CMS NEWS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 2,
2015
Contact: CMS Media Relations
CMS awards $67 million in Affordable
Care Act funding to help consumers sign-up for affordable Health Insurance
Marketplace coverage in 2016
With Marketplace Open
Enrollment set to begin on November 1, 2015, the Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services (CMS) today announced grant awards totaling $67 million
to support outreach efforts designed to connect people with local help as
they seek to understand the coverage options and financial assistance available
at HealthCare.gov. Awarded to 100 organizations located in 34 states that
operate Federally Facilitated Marketplaces, State Partnership Marketplaces,
and supported State-Based Marketplaces, the three year-long Marketplace
Navigator grants will fuel efforts to help consumers enroll in a health
plan that fits their budget and best meets their family’s needs.
“There are a lot of choices when it comes to signing up for health
insurance and we want to help make sure consumers feel confident that
they’ve picked the right plan,” said Kevin Counihan, CEO of the Health
Insurance Marketplaces. "In person assistance from Navigators and
assisters has proven to be an incredibly important avenue for consumers to
get the right coverage. I'm pleased that Navigators and assisters will be
available in even more geographic areas this year."
Navigators and assisters are
trained specialists who provide consumers in their communities with
in-person help, answering their questions about their health insurance and
financial assistance options and assisting them as they complete their
application. Navigators and assisters are knowledgeable about the range of
health plans available on HealthCare.gov as well as other public health
insurance programs offered in their state, including Medicaid and the
Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The navigator awards announced
today will allow organizations to work with consumers for the next three
years.
This year’s Navigator grantees
will expand access to local help in many states. In Illinois,
Indiana, Iowa, Montana, New Jersey, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, more
counties will be covered by Navigator entities during the Marketplace’s
third open enrollment period than during the second open enrollment.
In West Virginia alone, an additional 42 counties will be covered,
providing improved access across the state. These gains will enable
more consumers to get the help they need with enrollment.
Of the Navigator grantees
awarded for this three-year cycle, 67 are returning grantees, providing
stability and continuity for many consumers who have come to rely on the
assistance offered by these Navigator grantees both for enrollment and
post-enrollment concerns. While grants could continue for three years, each
year, CMS will assess Navigator grantees’ performance for ongoing support.
In addition to Navigators, Marketplaces make other resources available
to consumers to help them access Marketplace coverage, such as certified
application counselors, non-navigator assistance personnel (also known as
in-person assisters), and agents and brokers. Consumers in
federally-facilitated and state partnership Marketplaces can visit Find
Local Help to find assistance in their area.
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