2027 Medicare Certification Hub: AHIP Discount, Exam Details & Carrier Deadlines

AHIP 2027 certification opened June 22, 2026. Find exam requirements, your ACA discount, and 2027 carrier certification dates — all in one place.

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Last updated: July 6, 2026 · Trusted by Affordable Care Agents' national broker network

June 22, 2026
2027 AHIP opened
50 questions
90% to pass
2 hours
Exam time limit
3 attempts
Before carrier lockout

What Is AHIP 2027 Certification?

AHIP's Medicare + Fraud, Waste and Abuse (FWA) training is the annual certification most Medicare Advantage and Part D carriers require before a licensed agent can sell their plans. The 2027 plan-year version of this training, hosted on the official AHIP Medicare Training platform, opened on June 22, 2026, and covers Medicare basics, plan types, CMS marketing and compliance rules, and fraud/waste/abuse prevention. Passing it is a prerequisite most carriers check before activating your ability to sell — it does not replace your state insurance license or any carrier-specific product training.

Why do Medicare brokers need AHIP certification every year?

CMS requires every agent selling Medicare Advantage or Part D plans to complete Medicare-specific training annually, and AHIP is the training program almost every carrier accepts to satisfy that requirement. Because CMS rules, plan benefits, and marketing guidelines change each year, the certification has to be retaken for every plan year — even if you passed it the year before.

Does the 2027 AHIP certification cover selling for 2026 too?

Yes. Completing the 2027 AHIP + FWA certification puts you in ready-to-sell status for both the remainder of the 2026 plan year and all of 2027 — you do not need to separately finish a 2026 certification first. If you have not yet certified for 2026, going straight to the 2027 exam covers you for both years.

What happens if I fail AHIP three times?

Most carriers apply a “three strikes” rule: after three failed final-exam attempts, you are locked out of selling that carrier's Medicare Advantage or Part D plans for the plan year, and some carriers extend that lockout to renewal commissions on existing business. If you are on your second attempt and not confident, call your ACA contracting team before submitting a third try — we can walk through the modules and practice questions with you first.

Broker example: Maria, a returning Medicare Advantage broker with three carrier contracts, waited until late August to start her AHIP training in a prior season and nearly missed her earliest carrier's certification window as a result. For 2027, she completed AHIP the week it opened in June, transmitted her passing score to all three carriers through her AHIP account, and had every carrier certification finished before the July rush — with zero risk to her AEP-season commissions.

Your ACA AHIP Discount

Affordable Care Agents brokers can access AHIP Medicare training through ACA's dedicated discount link, which applies pricing not available if you register directly on AHIP's general site. Standard AHIP registration runs $175; FMO- and carrier-sponsored discount links commonly reduce that to $125, and your exact rate is confirmed at checkout when you register through the link below.

How to claim your ACA AHIP discount

  1. Go to ACA's AHIP discount link: www.ahipmedicaretraining.com/clients/oim
  2. Create a new AHIP account or log in if you registered in a prior year.
  3. Select the 2027 plan year and choose whether to add CE credits during registration (recommended — CE credit availability and pricing vary by state).
  4. Complete all five training modules plus the Fraud, Waste and Abuse and Nondiscrimination sections. Use the unlimited practice questions after each module to prepare.
  5. Pass the 50-question final exam with a score of 90% or better, then download your certificate and transmit your score to each carrier from your AHIP account.

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AHIP 2027 Exam Details

Requirement2027 Plan Year
Final exam questions50, randomly selected from all 5 training modules
Time limit2 hours (auto-submits at the 2-hour mark)
Passing score90% or higher
Attempts allowed3 per plan year (most carriers)
Exam formatClosed book
Standard cost$175
Discounted cost via FMO/carrier linksCommonly $125 (confirmed at checkout)
Languages availableEnglish and Spanish
CE credit availabilityVaries by state; add during registration before the final exam

Source: AHIP Medicare Training official FAQ document.

2027 Carrier Certification Launch Dates

Carrier certification portals open on their own schedules after AHIP opens. The dates below are compiled from publicly available carrier and industry announcements and are still being finalized for several carriers as of this update. Confirm your exact carrier's date directly in their agent portal or with your ACA contracting team before assuming a “TBD” has changed.

Carrier2027 Certification DateNotes
UnitedHealthcareLive — Fast Track June 1, Standard June 8Earliest major national carrier to open
Florida BlueJune 22Opened alongside AHIP
Aetna (Aetna Academy)June 23New Aetna Academy platform via Producer Portal; prior portal sunset June 18
Devoted HealthJune 23 
Zing HealthLate JuneConfirm exact date with carrier
Anthem / Elevance (WellPoint)June 30Portal unavailable June 19–29 for the 2027 transition
HealthSpringJuly 1 
HumanaJuly 8 
Molina HealthcareJuly 8–9D-SNP-only portal date pending separately
Wellcare / CenteneJuly 21Via Centene Workbench
Independence Blue CrossJuly 22 
The Health PlanMid-to-late July (tentative)Carrier emails agents directly

Don't see your carrier listed, or need to confirm a “TBD” date has been announced? Call your ACA contracting team at (646) 233-1499 or (561) 652-5770 and we'll pull the latest confirmed date for you.

AHIP vs. NABIP: Which Should You Choose?

AHIP and NABIP (formerly NAHU) both offer CMS-compliant Medicare + FWA training, and both are scheduled to open around the same time each year. The right choice depends entirely on which certification your specific carrier contracts accept.

 AHIPNABIP
Carrier acceptanceAccepted by nearly all Medicare Advantage carriersAccepted by a growing but shorter list of carriers — verify per carrier
Cost$175 standard, often discounted through FMO linksTypically lower than AHIP's standard rate
Best forBrokers contracted with multiple carriers who need broad acceptanceBrokers whose specific carrier list confirms NABIP acceptance

If you're contracted with more than one or two carriers, AHIP is the safer default because of its near-universal acceptance. Check each carrier's certification page for a “Does this carrier accept NABIP?” note before registering for NABIP alone.

What Brokers Should Do Now

  1. Register for 2027 AHIP + FWA training through ACA's discount link as soon as possible — don't wait for carrier reminders.
  2. Add CE credits during registration if your state offers them, before you start the final exam.
  3. Study the practice questions after each module; they're unlimited and directly prepare you for the graded final exam.
  4. Pass the exam with 90%+, download your certificate, and transmit your score to every carrier you're contracted with from your AHIP account.
  5. Log into each carrier's 2027 certification portal once it opens and complete their product-specific modules — AHIP alone does not activate you to sell.
  6. Track completion dates separately from “cleared to sell”; some carriers take several business days to update your status after training is complete.
  7. Confirm every carrier shows you as certified at least two weeks before October 15 (AEP start) so there's time to resolve any system delays.

Official AHIP FAQs

The questions below are pulled directly from AHIP's own Medicare Training FAQ document so you have accurate, verbatim guidance instead of secondhand summaries.

How many questions are on the AHIP final exam, and how long do I have to complete it?

The final exam has 50 randomly selected questions pulled from all 5 training modules. You must score 90% or higher to pass, and you have a 2-hour time limit — the exam automatically submits at the 2-hour mark.

Is the AHIP Medicare final exam open book?

No. The AHIP Medicare final exam is closed book.

What counts as a valid final exam attempt?

Only an exam you submit yourself counts as a valid attempt (or one auto-submitted at the 2-hour mark). If you close the exam window, navigate to another tab, or open multiple tabs during the exam, the system will not register it as a valid attempt and you'll need to restart from the beginning.

Can I see which questions I answered incorrectly on the final exam?

No. To protect exam integrity, AHIP does not release or redistribute individual exam submissions or answers.

Does my carrier only accept AHIP's Marketing Medicare Advantage + Fraud, Waste and Abuse training?

Most AHIP member organizations and partner carriers accept only AHIP's Marketing Medicare Advantage + FWA training to meet their requirement. AHIP recommends confirming directly with your specific carrier that you're meeting their training requirement before assuming another program (like NABIP) will be accepted.

How do I get my certificate after passing?

Log into your account at ahipmedicaretraining.com, go to the Medicare Course Home Page, find the “My Certifications” box, and click the “AHIP Medicare Certification” link under the Certification sub-heading to download your certificate. Certificates are download-only and are not mailed.

Do I get a separate certificate for the Fraud, Waste and Abuse section?

No. AHIP does not issue a separate completion certificate for the Fraud, Waste and Abuse and General Compliance section — it's included as part of your overall Medicare certification.

Is AHIP Medicare training available in Spanish?

Yes. AHIP Medicare Training is available in both English and Spanish, and you can change the training language within your account.

What is an NPN, and where do I find mine?

Your National Producer Number (NPN) is a unique NAIC identifier assigned during your licensing process — it is not the same as your SAN or Agent Broker ID. You can find your NPN through the NIPR site at nipr.com.

What is AHIP's refund policy?

Refund requests must be submitted in writing to [email protected]. Registrations are no longer eligible for a refund once any course materials have been accessed, or once it's been more than 90 calendar days from purchase. Approved refunds are issued to the original payment method and can take 7–14 business days to process.

I registered for the wrong plan year — what are my options?

The same refund policy applies: submit a written request to [email protected] before accessing course materials and within 90 days of purchase. Once materials are accessed, the registration is no longer refund-eligible.

General 2027 Certification FAQs

When does 2027 AHIP certification open?

2027 AHIP + FWA training opened on June 22, 2026.

How much does 2027 AHIP certification cost?

The standard rate is $175. Registering through an FMO or carrier-sponsored discount link, including ACA's link above, commonly reduces the rate — your exact discounted price is shown at checkout.

Do I need to redo AHIP if I already passed the 2026 certification?

Yes, for the 2027 plan year. AHIP certification is required annually because CMS rules and plan details change every year. Passing the 2027 exam does, however, cover you for both the remainder of 2026 and all of 2027.

What happens if a carrier's certification date is still “TBD”?

Carriers control their own certification launch timing and frequently confirm dates only a few weeks in advance. Complete your AHIP certification as soon as possible so you aren't waiting on that step once a carrier's portal does open, and check back on this page or with your ACA contracting team for updates.

Do I need AHIP if I only sell Medicare Supplement, ancillary, or life insurance?

No. AHIP certification is required specifically to sell and earn renewal commissions on Medicare Advantage and Part D prescription drug plans. It is not required to sell Medicare Supplement, ancillary products (dental, vision, accident, hospital indemnity), or life insurance.

Where can I get help if I'm behind on certification or worried about failing?

Call ACA's contracting and training team before you burn an attempt. We can walk through study modules with you, confirm which carriers accept NABIP as an alternative, and make sure your certification timeline still protects your AEP-season commissions.