Study Findings on COVID-19 Are Outlined in Reports from University of Washington (Financial Instability of Federal Navigator Program Challenges Organizations To Help Uninsured Enroll In Health Insurance Coverage): Coronavirus – COVID-19

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from the University of Washington, “However, the program’s financial instability and substantial budget cuts created a severe shortage of navigator assistance for the uninsured and underserved. The COVID-19 pandemic added further pressure to the already-strained program. Our study examined how unstable and unpredictable federal funding and the COVID-19 pandemic affected organizations’ navigator work in the federal program in 2020. The results study show (1) that navigator organizations provide vital, year-round resources; (2) that organizations feel pushed to direct scarce resources to grant management and cut service provision; and (3) that there are policy changes that can support navigator organizations in the future.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Increased and ongoing federal investment is needed to support this vital health workforce and expand enrollment assistance for underserved communities.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Financial Instability of Federal Navigator Program Challenges Organizations To Help Uninsured Enroll In Health Insurance Coverage. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 2022;33(3):1555-1568. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved can be contacted at: Johns Hopkins Univ Press, Journals Publishing Division, 2715 North Charles St, Baltimore, MD 21218-4363, USA.

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Marieke S. van Eijk, University of Washington, Center for Health Workforce Studies, Seattle, WA, United States. Additional authors for this research include Lillian Prueher, Paula M. Kett, Grace A. Guenther and Bianca K. Frogner.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1353/hpu.2022.0129. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

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