For more information, visit our section for Navigators.
Can anyone apply to be Maine navigator?
Before applying with the Bureau of Insurance, you must be affiliated with a Maine Navigator grant recipient; have been given an individual Maine Enrollment Assister Number; and completed the required Marketplace training(s). Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) oversees all in person assisters and administers the navigator grants and may be contacted with questions about how to obtain an enrollment assister number and complete the required training(s). Please contact them at: SBMAssisters.DHHS@Maine.gov
I am a CAC/Certified Application Counselor; do I need to be certified by the Bureau of Insurance?
No. Your certification will be through Maine DHHS. Please contact them at: SBMAssisters.DHHS@Maine.gov
I work for a Navigator grant recipient in Maine and have been certified by the Marketplace. Do I need an additional certification from the Bureau of Insurance?
Yes. An individual may not act in the capacity of a navigator unless the individual is either licensed as an insurance producer by the Bureau of Insurance or certified as a navigator by the Bureau.
How do I apply to be a certified?
If you have completed the required Marketplace trainings, you must complete the Bureau’s navigator certification application (DOCX). Once you have filled out the application, signed it, and read the accompanying instructions, you may send your completed application and proof of training to the Bureau at: insurance.pfr@maine.gov or by fax to 207-624-8599. Applications may also be mailed to: Bureau of Insurance, #34 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0034.
How much is the fee?
For 2021 applications, there is no fee.
How do I complete my required training?
Marketplace training for Maine enrollment assisters, including navigators, is provided by CoverME.gov, Maine's Health Insurance Marketplace. The training is through an online Learning Management System. For more information, please contact: SBMAssisters.DHHS@Maine.gov or call the CoverME.gov Consumer Assistance Center at (866)-636-0355.
Will I be required to complete continuing education?
At this time, the Bureau does not require its own training or continuing education for navigators. All navigator training is provided by CoverME.gov, Maine's Health Insurance Marketplace
Will I get a license or document showing that I am certified?
Yes, once your application has been processed, the Bureau will email proof of certification to the email address provided on your application. The email will come from noreply@maine.gov, and if the email address on file can’t be validated by our system, a hard copy will be mailed to your home address unless you designated an alternate mailing address.
How do I request a copy of my certification form (proof of certification)?
A certification form is sent to each newly certified navigator; however, if you need a duplicate copy you may either:
- Request the duplicate by completing the paper Duplicate Certification Request (DOC) form. The fee for a paper copy is $10 and the certification will be mailed within two weeks; or
- Through the Bureau’s website, you may log into the Bureau’s online licensing system and request your own copy. You will need to use your certification number and Access Code. Once the request is submitted, the certification will be automatically emailed to the primary email address you provided in your application. If you do not know your Access Code, please contact the Bureau’s Licensing Unit.
I submitted my application, but I haven’t heard anything on the status: who can I contact at the Bureau?
Please allow approximately 5-7 business days for the Bureau to process your application. If you have not received your proof of certification from the Bureau regarding your application, you may call us at 800-300-5000 and ask for the Licensing Unit or send an email to: Insurance.PFR@maine.gov.
How can I prove to a consumer that I am certified?
Once your application has been processed, consumers may search for your certification record through the Bureau’s public licensee search available on the Bureau’s webpage: https://www.pfr.maine.gov/almsonline/almsquery/welcome.aspx?board=%221040%22
How do I update my address?
You can submit a request on the Bureau’s address change form, which is available here. You may submit the form by email to Insurance.PFR@maine.gov, by fax to 207-624-8599, or by mail: Bureau of Insurance, #34 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0034.
How do I notify the Bureau that I have been the subject of a criminal conviction or administrative action?
The required documents, described below, should be accompanied by a brief explanation of the circumstances surrounding the event and may be sent to the Bureau by email at Insurance.PFR@maine.gov, by fax to 207-624-8599, or by mail: Bureau of Insurance, #34 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0034.
- A navigator shall report to the superintendent any administrative action taken against the navigator in another jurisdiction, by another governmental agency in this State, or by any federal agency, including actions by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Marketplace, within 30 days of the final disposition of the matter. This report must include a copy of the order, consent to order or other relevant legal documents.
- Within 30 days of the initial pretrial hearing date, a navigator shall report to the superintendent any criminal prosecution of the individual taken in any jurisdiction. The report must include a copy of the initial complaint filed, the order resulting from the hearing and any other relevant legal documents.
When does my certification expire?
Your certification with the Bureau of Insurance is conditioned upon your continued certification by the Maine Marketplace. If you continue to be certified by the Marketplace, your navigator certification will expire upon the earlier of your grantee organization’s performance period under the navigator grant or one year.
How do I renew my certification?
If you were previously certified as a Navigator and wish to be recertified, you may complete an abbreviated renewal application (DOC).
For more information, see Maine Bureau of Insurance Rule 950 and 24-A M.R.S. § 2188. You may also contact Hancock Fenton, Licensing Attorney, at Hancock.G.Fenton@maine.gov.