Biden administration makes largest-ever spend on ACA navigators

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, is spending $98.9 million in grant funding to 59 returning Navigator organizations for the 2023 Open Enrollment Period to help consumers navigate enrollment through the Marketplace, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.

These awards will enable Navigator organizations to retain staff and add to the more than 1,500 existing Navigators who were trained to help consumers find affordable, comprehensive health coverage in nearly every HealthCare.gov state and county during the 2022 open enrollment period. This follows a historic Open Enrollment Period in 2022 and is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to enroll more people in health care coverage.

Today’s announcement marks the single largest Navigator funding award provided to date and serves as a continuation of historic levels of funding. The Biden-Harris Administration previously awarded $80 million to the program, quadrupling the number of Navigators for the 2022 Open Enrollment Period. More than 1,500 certified Navigators held more than 1,800 outreach and education events at accessible areas—such as local libraries, vaccination clinics, food drives, county fairs, and job fairs. This historic investment in outreach and enrollment efforts helped contribute to the record-breaking 14.5 million people who signed up for 2022 health care coverage through the Marketplaces, including nearly 6 million people who newly gained coverage.

The 2022 Navigator awards are the second installment of a three-year period of performance agreement funded in 12-month increments known as budget periods. This multi-year funding structure is designed to provide greater consistency for Navigator awardee organizations, reducing yearly start-up time and allowing more efficient use of grant funds.