Overview

The features below are in active development and will be available to integrating partners as each is released. Details are subject to change.

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HealthSherpa is expanding its ICHRA API platform with new capabilities that give partners deeper control over the enrollment experience. Whether you need full programmatic lifecycle management, richer deeplink pre-fill, or a unified payments integration, the tools below are designed to meet you where your product is today and grow with it.

Everything described here is in active development and will be available for beta partners in the near future. Previews are subject to change, your account manager will confirm availability for each milestone.

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EnrollConnect

EnrollConnect is a full-lifecycle enrollment API that gives partners programmatic control over off-exchange health insurance applications, from creation through carrier submission and status tracking.

Already integrated? The existing Application Deeplink, Quoting API, and Webhooks continue to work as-is. EnrollConnect is an additional option for partners who need API-level control over the enrollment experience.

Application Lifecycle

┌──────-───┐     ┌─────────┐     ┌────────┐     ┌───────────┐
│  Create  │────▶│  Update │────▶│ Submit │────▶│    Pay    │
│  (draft) │     │ (draft) │     │ (send) │     │ (redirect)│
└────────-─┘     └─────────┘     └────┬───┘     └─────┬─────┘    
                                      │               │
                    ┌─────────────────────────────────┘
                    ▼
          ┌──────────────────┐
          │ Poll for status  │
          │ or await webhook │
          └────────┬─────────┘
                   │
    ┌──────────────┼──────────────┐
    ▼              ▼              ▼
┌───────-───┐ ┌──────────┐ ┌────────────┐
│Effectuated│ │ Cancelled│ │ Terminated │
└────────-──┘ └──────────┘ └────────────┘

Every response includes an errors array — an empty array means the application is ready to submit. No separate validation call needed.

Endpoints

Launch (April 1)

Method	Path	Description
POST	/api/v1/applications	Create a draft application
PUT	/api/v1/applications/:id	Update a draft application
GET	/api/v1/applications/:id	Retrieve application details, status, and validation errors
POST	/api/v1/applications/:id/submit	Submit to carrier
POST	/api/v1/applications/:id/cancel	Cancel (pre-effectuation)
POST	/api/v1/applications/:id/terminate	Terminate (post-effectuation)
POST	/api/v1/applications/:id/supporting_documentation	Upload SEP documents
GET	/api/v1/applications/:id/payment_redirect	Get carrier payment form data

Fast follow enhancements

Method	Path	Description
GET	/api/v1/applications	List applications (paginated, filterable)
PUT	/api/v1/applications/:id/payment_method	Add or update payment information

Inline Validation

Every POST, PUT, and GET response includes errors:

{
  "application_id": "HSA000000001",
  "errors": [
    {
      "field": "applicants.primary.ssn",
      "code": "missing_required_field",
      "message": "Primary applicant SSN is required for submission"
    }
  ]
}

When errors is empty, the application is ready to submit.

Payment with Submission

Some carriers require payment information as part of the application. The response includes payment_instructions:

payment_required_with_submission	Include the payment_method object before calling submit.
payment_redirect_url_supported	Generate a redirect URL to the carrier's payment page.
pay_by_phone_supported	Carrier accepts phone payments. payment_phone_number provided.

Once released, the payment_method object supports bank accounts (EFT/ACH) and credit cards, though support for either may vary by carrier.

The GET /applications/:id response includes a payment object with carrier-reported payment data (status, paid-through date, balance due, autopay indicator) when available. If the carrier does not provide this data, the payment value will be null. For carriers that use payment redirect, this data depends on the carrier reporting it back. Sensitive values are never returned.

Fast follow. In-flow payment support (payment_method in the Application request body, PUT /payment_method endpoint, and credit card support for Elevance) is planned as a fast-follow addition after the initial EnrollConnect launch. Sensitive payment fields will be sent through a PCI-compliant proxy URL provided by HealthSherpa. Details will be shared when this capability is ready.

Enrollment Decision Path

Two new boolean fields will appear on each plan in the Quoting API response:

Field	Type	Description
deeplink_enrollment	boolean	Plan supports enrollment via the Application Deeplink.
api_enrollment	boolean	Plan supports enrollment via the EnrollConnect API.

Use these to route users to the right enrollment path.

You can also look up a specific plan's enrollment flags without running a full quote:

GET /api/v1/plans/:hios_id?plan_year=2026

This returns the same fields for a single plan, useful when you already have a plan selected and need to confirm which enrollment path it supports.

These fields and the plan lookup endpoint are not yet live. They will be available in staging before production. Your account manager will notify you when they are ready.

Fast follow. The plan lookup response will include an enrollment_requirements object with required fields, conditionally required fields, and payment/SEP metadata per carrier.

See: Choosing an Enrollment Path

Webhooks

Both enrollment paths generate the same webhook events. If you are already subscribed to:

• Submission Confirmation: fires when an application is submitted.

• Policy Status: fires on status changes (effectuated, cancelled, terminated) with payment data.

These webhooks work for both deeplink and EnrollConnect submissions. No additional setup required.

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Expanded Deeplink API

The Application Deeplink is getting a major expansion. Today it supports a subset of application fields. V2 will accept the full canonical enrollment schema, matching the schema of the EnrollConnect API.

What's New

Category	New Fields
Attestations	Issuer, broker, electronic signature consent, disclosure, pediatric dental
Signatures	Primary, spouse signatures and dates
Communication preferences	Notification method, marketing consent, HSA opt-in
Guardian	Address, phone, email
Responsible party	Name, address, relationship
Translator	Name, reason, signature
Agent of record	Address, fax, carrier producer code, signature
Employer	Contact details, FEIN, FIPS code
Applicant fields	Student status, disability, Medicare/Medicaid eligibility, immigration, incarceration, tobacco N/A
Dependent fields	Alternate address, expanded relationships (parent, stepparent), ITIN, per-dependent email/phone

Why It Matters

• More prefill: pre-populate attestations, signatures, and payment so agents spend less time in the HealthSherpa UI.

• One schema, two paths: the same JSON payload works for both the deeplink and the EnrollConnect API. Build once, route to either.

• Easier migration: start with the deeplink, move to the full API later without changing your payload.

Backward Compatible

Existing deeplink parameters continue to work unchanged. V2 fields are additive.

             ┌─────────────────────────────────-─┐
             │    Canonical Application Schema   │
             │         (same JSON body)          │
             └──────────────┬─────────────────-──┘
                            │
              ┌─────────────┴─────────────────┐
              │                               │
              ▼                               ▼
 ┌─────────────────────────┐   ┌─────────────────────────┐
 │   Deeplink V2           │   │   EnrollConnect API     │
 │   POST /public/ichra/   │   │   POST /api/v1/         │
 │   off_ex                │   │   applications          │
 │                         │   │                         │
 │   → 302 redirect        │   │   → 201 JSON (draft)    │
 │   → User completes in   │   │   → Full lifecycle      │
 │     HealthSherpa UI     │   │     control             │
 └─────────────────────────┘   └─────────────────────────┘

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Environments

Environment	API Base URL	Deeplink Base URL
Staging	https://api.ichra-staging.healthsherpa.com	https://staging.healthsherpa.com
Production	https://api.ichra.healthsherpa.com	https://www.healthsherpa.com

Authentication uses the same x-api-key header for all endpoints.

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Release Timeline

Milestone	Target	Details
EnrollConnect API + Enrollment Decision Path	April 1	Core API lifecycle (create, update, submit, cancel, terminate), inline validation, enrollment flags on the Quoting API, and plan lookup
Carrier support (staggered)	April – ongoing	Carriers will be enabled incrementally after launch. Your account manager will share the carrier availability schedule
EnrollConnect enhancements	April – ongoing	Support for creating incomplete applications, ability to pass payment information, list applications, get required application fields by plan, and more
Deeplinks V2	Week of May 4	Full canonical schema support for deeplink pre-fill, backward compatible with existing integrations

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What's Next

We are actively working toward beta availability. In the meantime:

• Review the previews above — understand how these capabilities fit into your integration.

• Test existing integrations — Quoting, Deeplink, APTC, and Webhooks are all live today.

• Reach out — contact your HealthSherpa account manager to express interest in the beta.