For brokers who think they're not needed in a PPACA-era healthcare world, listen up, because there's evidence to thecontrary.

Not only do consumers say brokers have been helpful in providinginformation about the law and health plans under it, but brokersare the highest-ranked of all information sources, according toanalysis.

The Urban Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundationsurveyed consumers about what sources of information they used whenresearching PPACA health plans on the exchanges. About 84 percentof survey respondents ranked insurance agents and brokers as “very”or “somewhat” helpful, the highest ranked source. Next on the listof most helpful resources were other “forms of assistance involvinga person,” including navigators, community health workers and theMedicaid agency, at 77 percent.

The lowest-ranked source was call centers, with just 58 percentof respondents saying their time on the phone was very or somewhathelpful.

Nearly 80 percent of consumers surveyed said they relied on theexchange websites when researching PPACA options, but many saidthey supplemented that research with information from othersources—including, of course, brokers, as well as the media,navigators, family members and friends. Just 65 percent said thewebsites were helpful.

According to the survey, Hispanics were more likely to use someform of direct assistance (40 percent) including call centers,navigators, and brokers and agents, compared to 31 percent of whitenon-Hispanics. Those aged 50-64 were also twice as likely to usedirect assistance as a source of information (43 percent comparedto 22 percent of those age 18-34).

Despite the troubled rollout of HealthCare.gov, more than 8million people enrolled in a health plan through the exchanges.

Reports, including Aflac's WorkForces survey, and anecdotalevidence, suggest brokers remain uneasy about PPACA, their role inthe industry with the law in place, and their future because of it.But the new Urban Institute report shows consumers still need avariety of sources to help them choose coverage, most notably,brokers.

“People are using multiple sources of information to choose theplan that is right for them,” said Katherine Hempstead, who leadscoverage issues at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. “Spreadingthe word about enrolling in insurance coverage is important andchallenging, and research into consumer patterns and preferencescan help improve the process for the next open enrollmentperiod.”