Three of four people who will be eligible for coverage through the new online health insurance marketplace opening in October say they want in-person assistance to help them learn about and enroll in coverage. Navigators—in-person assistance providers who will help consumers and small employers enrolling in the marketplace—are one of the ways the Affordable Care Act addresses this demand. Navigators will also be able to tailor outreach efforts to marketplace enrollees who, compared to people who are insured today, are more likely to be lower income, less educated, more racially and ethnically diverse, and more likely to speak a language other than English.
Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released its Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for ACA Navigators in federally facilitated or state partnership exchanges. U.S. HHS encourages all applicants to submit a letter of intent (optional) by May 1, 2013 to navigatorgrants@cms.hhs.gov. Final applications are due by 1 p.m. (EDT) on June 7, 2013 through grants.gov. Awards will cover a 12-month period of performance following the anticipated August 15, 2013 award date.
The total $54 million award will be distributed among the 34 eligible states according to a formula that directs more funding to states with larger uninsured populations, with $8,151,185 earmarked for Texas. At least two types of eligible entities will receive awards in each state, including at least one community and consumer-focused nonprofit.
You can find the full grant announcement on www.grants.gov by searching for CFDA 93.750.
Applicants must have an Employer Identification Number/Taxpayer Identification Number (EIN/TIN) as well as a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number, and must register for the System for Award Management (SAM) database in order to apply. Completing these steps can take up to four weeks. More information can be found at the grants.gov page, “Get Registered.”
U.S. HHS will host two technical assistance calls in upcoming weeks for organizations interested in applying:
First call: Thursday, April 11, 2013 from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. EDT
Toll-free teleconference phone number: 877-267-1577; ID: 5119
Second call: Friday, April 19, 2013 from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. EDT
Toll-free teleconference phone number: 877-267-1577; ID: 2917
U.S. HHS also released a rule last week that proposes the training, conflict of interest, and privacy/security standards that will apply to Navigators. Comments on the rule are due by 5 p.m. on May 6, 2013.
This piece was cross-posted from Texas Treatment, a blog by the Texas Well and Healthy campaign.