| Dear NAHU members, As you know, last night Senator Kennedy released his health reform legislation, the American Health Choices Act. NAHU has reviewed the 615-page bill and is in the process of finalizing our extensive analysis. A list of our most pressing concerns can be found here. The Senate HELP Committee will also be holding a hearing on the bill tomorrow, June 11, at 3:00 p.m., and NAHU CEO Janet Trautwein will be testifying. http://help.senate.gov/Hearings/2009_06_11/2009_06_11.html This comprehensive bill does contain some provisions that NAHU supports, but we also have many serious concerns. One of these issues is that this measure would allow states to contract with “navigators” that could be private or public entities that could assist employers, workers and self-employed individuals seeking to obtain quality and affordable coverage through Gateways (an exchange system also discussed in the bill). While the legislation does not in any way prohibit or restrict the ability of state-licensed health insurance agents, brokers and consultants to market and service health insurance policies either inside or outside the Gateways, the measure does give states the option of states entering into contracts with “navigators” and provides them with federal support to do so. Health coverage navigators could be private and public entities that could assist employers, workers and self-employed individuals seeking to obtain quality and affordable coverage through Gateways. Navigators cannot be carriers or anyone getting financial payment by a carrier. States do not have to use them. If they do, they would serve a function similar to what SHIPs do now for Medicare beneficiaries: conduct public education activities, distribute information about enrollment and premium credits, and provide enrollment assistance to the public – but they could not sell health insurance policies. NAHU does not support the concept navigators and that their functionality may well be duplicative of the role licensed agents and brokers already serve in the marketplace. If a state feels the need to establish navigators as part of its gateway, then NAHU feels that such navigators should be subject to the same rigorous licensing and continuing-education requirements that licensed agents and brokers are required to abide by. In addition, NAHU feels that navigators should be limited to entities with prior experience in this area, such as the SHIPs that provide seniors with assistance relative to the Medicare program. Please reach out to your members of Congress today to explain that navigators are not needed in the system and that you, as an agent, broker or consultant serve the same purpose to the American public as a navigator would, but with far more rigorous licensing and continuing-education requirements. |
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Code Blue: Contact your Congressmen About the Creation of Navigators in the American Health Choices Act
June 12, 2009 by Craig
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