OnlineNavigator terms of service

Effective May 22, 2013

OnlineNavigator service offers personal professional support with health insurance reform information, health insurance exchanges and online enrollment support that is not typically available through other resources. Service is based on the following terms of use:

• Use of OnlineNavigator service is not authorized without your prior acceptance of these terms of service.
• Your use of any OnlineNavigator service presumes that you have read, understand and accept these terms of service.
• If you do not understand or agree with the terms of service then please do not use OnlineNavigator service.

Services. We may offer services that include:

• Health insurance search and screening for eligibility, suitability and affordability
• Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP), Medicare and Medicaid eligibility and planning
• Supplemental support for issue related to health care or planning

Email service vs. Telephone service. Email service may be available free of charge at the sole discretion of the adviser, and is usually faster than telephone service. Additionally email response typically included direct links to specific resources that address your issue. Telephone service requires a pre-scheduled appointment. Unless otherwise indicated, response time is less than one business day for either email or telephone service.

Navigator fees. Navigator fees may be paid by a health insurance plan, health insurance exchange, employer, employee benefit plan, association or government entity. If you have an authorization for service from any of these entities, please provide your pass number on your first communication with the navigator. OnlineNavigator currently does not charge fees.

Individual Rates. Individuals who are not members of a supported health plan, association or employer group may purchase telephone support directly from the navigatorif offered via email. The flat rate charge is $40 for up to an hour of help. Additional service, if required, beyond the hour may be offered at a comparable rate.

An authorization to provide service must be received prior to any service. This applies to both free and expanded services. The authorization form will be provided when we accept a request for service. Simply reply to the following  the embedded instructions.

No overlap of commercial insurance service. OnlineNavigator is not intended to offer services that are available through commercial insurance companies, agents and online services. If your request involves an issue or service that is commonly offered by a commercial insurance company, agent or broker then we may refer you to that provider for fulfillment of your request.

Payment accepted from only one source. OnlineNavigator may accept payment from only one source. We may not, for example, charge a user fee and then receive a commission from the state insurance exchange or a commercial insurance company. In the event that an employer, union, health plan, government agency, or insurance company makes a payment in the form of a commission or fee for providing a service to you then the amount you paid to us will be credited back (not refunded) to your account with us. This credit amount may be used for any other OnlineAdviser service (that includes a wider range of financial planning services) or assigned to another person of your choice for their use within the next 12 months. After 12 months the amount of the credit is paid to a charity of our choice and evidence of the payment will be available on request.

English language only. At this time we are able to offer service only to English-speaking residents of the United States. We may be able to refer a similar Spanish language service on request.

Best efforts basis. OnlineNavigator service is offered on a "best efforts basis". Information provided is based on sources believed to be reliable, but cannot be guaranteed.

Criteria for acceptance of service request. OnlineNavigator screens incoming requests in order to maximize the benefits of our service and minimize wasted time. The quality control criteria includes consideration of: 1) completeness and accuracy of the request (Do we have enough information to reach you by phone and e-mail and is the contact information accurate?) , 2) an evaluation of the authenticity of the request and the person making the request (Are you a real person with a real need for help?). This evaluation may include a check of compiled information from various social media sources including Google, Facebook, LinkedIn and others, and 3) other criteria that are designed to maximize the value of the services that we are able to provide. We are likely to decline a request, for example, that includes a fake name, an invalid e-mail address or from a person who is not fluent in English language. If you accidently provided incorrect information on a service address, that may be corrected by making a new request or contacting us to manually correct the request.

Limited scope of service. OnlineNavigator service is limited in scope to the services which are determined by the navigator to best serve each situation. In other words, we might not offer service options that we do not feel are appropriate in your situation even if you may request that service option.

Limited availability of service. OnlineNavigator service is limited based on time availability of a qualified navigator. In periods of peak demand, OnlineNavigator may not be able to accept all requests for service. We may also limit the total amount of service time offered or decline to offer service for any reason.

No warranty for service. OnlineNavigator is offered only on a "best efforts" basis. No warranty is offered in connection with the service. Specifically, we cannot offer assurance that you or your employees will be satisfied with the service we provide or with any third party service. We provide no assurance that state or federal regulators will agree with the opinions that we provide.

Recourse. In the event of dissatisfaction with any service, your recourse is limited to cancellation of the service and dismissal of any unpaid invoice.

Navigator's opinion. Advice offered is only the personal opinion of the navigator. The navigator does not have the authority to speak for any other person, regulatory agency, government, plan sponsor, insurance exchange or insurance company.

Source of authority. In the event of a conflict between the information provided by OnlineNavigator and any insurance policy, the insurance policy will always prevail.

Compliance with U.S. Department of Health and Human Services regulations CFR 155, 156 and 157. OnlineNavigator intends to comply with the federal regulations for independent health insurance advisers who assist individuals who use a federal insurance exchange. In accordance with these regulations. the following additional conditions are placed on service:

• Your social security number must be provided to the insurance exchange to determine eligibility for some programs
• If you are a member of a group applying for coverage but you are not applying for coverage for yourself or your dependents then you are not required to provide your social security number to the insurance exchange.
• You may request consideration of only qualified health plans or only plans that are not qualified health plans. However, if you do elect to see qualified health plans then the navigator is required to show all plans for which you are eligible. If you request a non-qualified health plan then the navigator may show only plans that are recommended for you.

Compliance with Treasury Circular 230. We are required to notify you that any tax advice in this communication including any attachments and linked resources are not intended or written by the practitioner to be used, and that it cannot be used by the taxpayer, for the purpose of avoiding penalties that may be imposed on the taxpayer.

Dispute resolution. Any disputes arising from OnlineNavigator service will be arbitrated under the terms of the dispute resolution procedures of the Better Business Bureau including binding arbitration. By agreeing to these Term of Service, the parties acknowledge in advance that they give up certain rights to bring a complaint in the civil courts.