The Biden administration said Friday that it will spend nearly $100 million on grants to help consumers sign up for Affordable Care Act plans in the 2023 open enrollment period.
The $98.9 million in funding will go to 59 so-called “navigator” groups that help people find coverage via state and federal marketplaces, Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) said the grants will enable navigator organizations retain and add to the more than 1,500 staff trained to help consumers find 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,” CMS said in a statement.
A record number of Americans, more than 14.5 million, signed up for Affordable Care Act plans through the marketplaces during the last enrollment period, helping to drive the national uninsured rate to an all-time low of 8%.
The enrollment period for 2023 is scheduled to run from November 1, 2002 to January 15, 2023.
