CMS is pleased to announce the Certified Application Counselor Designated Organization (CDO) Application web form is now live and will remain available year-round!
CDOs are a vital component of the assister community. In states with a Federally-facilitated Marketplace (FFM), CDOs oversee Certified Application Counselors (CACs), who are annually trained and able to help consumers seeking health coverage options through the Marketplace.
Help us spread the word – the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) invites new applicant organizations who want to become CDOs to apply.
This announcement applies only to organizations that:
- Wish to apply to the CDO program operating in an FFM state, and
- Do not currently have an active CMS-CDO agreement with CMS
Organizations with an active CMS-CDO agreement should disregard this message. If you are unsure if your organization has an active CMS-CDO agreement with CMS, please contact us at CACQuestions@cms.hhs.gov.
Only organizations that complete the two steps below and receive a CDO ID from CMS can certify staff or volunteers as CACs in an FFM state to provide enrollment assistance services.
To apply to become a CDO:
- Access and complete the CDO Application at https://mats.secure.force.com/CDOApplication/. CMS will review your application and send a determination email with your application status. Please allow up to 10 business days for this review.
- If CMS approves your application, your leadership contacts will receive a Preliminary Approval email.
- Your Organization Senior Official (OSO) listed on your application will receive an email from DocuSign containing directions and a link to your CMS-CDO Agreement and must sign using DocuSign.
- Please be sure to check your spam/junk folder and add cacquestions@cms.hhs.gov and DocuSign email dse@Docusign.net to your approved senders list.
- CMS will then review your signed agreement and send your leadership contacts a determination email. If CMS approves your agreement, you will receive a Welcome Packet email with a unique CDO ID and next steps. Please allow up to 5 business days for this review.
Resources for CDO Applicants
For an overview of the CDO Program and resources that walk users through the CDO application, please visit:
- CDO Application Information – information about who should apply and how to apply.
- CDO Program Information – information about who can become a CDO and CDO role responsibilities.
For questions or updates, you can email CACQuestions@cms.hhs.gov. Please include your organization’s name and address in the body of your email.