HHS announces $60M in HIX navigator grants

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Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell today announced $60 million in grant awards to 90 navigator organizations in states with federally-facilitated and state partnership health insurance marketplaces.  

These awards support preparation and outreach activities in year two of marketplace enrollment and build on lessons learned from last year, according to the HHS statement.

People shopping for and enrolling in coverage through the health insurance marketplace can get local help in a number of ways, including through navigators. "In-person assisters have an impact on the lives of so many Americans, helping individuals and families across the country access quality, affordable health coverage," said Burwell. "We are committed to helping Americans get covered and stay covered with in-person assistance in their own communities."

HHS cites a recent Kaiser Family Foundation survey, on a variety of assisters, including navigators, in both state-based and federally-facilitated marketplaces who were responsible for helping an estimated 10.6 million consumers apply for coverage in marketplace plans, Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) during the first open enrollment period.

Assisters tend to help those consumers in communities with the most challenging or complicated enrollments, and according to another poll, Latinos in particular valued the assistance of in-person help, according to HHS. Navigators provide unbiased information to consumers about the marketplace and other public programs in a way that recognizes the cultures of the communities they serve.

"Navigators were selected to receive these awards through a competitive grant process based on their ties with the communities they will be serving and other standards such as effectiveness and program integrity," Burwell said.

To learn more:
- Read the HHS statement

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