Posted on 08/16/2013 7:30:17 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
The Obama administration has awarded $67 million to fund its ObamaCare “navigators,” the contractors who will receive training (but not background checks, apparently) to assist Americans in putting their private data into the ACA exchanges for health insurance. Thirteen state attorneys have already expressed considerable alarm at the issue of data security in the exchanges, but for now it’s full speed ahead:
After several months of delays, the Obama administration awarded $67 million on Thursday to fund an army of outreach and enrollment workers known as “navigators,” who will help people sign up for coverage on the new state health insurance marketplaces beginning Oct. 1.
With less than seven weeks to go before the marketplaces start enrolling people in Obamacare for 2014, more than 100 navigator programs will be on a tight schedule to assemble, train and dispatch workers throughout the 34 states that will have federally run marketplaces. The 16 states that run their own marketplaces fund their own navigator programs.
As employees of universities, social service agencies, hospitals, advocacy groups, private businesses and other organizations, navigators will work with consumers to answer questions and provide unbiased information that allows people to choose health plans that fit their needs. By law, navigators cannot receive any financial compensation from insurers.
Originally, the navigator program was only supposed to get $54 million. The extra $13 million came in a “surprise move,” The Hill reports:
HHS had initially said navigators would receive $54 million in grants, but officials said they pulled an extra $13 million from the healthcare law’s prevention fund to help broaden the reach of the program. …
Timothy Jost, a law professor at Washington and Lee University and a supporter of the healthcare law, said the extra funding provided by HHS is helpful but still falls short of what some states are spending on their outreach efforts.
“It’s nice to have a little more money, because these people have an awfully big job ahead of them,” Jost said. “But it’s still not what’s needed.”
Ironically, as both The Hill and John Fund point out, the extra cash comes from a fund that is supposed to be used for disease prevention. Remember when the sequester’s cuts were supposed to damage public health, and the White House was powerless to shift funds around to address priorities? When it comes to addressing the President’s priorities, it’s amazing to see how flexible and innovative the Obama administration can be, huh?
By the way, who gets this extra largesse? Three guesses, emphasis mine:
Groups receiving navigator funds include United Way programs, the Urban League, Mental Health America, the National Hispanic Council on Aging, and various universities and Planned Parenthood groups.
Remember when Barack Obama told Planned Parenthood “God bless you“? If God won’t, then Obama will — with our money.
When you stand back and take a good look at it, this “Navigator” fiasco is nothing more than another taxpayer subsidized, DemocRAT “voter” registration drive.
No Republicans need apply.
Leftwing ogs get their funding from government, even La Raza Rubio wants to hand them $300 million or so in Amnesty
Why do I have the feeling that these navigators will look a lot like Obama’s sons and daughters.
IIRC, these ‘navigators’ don’t even need a background check.
Gramps and grandma giving personal data to criminals-what could possibly go wrong?
The main reason the Individual Mandate is not being delayed ,have fill pockets of friends again
Can’t I just jump off this train? I don[’t want to ride all the way to the poor house.
Yes, navigators [paid jobs for Obama voters to sign up more likely Obama voters] is another money giveaway. With no screening and background check, expect fraudsters to grab the job and use the unsecured database as another way to generate fake credit,debit/EBT cards and mailing lists for overpriced medical supplies, fake drugs and other scams.
Why not another $67 million to help disabled veterans navigate through the maze of government benefits to which they are entitled.
I wonder how those TOUGH Ways and Mean committee people like Kenny Marchant of N. TX let this kid of money get spent without congressional approval?>?>?>? Where is the congress on spending!!!!
Why don’t we become naviagtors? Form a couple of leftwing sounding 501c4’s, get the money and funnel it somewhere
Carrying SEIU cards and wearing XXXL purple and yellow SEIU T-Shirts.
That would be a heck of a lot better use of the money.
If Obamacare is defunded do we get the $67 million back?
Amen Brother
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