Insurance navigators to receive $100M ahead of open enrollment

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will grant $100 million to 44 organizations tasked with helping people sign up for insurance coverage during open enrollment on the exchanges.

The agency plans to distribute up to $500 million over the next five years.

The grantee organizations, known as navigators, are located in 28 states with federally facilitated marketplaces, according to a news release. Because Illinois is in the process of transitioning to a state-based marketplace, navigators there were not eligible for the CMS funding.

Navigators use funding from the government to conduct outreach, help people find marketplace, Medicaid or Children's Health Insurance Plan coverage that meets their needs, and assist individuals with tasks such as switching health plans.

Related: CMS toughens Medicaid oversight after ‘unwinding’ mess

The $100 million is designated for the 12-month period beginning Aug. 27, according to CMS. Grantees include community health centers, behavioral health clinics, legal aid societies, rural health clinics and women’s health centers. The government last year awarded navigators $98.6 million.

“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,” CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure said in a news release Monday.

Open enrollment begins Nov. 1 and ends Jan. 15 except on four state-based marketplaces. Your Health Idaho will hold its signup campaign from Oct. 15-Dec. 15, while New Jersey's Get Covered NJ, New York State of Health and HealthSource RI in Rhode Island will run open enrollment from Nov. 1-Jan. 31.

Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly described the dates for the 2025 health insurance exchange open enrollment period.