White House to award $100 million to healthcare navigators
CMS streamlined the application process and focused on navigators helping historically underserved groups.
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The White House, in an election year push, awarded a new round of $100 million to organizations deemed "vital" to helping underserved communities, consumers and small businesses enroll in Affordable Care Act marketplace coverage.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is awarding the grants in advance of this year's Marketplace Open Enrollment – which begins November 15 to 44 navigator grantees in states using HealthCare.gov.
The grants are part of a commitment of up to $500 million over five years.
WHAT'S THE IMPACT?
Navigators offer free assistance to people exploring health coverage options through HealthCare.gov, from reviewing available plans to assisting with eligibility and enrollment forms, to post-enrollment services, such as using their coverage to get care. They can also assist people in helping enroll in or renew Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage.
During the plan year 2024 Marketplace Open Enrollment Period, about 21.4 million people selected plans through HealthCare.gov and state-based marketplaces, including with the help of navigators, CMS said.
CMS streamlined and simplified the application process this year, and focused on navigators helping historically underserved groups. The Rural Health Project, for example, is a new navigator grantee that will target 12 rural counties in northwestern Oklahoma – home to one of the largest U.S. populations of citizens from the Marshall Islands. Rural Health Project will provide language support in Marshallese.
At the same time, new navigator grantee Choose Healthy Life will employ a faith-based approach to target 15 counties across South Carolina, many representing Black and African American communities that remain uninsured. And Foundation Communities, a returning navigator organization, uses census data to identify communities in and around Austin, Texas, that can benefit from assistance enrolling in healthcare coverage.
Having access to trusted local partners is key to improving access to health services, particularly for those who just need a little extra help to understand the critical lifeline available through the ACA Marketplace and how to choose the best plan to meet their needs," said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure.
THE LARGER TREND
The 21.4 million people who selected ACA plans for the 2024 plan year represent a record number of enrollments, CMS said in January, besting the 16.3 million people who signed up last year.
It includes consumers who were formerly on Medicaid who turned to the ACA for continued health insurance coverage, CMS said. The federal government estimates about 2.7 million people who had Medicaid would qualify for financial help for an ACA plan.
Jeff Lagasse is editor of Healthcare Finance News.
Email: jlagasse@himss.org
Healthcare Finance News is a HIMSS Media publication.
