CHICAGO (AP) — President Barack Obama’s administration has announced $67 million in awards to organizations that will help people sign up for insurance under the new health care law.
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced Thursday the Navigator grant awards to 105 organizations in states that are letting the federal government run their online insurance marketplaces.
The Navigator program will be particularly important to the health law’s success in some Republican-led states that aren’t doing any state-directed outreach to the uninsured.
The grant winners don’t have much time to hire and train outreach workers. Enrollment for the health law’s new coverage options starts Oct. 1, and benefits kick in Jan. 1.
Navigators must complete a training program developed by the federal government and pass an exam.