What You Need to Know Regarding AHIP and NABIP Certification for AEP

Are you an insurance agent offering Medicare solutions as part of your practice? If so, then AEP is likely your bread and butter for this part of your business. AEP is intense and using every minute to its fullest is crucial for success. Conversely, anything that slows you down can mean dollars lost.

If you want to be ready to sell Medicare Advantage (MA), Medicare Advantage plus Part D (MA-PD) and Part D (PDP) plans on day one of AEP, then you must be properly certified. Missing this deadline could be catastrophic to your AEP season. Both America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) and the National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals (NABIP) offer certification training. But, which one is best for you? How much do they cost? When are they due, and when should you get started on the process?

What Are AHIP and NABIP Certifications?

AHIP and NABIP certifications are required annually for agents who offer MA, PDP and MA-PD plans.¹ Both certifications are designed to help agents meet the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Medicare + Fraud, Waste and Abuse (MFWA) Training requirement.

AHIP certification benefits include:

• CMS-compliant training, updated annually for accuracy and relevance.
• Transparent course fees. No hidden costs. No surprises later.
• Continuing education (CE) credits are available in all states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia.
• Single portal makes it easy to send your training scores to multiple health insurance providers.
• The health insurance industry’s most widely recognized MFWA training.
• Engaging content that helps you grow your business.

NABIP certification benefits include:

• This online course meets CMS requirements while reducing the time commitment of veteran agents who are already well versed in the MA and PDP markets. The online material includes basic Medicare, MA, fraud, waste and abuse training.
• CE credits are included in your purchase at no additional charge. The MA certification has been filed for CE credits in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Please check your state for CE credit approval status before registration.
• The number of plan sponsors accepting NABIP’s MA certification are consistently increasing. Please check the carrier list to verify if your carrier is accepting the NABIP training for the current plan year.
• The MA certification offers a logo that can be applied to social media, websites and email signatures.

What’s the deadline for obtaining these required certifications?

Both AHIP and NABIP certification training went live as of June 23, 2025. Agents must have training completed along with carrier certifications for carriers they plan to offer, and should have this done by October 15 in order to be AEP ready. As mentioned previously, AEP is a busy time, so the sooner you knock out your certification requirements, the more time you’ll have later for other AEP prep.

How much do AHIP and NABIP certifications cost and what do they cover?²

AHIP certification costs begin at $175.³ Training covers the following:

• The basics of Medicare fee-for-service eligibility and benefits
• Different types of PDP and MA plans
• Eligibility and coverage
• Nondiscrimination training
• Marketing and enrollment under the MA and PDP program requirements
• How to identify fraud, waste and abuse (FWA)
• An overview of the industry efforts in detecting fraud
• Legal tools to combat FWA
• The human and financial cost of FWA
• Review Medicare Parts C and D FWA and general compliance requirements
• Who commits FWA
• Reporting FWA – loopholes and obligations

NABIP certification costs begin at $100. Learning objectives include:

• All CMS requirements for Medicare certification
• Most common compliance issues facing plan sponsors and agents
• Changes in CMS guidelines
• Trends in the marketplace
• Medicare Supplement

AHIP or NABIP – which should you choose?

That is a question you have to answer for yourself based on your specific needs. Here are some facts about both certifications to help you gain perspective:

• Although both NABIP and AHIP training covers the majority of carriers, AHIP is more inclusive in exchange for its greater certification cost⁴
• AHIP is written by regulators while NABIP is written by brokers, which means that AHIP certification may be more difficult in comparison to NABIP training
• AHIP does offer practice quizzes after each module to help overall learning run smoother
• Most carriers give a $50 discount for AHIP if the agent completes it through the carrier platform

Get AHIP or NABIP certifications completed for less money

Senior Market Sales^® (SMS) understands that spending fewer dollars on your certification requirement equates to greater profitability. That’s why SMS offers to cover part of your certification costs as part of its Level Up^TM marketing assistance program. Also, there may be additional discounts available from carriers you wish to represent. It’s highly recommended that you check first with said carriers and an SMS marketing consultant to ensure you’re getting all the discounts possible. SMS marketing consultants can be reached at 1.888.747.3810 and are ready to help you save money in that regard.

Don’t forget about carrier certifications and requirements

Beyond AHIP and NABIP certifications, you need to stay compliant at the carrier level as well. SMS maintains AEP Agent Central to keep you in the loop on these requirements. If you have any questions regarding AEP Agent Central or any carrier requirements, do contact an SMS marketing consultant at 1.888.747.3810.

Other ways SMS helps agents during AEP and beyond

From no-cost quoting and enrollment software, to lead acquisition platforms, to having an entire team of back office support at your fingertips – SMS has exclusive solutions designed to help you save time, make more money and put your practice in a position of distinction. We’ve got your back and are ready to help you grow your business. We even advocate for you in terms of working with regulators and legislators to ensure they understand your business needs. Contact a licensed Med Solutions marketing consultant at 1.888.747.3810 to get details on all the ways you can benefit from an SMS partnership.

Recommended resources to help you prepare for your certification (this list, courtesy of SMS)

The Medicare & You handbook is mailed out in late September and includes all the most current Medicare information. This client-facing piece discusses topics such as:

• Medicare benefits, costs rights and protections
• Health and drug plans
• Answers to frequently asked questions

Understanding Medicare Advantage Plans is a client-facing, official government booklet that shows:

• How MA plans are different from Original Medicare
• How MA plans work
• How to get an MA plan as a client

Your Guide to Medicare Drug Coverage is a client-facing, official government booklet that shows:

• How drug coverage works
• Choices about drug coverage
• How clients can get extra help if on a limited income

The Medicare Marketing Guidelines reflect CMS’ interpretation of the marketing requirements and related provisions of the Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit rules. This is a great resource for any agent offering MA and PDP solutions.

CMS’ National Training Program is full of courses you can take to help with a myriad of topics including:

• FWA prevention
• Medicare
• MA plans
• And more

Frequently Asked Questions and Content Summary

What certifications do you need to offer MA, MA-PD and PDP products this AEP?

You must have either NABIP or AHIP certification completed along with any carrier certification requirements.

How much do these certifications cost?

AHIP starts at $175. NABIP starts at $100.³

Are any certification discounts available?

Check with carriers. Many offer AHIP discounts if you enroll through their portal.³

Are there any resources available to help you prepare for your certification?

Yes. Please see above under the “AHIP or NABIP – Which Should You Choose” section.

Are NABIP or AHIP certification required for Medicare Supplement sales?

No. However, some Medicare Supplement carriers, including UnitedHealthcare, require an annual certification. Check with your SMS marketing consultant for more information on this topic.

Let SMS Help You

Again, SMS is here to help you through AEP and beyond. Are you interested in saving time and making more money? Is differentiating your practice important? If so, we’d love to partner with you. Reach out at 1.800.786.5566 to speak with a dedicated marketing consultant.

¹Agents only need one or the other of these two certifications, not both.

²Costs based on 2025 AEP prices and are subject to change.

³Most carriers give a $50 discount for AHIP if the agent completes it through the carrier platform.

⁴Agents should check with carriers to verify that they accept NABIP certification as not all carriers accept NABIP