With Funding Slashed and No Contracts in Hand, ACA Marketplace 'navigators' Are Shutting Down

Bemoaning Budget Cuts, Navigators Say Feds Don’t Appreciate Scope Of The Job--Oh Poor Babies: :D

The Trump administration says many of the organizations that help people enroll in health plans on the federal insurance marketplaces don’t provide enough bang for the buck, sometimes costing thousands of dollars to sign up each customer. So, it is cutting their funding, some by as much as 90 percent, the government told the groups last week.

But the navigators, as they’re called, say the government doesn’t understand the time involved in the effort or the complexity of the enrollment challenge. Nor do federal officials appreciate the variety of tasks that navigators are asked to handle, they say.

Some customers don’t know how to use a computer. Many don’t understand insurance lingo — what’s a deductible, anyway? — or how to pick the best plan for their needs. Consumers get confused about estimating income and determining household size to qualify for premium tax credits that are available for people with incomes up to 400 percent of the poverty level (about $98,000 for a family of four). What if you’re self-employed and have no idea how many hours of work you’ll get next year? If Grandma is a dependent, does she count as part of the household? What about mixed immigrant families, in which one member is undocumented and ineligible for health insurance? These are the types of vexing questions navigators routinely field, they say.

Bemoaning Budget Cuts, Navigators Say Feds Don’t Appreciate Scope Of The Job | Kaiser Health News
 
Bemoaning Budget Cuts, Navigators Say Feds Don’t Appreciate Scope Of The Job--Oh Poor Babies: :D

The Trump administration says many of the organizations that help people enroll in health plans on the federal insurance marketplaces don’t provide enough bang for the buck, sometimes costing thousands of dollars to sign up each customer. So, it is cutting their funding, some by as much as 90 percent, the government told the groups last week.

But the navigators, as they’re called, say the government doesn’t understand the time involved in the effort or the complexity of the enrollment challenge. Nor do federal officials appreciate the variety of tasks that navigators are asked to handle, they say.

Some customers don’t know how to use a computer. Many don’t understand insurance lingo — what’s a deductible, anyway? — or how to pick the best plan for their needs. Consumers get confused about estimating income and determining household size to qualify for premium tax credits that are available for people with incomes up to 400 percent of the poverty level (about $98,000 for a family of four). What if you’re self-employed and have no idea how many hours of work you’ll get next year? If Grandma is a dependent, does she count as part of the household? What about mixed immigrant families, in which one member is undocumented and ineligible for health insurance? These are the types of vexing questions navigators routinely field, they say.

Bemoaning Budget Cuts, Navigators Say Feds Don’t Appreciate Scope Of The Job | Kaiser Health News
Well golly gee!! maybe these people should call a broker....and maybe the money would be better spent compensating the brokers. We need no training.:no:
 
Since most insurers are losing money on ObamaCare patients, they probably don't care if advertising/Navigator funding is slashed.

But then again, sick people don't need prompting to enroll/re-enroll. Perhaps insurers want to grow their ObamaCare pools.
 
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