The federal government will again provide funding for health insurance navigators that will help people enroll for insurance coverage through state exchanges. In Montana, funding will be provided for navigators that will highlight subsidized insurance coverage. The federal government is offering to offset the cost of insurance coverage through subsidies in order to ensure that a greater number of people have access to insurance policies they need. This year, the navigators will also have a focus on Native American consumers living in Montana.
Some $600,000 is being sent to Montana for the purpose of hiring navigators. These navigators will be hired through non-profit organizations, per the provisions of the Affordable Care Act, and the organizations that they work with will have no direct affiliation with insurance companies. Planned Parenthood is one of the organizations that will be working with insurance navigators. According to Martha Stahl, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Montana, the organization has had significant success in working with navigators in the past.
Native Americans could find ideal insurance policies through state’s exchange
Navigators will also be working with the Tribal Leaders Council in order to promote insurance coverage among Native American Consumers. The organization is receiving $142,000 of the funds issued to Montana to hire navigators. Many of Montana’s Native American consumers have avoided the state’s insurance exchange because they use the Indian Health Service. According to the Tribal Leaders Council, more affordable plans can be found through the state’s insurance exchange, and these policies could benefit consumers in a major way.
Insurance navigators have had significant success in other states during the last open enrollment period for health insurance exchanges. Some states have voiced concerns regarding these navigators, however, because the Affordable Care Act provides relatively few regulations concerning these workers. Some states have taken steps to issue more regulation, such as requiring navigators to undergo thorough background checks before they can serve consumers, in order to protect people from potential exploitation.