Redesigning Policy Guidance into a Tipsheet
The Challenge: Agents and brokers must navigate frequent Marketplace policy updates while supporting consumers in time-sensitive, high-stakes enrollment decisions. For Plan Year 2025, CMS released updated registration and training requirements for agents and brokers—outlined in a detailed guidance document. While comprehensive, the tipsheet was dense, text-heavy, and difficult to reference quickly during the registration and certification process. CMS needed a way to translate this guidance into a clearer, more usable resource that would reduce confusion, prevent errors, and support on-the-job performance.
The Concept: I designed a streamlined, learner-friendly tipsheet that transforms CMS’s Plan Year 2025 registration and training guidance into a practical, easy-to-navigate performance support tool. The resource emphasizes clarity, scannability, and plain-language explanations of key requirements, deadlines, and decision points. Content was reorganized around what agents actually need to do—rather than how the policy is written—allowing users to quickly confirm steps, avoid common mistakes, and stay compliant.
My Role: I led the instructional design and content restructuring for the resource, reorganizing policy guidance into a clear, task-oriented format. This included defining the information architecture, applying plain-language editing to improve clarity and usability, and analyzing policy requirements to ensure accurate mapping throughout the content. I coordinated closely with subject-matter experts to validate accuracy and alignment with CMS guidance, and conducted accessibility reviews and formatting to ensure the final deliverable was compliant and ready for digital distribution.
Key Features:
Task-Oriented Structure: Content is organized by action (e.g., registration, training completion, certification status) to mirror the agent workflow rather than the policy layout.
Plain-Language Guidance: Complex policy language is rewritten into concise, actionable explanations while preserving regulatory accuracy.
Quick-Reference Design: Bulleted steps, visual hierarchy, and clear headings reduce cognitive load and make the tipsheet easy to scan during busy enrollment periods.
Compliance-Aligned Content: Every section maps directly to CMS guidance for Plan Year 2025, ensuring accuracy and consistency with official requirements.
Accessible Formatting: Designed with accessibility best practices in mind, including readable typography, clear contrast, and screen-reader-friendly structure.
Outcome: The redesigned tipsheet provides agents and brokers with a clear, practical reference they can use before and during the registration and training process—reducing confusion, supporting compliance, and improving overall confidence in navigating Marketplace requirements.
