Where Are the ACA Navigator Positions?

[Norwayguy]

Grand total of grants awarded in April 2013 was $54 million, but then HHS took a little more money from the wellness and prevention fund, because Congress wouldn't appropriate more greenbacks to help the cause. Here is a very good article about Navigator funding and how it is a drop in the bucket in regards to the number of people that should be reached. Love Obamacare? Has the White House got a job for you!

The $54 million gets distributed across states depending on the size of their uninsured populations. Most health policy experts say this is a pretty small amount of funding, given the size of the task of reaching 48.6 million uninsured Americans.
When you consider the funding in that light, we're talking about only a few dollars for each American eligible for the new programs (the 48.6 million number includes undocumented workers, who would not be eligible for the programs). Stan Dorn at the Urban Institute has described the navigator grants as "a drop in the bucket" when it comes to educating millions of Americans.

Yeah but its a grant with salaries they place one newspaper ad or have 1 article written and then sit back and wait because reality is it doesn't matter if they sign people up they have already been paid.

 

[Piece Of The Pie]

I applied as an individual for a navigator grant. I probably put in 40 hours putting the application together. In Arizona they are letting the feds set up the exchange. The total pie for navigators in Arizona is $1.6 Million. I was asking for $75,000. I got my response today...
"We regret to inform you that your grant application has not been selected for review and will not be considered for funding. If you require further information, please contact the Agency contacts identified in the funding opportunity announcement."

Not even selected for review. Ouch.

 

[Yagents]

I applied as an individual for a navigator grant. I probably put in 40 hours putting the application together. In Arizona they are letting the feds set up the exchange. The total pie for navigators in Arizona is $1.6 Million. I was asking for $75,000. I got my response today...
"We regret to inform you that your grant application has not been selected for review and will not be considered for funding. If you require further information, please contact the Agency contacts identified in the funding opportunity announcement."

Not even selected for review. Ouch.

Grants were never going to "individuals", they have always been proposed to go to larger organizations that show proof they can reach thousands in a certain segment of the population. If you want to be a navigator, you need to reach out to one of the winning groups. But, thanks for sharing, as at least this shows what stage they are in with regards to Nav selections. Is there a website that they reference in the notification you received?

 

[AllenChicago]

This LifeHealth Professional article says that Insurance Agents and Brokers can be Navigators.

Feds: Brokers can be HHS exchange navigators | LifeHealthPro

But maybe Arizona doesn't allow individuals to receive Navigator grants.
-ac

 

[Yagents]

Nothing special in az.
A broker can b a nav, but probably under a large entity. One req has always been proof of outreach to thousands of people. U wont see any indy agent get a grant anywhere in the country

 

[AllenChicago]

Nothing special in az.
A broker can b a nav, but probably under a large entity. One req has always been proof of outreach to thousands of people. U wont see any indy agent get a grant anywhere in the country

Agents should be grateful that they can't get a Navigator grant. Once the government sends you money, they OWN you. At least that the way it used to be before the Obama years.

 

[Piece Of The Pie]

Grants were never going to "individuals", they have always been proposed to go to larger organizations that show proof they can reach thousands in a certain segment of the population. If you want to be a navigator, you need to reach out to one of the winning groups. But, thanks for sharing, as at least this shows what stage they are in with regards to Nav selections. Is there a website that they reference in the notification you received?

1) I disagree with your strong phrases.... "Grants were NEVER going to individuals" and "ALWAYS been proposed to go to larger organizations". The application criteria is very clear they are also looking for small entities and individual brokers to work the rural areas.
2) I do agree that I could do the same gig under a winning group, but I don't want to do that. I was hoping to add a little income putting on seminars outside of Tucson.
3) They notified me by email, but at the bottom of the email is this.... "This message has been sent by GrantSolutions (https://www.grantsolutions.gov)"

 

[Yagents]

1) I disagree with your strong phrases.... "Grants were NEVER going to individuals" and "ALWAYS been proposed to go to larger organizations". The application criteria is very clear they are also looking for small entities and individual brokers to work the rural areas.
2) I do agree that I could do the same gig under a winning group, but I don't want to do that. I was hoping to add a little income putting on seminars outside of Tucson.
3) They notified me by email, but at the bottom of the email is this.... "This message has been sent by GrantSolutions (https://www.grantsolutions.gov)"

I was in the AZ exchange meetings before the state decided to go the federal exchange route. I specifically asked, along with many other agents, about the prospects of banding together a bunch of agents, or going solo and applying for a grant. They basically told us we didn't have a chance of getting the grant. Too many other variables, like accountability for production, oversight, small amount of funds to go around, the lack of supervision, the need for outsourcing to a big group, etc.

 

[Piece Of The Pie]

I was in the AZ exchange meetings before the state decided to go the federal exchange route. I specifically asked, along with many other agents, about the prospects of banding together a bunch of agents, or going solo and applying for a grant. They basically told us we didn't have a chance of getting the grant. Too many other variables, like accountability for production, oversight, small amount of funds to go around, the lack of supervision, the need for outsourcing to a big group, etc.

Yes, I understand the accountability and oversight issues. It would have been nice if they had changed the application criteria to reflect that they decided to NEVER allow an individual to get a grant.

 

[HealthGuy]

Piece of the pie is lookin for a piece of the pie. Ironic.