If you want to sell Medicare Advantage or Part D, you have to pass AHIP — America's Health Insurance Plans certification — every year before carriers will let you sell their plans. It's open-book, but agents fail it all the time by underestimating it. Here's how to pass on the first attempt.
What the AHIP exam actually covers
AHIP is a series of training modules followed by a 50-question final exam. You need 90% (45 of 50) to pass. The content covers:
- Medicare basics (Parts A, B, C, D) and eligibility
- Medicare Advantage and Part D plan rules
- Enrollment periods (AEP, OEP, SEPs)
- Marketing and compliance rules (CMS guidelines) — the section that trips people up
- Fraud, waste, and abuse (FWA) and general compliance
Why agents fail an open-book test
Two reasons: time pressure and the compliance/marketing rules. The exam is timed, and the marketing-rules questions are written to catch you on specifics — what you can and can't say, when you can contact a beneficiary, permission-to-contact rules, scope-of-appointment. Product knowledge is the easy part; the CMS rules are where points slip away.
A study plan that works
- Do the modules — don't skim. Take real notes on enrollment periods and marketing rules. These are the highest-value questions.
- Build a cheat sheet of the enrollment periods (AEP Oct 15–Dec 7, MA OEP Jan 1–Mar 31, SEPs) and the marketing do's/don'ts. You can reference it during the exam.
- Master scope-of-appointment and permission-to-contact. Expect multiple questions.
- Use your attempts wisely. You typically get multiple attempts, but questions change each time — don't rely on memorizing answers. Learn the material.
- Certify early. AHIP opens in the summer for the upcoming plan year. Certify before AEP crunch so you're ready to sell on day one.
How to save on the AHIP fee
AHIP costs around $175, but many carriers and FMOs offer a discount link (often $50 off) or reimburse the fee once you certify and produce. Ask your upline before you pay full price — a good agency will hand you the discount and often cover it entirely.
The takeaway
AHIP is very passable if you respect it: do the modules, build a cheat sheet for enrollment periods and marketing rules, and certify early. Then carrier certifications (each carrier has its own short cert after AHIP) and you're cleared to sell.
New to Medicare and want an upline that covers your AHIP and walks you through certifications? Apply to Bridgepoint. See also our AHIP & Medicare certification guide.