Contact: Aaron White
Phone: 202-225-5506
[email protected]
Navigator grants have been drastically cut nation-wide, with only one grant awarded in Wisconsin
La Crosse – Today, U.S. Rep. Ron Kind called on Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma to provide additional Navigator funding in order to assist Wisconsin residents enroll in health insurance coverage for 2019. Only one Wisconsin organization was awarded federal funding for enrollment services this year, and the grant was cut by over 80% from prior years.
“Choosing a healthcare plan can be complicated, and I want to ensure we have sufficient resources available to find coverage that works for every Wisconsinite and their family,” said Rep. Ron Kind. “Unfortunately, the Administration has made it nearly impossible for Wisconsinites to access in-person assistance, and is in-turn harming the health and wellbeing of Wisconsinites across our state. I am calling for more funding for the Navigator program, so nobody goes without the care they need.”
The Navigator program awards grant funding to organizations that provide enrollment assistance for individuals and outreach and education to raise awareness about the federal health insurance marketplace. The Department of Health and Human Services has drastically cut funding for the Navigator program in 2017 and 2018. With only $10 million allocated for the entire country this year – down from $63 million in 2016 – the program will only provide outreach to 23 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties.
Read the letter here.
