented consumer consent and confirmation that the consumer reviewed their eligibility application before submission.

About CrankWheel

CrankWheel is a screen-sharing and sales engagement platform that lets agents share their screen with clients instantly, with no downloads or account creation required. Trusted by more than 50,000 users and rated 4.9 out of 5 on G2, GetApp, and Capterra, CrankWheel is widely used across the insurance industry to guide clients through plan comparisons, forms, and enrollment in real time. For more information, visit crankwheel.com.

Media Contact:
Birta Bjargardóttir, COO
CrankWheel
birta@crankwheel.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/crankwheel-enhances-e-signature-toolkit-with-new-cms-marketplace-forms-ahead-of-aep-302891806.html

SOURCE CrankWheel

Continue Reading

Technology

Convr® Launches Scout to Help Insurers Underwrite Small Commercial Faster with Greater Insights

Published

on

By

CHICAGO, Sept. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Convr®, the leader in AI for commercial insurance, today announced Scout, a new feature within the Convr AI Underwriting Workbench Answers module that helps insurers uncover hard-to-find business data and write small commercial risks faster.

Many small businesses such as landscapers, contractors, food trucks, and other Main Street operations have limited digital footprint. That absence of information has traditionally meant slower reviews, more manual research, and higher uncertainty about whether a business and its exposures are what the submission claims.

“Scout closes the knowledge gap on insureds, from open question to decision-ready,” said Harish Neelamana, Founder, President and Chief Product Officer at Convr. “It’s built for insurers writing small commercial risk that want to scale without sacrificing the diligence that comes with truly knowing the account.”

Scout completes an advanced web search with just a business name and address and dives into the Convr Risk Context Engine’s data lake to glean hard to find risk insights in instances where teams lack the supporting forms and documents needed to assess a small business.

Firmographic and exposure items such as business metrics, hours of operation, classifications, property and locations, liens, licenses and violations and more are all generated into a single record with commercial insurance context quickly organized and ready for review.

“You can’t get this data and delivery just anywhere. The information is generated within a single record with commercial insurance context and ready for quote, instead of data hunting and digging through search engines,” said Eli O’Donohue, Head of Data and AI Underwriting Solutions at Convr. “We’re surfacing hard to find data, determining whether the risk fits appetite, and putting a complete view of the risk in a single view, with real commercial insurance context.”

Brokers, carriers, MGAs/MGUs are already adopting Scout to speed up small commercial underwriting without sacrificing the diligence needed to write these accounts confidently. If you too would like to experience Scout within the Convr Answers module, schedule a demo on convr.com, today.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/convr-launches-scout-to-help-insurers-underwrite-small-commercial-faster-with-greater-insights-302892287.html

SOURCE Convr

Continue Reading

Technology

Insurify Car Surpasses 100,000 Policies as Drivers Turn to Weekly Car Insurance Payments

Published

on

By

As rising costs squeeze budgets, demand climbs for flexible payment, state-minimum coverage that lets drivers get insured from $29 down*

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Sept. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Insurify, the leading online insurance marketplace, today announced that Insurify Car, its weekly-pay, state-minimum car insurance program underwritten by partner carriers, has sold more than 100,000 policies since launch.

Rising costs are putting pressure on household budgets and prompting nearly half of financially struggling Americans to adjust the timing of bill payments. Insurify Car removes one of the most common barriers to getting covered: a large down payment. Instead of paying for a month or more of coverage up front, drivers pay for just the first seven days of their policy and can start coverage with as little as $29 down.

“Drivers are juggling monthly and weekly expenses like housing, food, and gas,” said Snejina Zacharia, founder and co-CEO of Insurify. “Nearly a third have income that varies from month to month. After 250 million quotes, we learned that frequently, the barrier to coverage isn’t the rate — it’s paying a month or more up front. Insurify Car lets drivers pay for a week of coverage at a time so they can get insured today and stay insured on a schedule that matches how they actually get paid.”

The states where Insurify Car has sold the most policies, including Michigan, Florida, Texas, and Georgia, are also among those with some of the highest car insurance rates in the country. Many customers are drivers balancing coverage against tight budgets. Peyton C., a recent Insurify Car customer, put it simply in their review: “Insurify was there when I needed them at the last minute. Getting insured was simple, quick, and did I mention the price? Affordable and flexible, which is great for someone like me who lives paycheck to paycheck. 10/10 would recommend.”

Insurify Car is now available in Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia, representing nearly half of the national driving population. Additional markets are expected to follow.

Drivers can get an Insurify Car quote in approximately two minutes and often buy coverage online in approximately four minutes on Insurify.com, receiving instant proof of insurance. Customers see their policy rate, pay for the first seven days at purchase, and can then enroll in auto pay or pay manually each week through their Insurify Car account. They can manage their policy, access documents, start claims with the underwriting carrier, and cancel coverage at any time.

“We built Insurify Car to allow drivers to get the insurance they need immediately, at a rate that fits their budget and life,” Zacharia said. “Reaching 100,000 distinct policies tells us how many drivers were waiting for exactly that.”

About Insurify:

Insurify is America’s top-rated online insurance marketplace, offering a secure, spam-free way to compare and buy coverage. With a network of 120-plus carrier partners, Insurify empowers consumers to compare auto, home, pet, and renters insurance in minutes, online or with the help of a licensed agent. Since 2016, Insurify’s AI-powered technology has served over 250 million quotes. By using Insurify, customers can save hundreds of dollars annually, with some saving up to 50% on their premiums.

For more information, contact:
jessica.edmondson@insurify.com
Press@Insurify.com
https://Insurify.com

*Price reflects the average of the lowest 10% of down payments and first weekly installments (inclusive of applicable policy fees, whether assessed at binding or within recurring payments) on actual policies bound through Insurify Car between 5/18/26 and 9/15/26. Actual rates, initial payments, weekly installments, fee structures, and billing schedules vary depending on state of residence, individual driver profile, coverage selections, and underwriting insurance provider. Lowest rates do not reflect typical results.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/insurify-car-surpasses-100-000-policies-as-drivers-turn-to-weekly-car-insurance-payments-302892600.html

SOURCE INSURIFY, Inc.

Continue Reading

Technology

$1 Billion Paid to Agents: How United Real Estate Rewrote the Economics of the Brokerage Industry

Published

on

By

United has paid $1 billion more to its agents from their transaction earnings than commission-split brokerages would have paid

DALLAS, Sept. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — United Real Estate today announced a major milestone: Since their founding, United and its affiliated offices have cumulatively paid $1 billion more in commission earnings to its agents than what those agents would have been paid had they closed transactions at a typical commission-split brokerage.

United calculates that its compensation model returns 21% – 45% more to its agents from real estate transactions.  This is made possible by its model that does not charge agents a commission, but rather takes a flat fee from each transaction, paying agents almost all of the commission earned at closing — 96% to be exact. 

At its core, United Real Estate is built on a simple mission: to improve the financial trajectories of agents’ careers and lives.

“This isn’t theoretical value. It is not a hollow promise of downstream riches that only inure to a few people at the top of the pyramid or worthless restricted stock. It is more cash in our agents’ pockets now,” says United Real Estate Group CEO Dan Duffy.

“This is real money, earned through hard work and paid directly to agents at closing — strengthening families, accelerating long-term wealth creation and supporting retirement security. There is not a more direct, efficient or equitable way to invest in agents and communities than paying agents more of what they earn. Additionally, our agents are best positioned to be the most cost-effective service provider for the buying and selling public. That’s the United difference — and it’s measurable,” added Duffy.

United simply redirects value where it belongs: to the agents who earn it. The firm’s model eliminates financial and operational inefficiencies that bog down a brokerage’s ability to maximize agents’ retained earnings and compete for clients selling and buying residential real estate.

Agents working at typical 70/30 or 80/20 commission-split brokerages earn 26% – 46% less than peers at flat-fee brokerages when performing the same work at the same production levels.

The economics of United’s flat-fee model is simple, yet elegant. Economic research consistently shows that earned income paid directly to workers generates additional economic activity in their communities. Using conservative income‑multiplier assumptions commonly applied by economists and federal agencies, $1 billion in direct payouts can reasonably support approximately $2.0 billion in total local economic activity.

These are dollars that:

Pay mortgagesFund college educationSupport local businessesCreate jobsBuild retirement portfoliosSupport the communityExpand the tax base

About United Real Estate

United Real Estate (United) – a division of United Real Estate Group – was founded with the purpose of offering solutions to real estate brokers and agents in the rapidly changing real estate brokerage industry. United provides the latest training, marketing and technology tools to agents and brokers under a flat-fee, transaction-based agent compensation model. By leveraging the company’s proprietary cloud-based Bullseye™ Agent & Broker Productivity Platform, United delivers a more profitable outcome for agents and brokers. United Real Estate operates in 37 states with 170 offices and more than 22,600 agents. The company produced over 74,000 transactions and $30.3 billion in sales volume in 2025. For more information, visit our official newsroom and access the full press release, multimedia assets and our latest news at the official United Newsroom.

About United Real Estate Group

United Real Estate Group (UREG) operates United Real Estate and United Country Real Estate, addressing the unique market needs of suburban, major metropolitan, urban and rural markets. Utilizing the cloud-based and recently AI-enabled Bullseye™ Agent & Broker Productivity Platform, UREG offers the latest training, marketing and technology tools, producing a significant competitive advantage. The platform realizes over a decade-long investment in data and brokerage technology services and is powered by a 2.6 million listings data warehouse, generating over 3 million monthly visitors and 30,000+ leads per year. Together, the United Real Estate Group supports more than 600 offices and 24,500 real estate and auction professionals across four continents. United Real Estate Group produced 91,700 transactions and $37.0 billion in sales volume in 2025. Through its in-house advertising agency, UREG offers differentiating marketing support and collateral for specialized lifestyle property websites as well as access to a 800,000+ opt-in buyer database. For more information about United Real Estate or United Country Real Estate, please visit UnitedRealEstate.com or UnitedCountry.com.

To learn more about United Real Estate, brokerage succession planning, brokerage valuation and sale or franchising opportunities, visit GrowWithUnited.com. Agents interested in learning about career opportunities with United Real Estate can visit JoinUnitedRealEstate.com.

Media contact:

April Gonzalez
Media & Investor Relations
AGonzalez@UnitedRealEstate.com
504-237-3500

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/1-billion-paid-to-agents-how-united-real-estate-rewrote-the-economics-of-the-brokerage-industry-302892001.html

SOURCE United Real Estate

Continue Reading

Trending