Health News
Starting October 2013, an estimated 1.6 million Illinois residents will be eligible for new and affordable forms of public and private health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act. But the overwhelming majority of the newly eligible have no idea how to access these options. Many Illinoisans will need more information and guidance through the enrollment process.
The Affordable Care Act requires each state?s Health Insurance Marketplace to establish a Navigator Program that will guide these individuals through their new coverage and enrollment options. These Navigators will serve an important role in ensuring that individuals benefit from the ACA.
On January 30th, the potential efficacy of the Navigator program was threatened by the introduction of Illinois Senate Bill 1194, which would create overly restrictive criteria for organizations applying for and performing navigator functions.
Here are the issues with SB1194 (as it was introduced):
Here?s what changed:
These amendments were filed on April 22nd, passed in the Senate on the 24th, and were referred to the House Rules Committee earlier today. You can follow SB 1194?s status here.Thanks to all of the advocates for raising your voices against restricting the navigators in this new health care system.
Nadeen Israel
Policy Associate, Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights
Please contact Nadeen at [email protected] for more information on SB1194.
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Health News
Update on SB 1194 (The Insurance Navigator Act)
Starting October 2013, an estimated 1.6 million Illinois residents will be eligible for new and affordable forms of public and private health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act. But the overwhelming majority of the newly eligible have no idea how to access these options. Many Illinoisans will need more information and guidance through the enrollment process.
The Affordable Care Act requires each state?s Health Insurance Marketplace to establish a Navigator Program that will guide these individuals through their new coverage and enrollment options. These Navigators will serve an important role in ensuring that individuals benefit from the ACA.
On January 30th, the potential efficacy of the Navigator program was threatened by the introduction of Illinois Senate Bill 1194, which would create overly restrictive criteria for organizations applying for and performing navigator functions.
Here are the issues with SB1194 (as it was introduced):
- SB1194 placed unnecessary restrictions on Illinois Navigators and In-Person Assistors, making it more difficult for low-income and hard-to-reach populations to connect to the application assistance that they need.
- Illinois is currently preparing a Navigator training and oversight system that makes SB 1194 unnecessary.
- Federal law already mandates some of what is outlined in SB1194, such as prohibiting Navigators from recommending specific insurance products. Once again, SB1194 is unnecessary.
- Language in SB1194 prohibited Navigators from facilitating enrollment in a Federally Qualified Health Plan, (QHP), one of the five Navigator duties already specified by the ACA.
Here?s what changed:
- SB1194 now includes the Navigator duties as spelled out in the ACA.
- SB1194 now includes a certification, instead of a licensure, requirement.
- SB1194 excludes all prior language that restricted Navigator duties, (such as the ability to facilitate enrollment in a QHP).
- SB1194 is now in alignment with Federal regulations regarding the training and responsibilities of Navigators.
- SB1194 now allows for the training of Certified Application Counselors, (another type of Navigator not directly compensated by the Exchange), to be defined at a later date. This means that CAC training will align with federal guidelines.
These amendments were filed on April 22nd, passed in the Senate on the 24th, and were referred to the House Rules Committee earlier today. You can follow SB 1194?s status here.Thanks to all of the advocates for raising your voices against restricting the navigators in this new health care system.
Nadeen Israel
Policy Associate, Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights
Please contact Nadeen at [email protected] for more information on SB1194.
- Training For In Person Counselors And Navigators In Illinois
The State is preparing to award grants in early July to community based entities who will employ helpers to educate consumers about their new health care options under the Affordable Care Act and to assist people in enrolling in the new...
- Great News For The People Of Illinois...now What?
Yesterday, Governor Quinn announced that Illinois was awarded a $115 Million grant for its Health Insurance Marketplace (the online portal to enroll over a million adults and children into quality health plans). A large portion of this federal funding...
- Don't Restrict The Navigators!
The Affordable Care Act requires each Health Insurance Exchange to establish a Navigator program that will help people who are eligible to purchase coverage through the Exchange learn about their new coverage and enrollment options, including Medicaid,...
- Navigators, Assisters, And Counselors, Oh My!
By now we know that upwards of 30 million Americans will have new, more affordable health coverage options available to them by January 1, 2014. But what many don?t realize is how incredibly difficult it can be to understand and choose the right health...
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The Affordable Care Act requires each state to have a health insurance marketplace (otherwise known as a "health insurance exchange"). Originally, the plan was for each state to establish its own health insurance marketplace, or default to a federally-run...