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Consumer & Broker Flow

Status: Living document. Last updated April 7, 2026.


End-to-End Journey


Phase 1: Discovery

Goal: Show the consumer their real subsidized price in 30 seconds.

No PII collected. Only zip code, ages, household size, income. This data is not stored — it's used for a real-time query and discarded (or optionally cached anonymously in Redis for performance).

Disclaimers shown throughout:

  • "Estimates based on the information you provided"
  • "Powered by the same data as Healthcare.gov"
  • "Final premium confirmed after enrollment review by a licensed broker"

Medicaid-Income Handling


Phase 2: Plan Selection

Prescription & Condition Matching

Data source: CMS formulary URLs in the PUF/API data link to each plan's drug formulary. We can either:

  • Parse formulary PDFs (complex but comprehensive)
  • Use CMS's formulary API if available for the state
  • Build a curated drug → plan coverage database over time

What the Consumer Sees

For each plan:

  • Monthly premium (after all subsidies)
  • Sticker price (struck through)
  • Savings amount and percentage
  • Deductible and max out-of-pocket (before/after CSR)
  • Key copays: primary care, specialist, urgent care, ER, generic Rx
  • Drug-specific costs (if Rx entered)
  • Star rating
  • Network type (HMO/PPO/EPO)
  • Links to: drug formulary, SBC, provider directory

Clear quote disclaimer:

"These estimates are calculated using federal government data and the official ACA subsidy formula. Your exact premium and benefits will be confirmed by a licensed broker during enrollment. Actual costs may vary slightly based on final eligibility verification."


Phase 3: Enrollment

PII Collection

When the consumer selects a plan and proceeds to enroll, we collect:

FieldSensitivityEncryption
Full legal namePHIAES-256 field-level
Date of birthPHIAES-256 field-level
Social Security NumberPHI (highest)AES-256 field-level + separate key
AddressPHIAES-256 field-level
Phone numberPIIHashed + encrypted
EmailPIIHashed + encrypted
Immigration statusPHIAES-256 field-level
Income verification docsPHIEncrypted at rest (S3)
Employer informationPIIAES-256 field-level

Encryption Architecture

MongoDB Client-Side Field Level Encryption (CSFLE):

  • SSN, name, DOB, address encrypted BEFORE leaving the API layer
  • MongoDB Atlas never sees plaintext PII
  • Even a database breach yields only encrypted blobs
  • Keys managed by AWS KMS — separate from database access
  • Different KMS keys for different sensitivity levels (SSN gets its own key)

Phase 4: Broker Fulfillment

Broker Queue

Broker Portal Access Controls

Access rules:

  • Brokers can ONLY see enrollments assigned to them
  • Brokers can ONLY see enrollments in states where they're licensed
  • Every PII field access is logged (who, when, what, from where)
  • Session timeout after 15 minutes of inactivity
  • No bulk export of consumer data
  • No PII visible in URLs, logs, or error messages

Broker Assignment Logic


Phase 5: Confirmation

Consumer Notification Flow

Post-Enrollment

  • Consumer can log in to see enrollment status
  • Payment path established (carrier direct billing or marketplace billing)
  • AskFlorence tracks for retention (annual renewal reminders)
  • Agency NPN on enrollment → recurring ~$25/month carrier commission per member

Data Flow Summary


Disclaimer Language

On quote results:

"These premium estimates are calculated using official federal government data sources and the IRS Advanced Premium Tax Credit formula. They represent what most people with your household profile qualify for. Your exact premium, deductible, and copays will be confirmed during the enrollment process by a licensed insurance broker. Actual amounts may vary based on final eligibility verification by the insurance carrier."

On enrollment submission:

"By submitting this application, you authorize AskFlorence and our licensed broker partner to process your health insurance enrollment. Your personal information is encrypted and stored in compliance with HIPAA regulations. Only your assigned licensed broker will have access to your application details for the purpose of completing your enrollment."

On confirmation:

"Your plan selection has been reviewed and submitted by a licensed insurance broker. [Carrier Name] has confirmed your enrollment. Your coverage begins [date]. If you have questions about your coverage, contact [carrier phone] or your AskFlorence broker at [support email]."

AskFlorence Internal Documentation. Not for public distribution.