How to Sell CHOICE (ICHRA) Plans: FAQs for Benefits Brokers & Consultants

Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs), such as CHOICE (Custom Health Option and Individual Care Expense Arrangement), previously known as ICHRA (Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement) and Qualified Small Employer HRA (QSEHRA), are gaining popularity quickly as more employers seek affordable and flexible alternatives to traditional group health insurance. For benefits consultants and brokers, these programs offer new opportunities to support clients, especially those with remote teams, high renewal rates, or cost concerns. However, offering HRAs also raises unique questions about setup, quoting, plan selection, and how to stay involved as the Broker of Record (BOR).

Vitable Health is a leading health benefits platform built for brokers, employers, and everyday workers. We simplify HRA administration and help brokers stay at the center of the client relationship, while making it easy to quote, launch, and manage CHOICE and QSEHRA plans.

Whether you’re exploring HRAs for the first time or expanding your book of business, these FAQs will help you understand how to recommend, sell, and manage CHOICE and QSEHRA plans, plus how Vitable supports you at every step.

Understanding CHOICE & QSEHRA Plans

Is CHOICE a good option for small businesses?

Yes. CHOICE arrangements are ideal for small employers who want cost predictability without sacrificing quality or flexibility. They’re especially valuable when group participation is low or when teams are geographically dispersed and employees want more choice.

When should brokers recommend CHOICE over group insurance?

Recommend CHOICE when your client is struggling with group rate renewals, needs a more scalable option for part-time or remote workers, or wants to offer benefits for the first time. It’s also great for employers who wish to avoid minimum participation requirements and offer more tailored benefits by employee class.

Learn more about CHOICE in our 2025 Broker's Guide to ICHRA.

Can brokers offer CHOICE and QSEHRA through the same platform?

Yes. Vitable supports both CHOICE and QSEHRA, along with Minimum Essential Coverage (MEC) plans and Minimum Value plans (MVP), under a single, streamlined platform, making it easy to serve clients of all sizes and needs without toggling between systems.

How do QSEHRA and CHOICE differ?

QSEHRA is available to employers with fewer than 50 full-time employees and cannot be offered in conjunction with group health plans. CHOICE, on the other hand, works for employers of any size and can be customized by employee class, including hybrid strategies that carve out part-time or geographically remote teams.

Broker Setup & Support for CHOICE Plans

Can I remain the Broker of Record (BOR) if I work with Vitable?

Yes. Vitable is a broker-first platform, meaning you stay in control of the client relationship and retain all carrier commissions. You can also add a PEPM broker fee on top of our admin fee billed together for simplicity.

Can brokers hand off BOR if I don’t want to manage enrollments?

Absolutely. If you'd rather focus on strategy, Vitable has a national brokerage team that can handle all individual enrollments. This option is especially useful for larger or distributed teams where one-on-one enrollment isn’t feasible.

Can brokers add my own service fee?

Yes. Vitable offers complete transparency in client billing and allows you to incorporate a PEPM service fee for your support. This makes it easy to monetize your time and expertise while providing clear value to the client.

Do brokers need special tools to manage enrollment?

Not at all. Many brokers utilize direct carrier portals, while others employ tools such as HealthSherpa, Stride, or marketplace exchanges. You choose what works best for you. Vitable’s platform is designed to work alongside your preferred tools. Through our broker enrollment dashboard, you can track open enrollments, access employee plan selections, and gather all the information you need to complete enrollments, while preserving your Broker of Record status and enabling you to earn individual market commissions.

Does Vitable support AOR workflows?

Yes. If you want to stay listed as the Broker of Record, we will notify you as soon as an employee selects a plan through our platform, allowing you to finalize enrollment directly without needing to schedule one-on-one calls unless requested. If you're designated as the official referral broker, your contact information and scheduling link will appear alongside plan shopping. That way, employees who need extra help can easily call or schedule a one-on-one meeting with you to walk through their options.

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Quoting, Proposals & Customizing HRA Plans

How long does it take to get a quote?

Quotes are typically returned within 24–48 hours of receiving a completed census. However, starting September 1, 2025, Vitable’s real-time contribution modeling and scenario planning tool enables you to instantly explore different employer-employee cost splits and benefit designs, eliminating the need for back-and-forth. Once you’ve landed on the right strategy, just click to generate a complete client proposal, including any additional broker fees.

If you have a unique group setup or need customized options (like multiple contribution tiers or plan quality filters), we’re still here to support you with tailored proposals.

Can brokers test different CHOICE reimbursement scenarios?

Yes. While Vitable’s self-serve quoting tool is in development and will be rolled out on September 1, 2025, our team can create side-by-side comparisons to help your clients evaluate flat dollar amounts, percentages of the lowest-cost plans, or ACA affordability thresholds. We’ll also flag which scenarios are most likely to be ACA compliant and sustainable.

Can brokers generate and customize proposal documents?

Yes. You can use editable templates for a fast turnaround, or Vitable can create a branded proposal for you with real plans pulled from the marketplace. Proposals can include contribution comparisons, plan summaries, affordability checks, and optional MEC add-ons.

Can brokers adjust HRA reimbursement levels across employee groups?

Yes, for CHOICE. Employers can define CHOICE classes by salary vs. hourly, part-time vs. full-time, geography, or other IRS-approved criteria. Contributions can vary by age and coverage tier; just make sure they follow the 3:1 age band ratio rule. QSEHRA does not allow class-based contribution differences.

Employee Plan Selection & Enrollment Experience

Can brokers enroll employees in individual plans directly using Vitable’s platform?

Not currently. Vitable supports plan selection and broker notifications, but enrollment must be completed externally. Brokers can use their preferred method to stay AOR or delegate to our national brokerage.

How does Vitable support employees choosing plans?

Employees use our marketplace tool to compare both on- and off-market plans based on cost, deductible, network, and other key features. If they’re unsure about which plan to choose, they can connect with our licensed national brokerage for one-on-one support. Alternatively, if you're listed as the referral broker, they’ll be referred directly back to you. Your contact information and scheduling link will appear alongside plan shopping so employees can easily reach out for guidance.

Does Vitable help ensure ACA compliance with MEC plan requirements?

Yes. We verify that the selected plans meet the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) minimum essential coverage requirements and confirm enrollment before processing any reimbursements or payroll deductions.

How does Vitable handle premium payments?

Vitable uses a fully automated premium payment system to simplify administration for your clients. Each employee is assigned a unique payment account, and the employer pre-funds the total premium amount into a pooled account. Our team then pays premiums directly on the carrier’s website and monitors payment status to ensure policies remain active.

As the broker, if you’re staying on as the Broker of Record, it’s important to use the account and routing details provided during enrollment to ensure premiums are processed through Vitable’s system. This ensures full automation, accurate tracking, and a smooth experience for both you and your client.

Broker Dashboards, Marketing & Compensation

Can brokers track employee selections and enrollment status?

Yes. If you’re staying on as the Broker of Record, you’ll have access to our enrollment dashboard, which gives you complete visibility into your client’s setup. You’ll be listed as an admin on the employer’s page, where you can view enrolled and eligible employees, plan selections, and eligibility status, giving you a 360° view of the group. This makes it easy to follow up only when needed and ensures a seamless experience for both you and your client.

Is there a dashboard to manage multiple employer clients?

Yes. If you’re staying BOR, the enrollment dashboard allows you to see and complete all pending enrollments across multiple clients in one place. We’re also rolling out a streamlined broker dashboard in the coming months, where you’ll be able to view all active clients, submitted quotes, and outstanding proposals in a single view.

What’s the broker compensation model?

You can earn carrier commissions by staying Broker of Record. You can also include a PEPM broker fee in the client’s monthly invoice. Vitable bundles all fees together for simplified billing and pays broker fees on a monthly basis.

Are there incentives for bringing new clients to Vitable?

Yes. Vitable offers seasonal incentives and bonuses for new business. From now through September 1, 2025, brokers can earn additional bonuses for each enrolled employee.

Reach our to learn more.

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Does Vitable offer marketing, onboarding, or training support?

Absolutely. We provide customizable one-pagers, email templates, slide decks, proposal copy, and onboarding scripts to help you win and onboard clients. We also offer one-on-one sales coaching and can host live demos for larger or strategic accounts.

Can brokers white-label Vitable’s platform for my agency?

Yes. Several brokers and partners have white-labeled our CHOICE solution in various ways, from co-branded assets to more comprehensive technical integrations. Reach out to learn more about what’s possible and what level of customization is available based on your needs.

Does Vitable integrate with quoting or CRM systems?

Not yet, but we’re actively exploring integrations with platforms like Salesforce, HubSpot, and popular HRIS systems. If you’re working at scale, we’re happy to discuss a deeper technical collaboration tailored to your specific volume and needs.

What features are on Vitable's roadmap?

Upcoming broker-focused features include:

• Self-serve quoting and real-time proposal editing
• Broker dashboard with employer and employee views
• White-labeled plan materials and onboarding flows

Additional Questions Brokers May Get From Clients

Do CHOICE plans meet ACA employer requirements?

Yes. If appropriately designed, CHOICE arrangements fulfill ACA comliance requirements for both minimum essential coverage (MEC) and affordability. We’ll run affordability checks to ensure compliance and avoid IRS penalties (like Schedule B fines).

Can unused HRA funds roll over?

Yes, if the employer chooses to allow rollovers. Vitable can support both month-to-month and year-end rollovers, ensuring that unused funds remain with the employer until reimbursed.

What types of expenses can be reimbursed through a CHOICE?

It depends on how the employer designs the benefit. While CHOICE funds can legally be used to reimburse any qualified medical expenses outlined in IRS Publication 502, including health insurance premiums, copays, prescriptions, dental, vision, and even some transportation and mental health costs, the employer ultimately decides what’s covered.

Read our article on CHOICE eligible expenses in 2025 to learn more.

Some employers choose to offer a premium-only CHOICE, while others decide to reimburse both premiums and out-of-pocket healthcare expenses. The flexibility is built in, but coverage is always defined by the employer’s plan design.

How fast can we launch a new CHOICE group?

If you're staying on as the Broker of Record and managing enrollments directly, the timing is highly flexible. We can get everything set up as soon as you’re ready to go. The key deadline to keep in mind is that employees must be enrolled in a health plan by the 20th of the prior month for coverage to begin on the 1st of the following month.

If Vitable is handling employee enrollments on your behalf, we recommend allowing up to 7 weeks to fully launch the group and guide employees through the plan selection process. Either way, starting early ensures a smoother experience for everyone involved.

Ready to Sell More CHOICE Plans?

Whether you're new to CHOICE arrangements or looking to expand your portfolio with flexible reimbursement-based benefits, Vitable is your partner in growth. From plan design to quoting and ongoing support, we’ve built our platform to support brokers because we believe you should always stay at the center of the client relationship.

Fill out the form below to learn more, or if you're ready to dive in, book a call here to explore how Vitable can support you.