
What is a navigator for health insurance?
Health insurance Navigators help people who need assistance enrolling in health coverage through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) ’s health insurance exchanges/marketplaces. They can also provide assistance with various issues that might arise after a person is already enrolled.
What is a dual health plan navigator?
A Navigator serves as your single point of contact to help with your care needs. Dual health plans, or Dual Special Needs Plans, are for people who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid.
What are the 2020 Medicare Navigator grant awards?
On August 28, 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) awarded $10 million in Navigator grant awards to 30 organizations who will serve as Navigators in Federally-facilitated Marketplace states.
What is the patient navigator Act of 2010?
With unanimous support in Congress, and under the leadership of Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), the Act authorized the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants through 2010 for the development of patient navigator programs. A total of $25 million was awarded over five years to develop community-based navigation programs.

What is a CMS Navigator?
As trusted community partners, their mission focuses on assisting the uninsured and other underserved communities. Navigators serve an important role in connecting communities that historically have experienced lower access to health coverage and greater disparities in health outcomes to health coverage.
What is an exchange Navigator?
In the Exchange, Navigators will mainly help people find and keep private insurance coverage. Navigators will play an essential role in helping individuals and families address their health care needs with the right health plan and to educate people about their health plan options.
What is a navigator Grant Program?
The Navigator Program provides assistance to individuals presenting at community health centers with enrolling in a Covered California Qualified Health Plan, renewing coverage and post-enrollment support.
What's the difference between a broker and a navigator?
First and foremost, navigators are there to help you solely with shopping for a plan on the government exchanges—nowhere else. Agents and brokers, on the other hand, can also help you enroll in off-exchange plans.
What is healthcare navigation?
A health navigator (also known as a patient navigator or resource navigator) is a member of the health care team who helps individuals overcome barriers to quality care. They address barriers including access to health care, insurance or lack thereof, poor health literacy, transportation, child care and more.
What are coverage levels?
Coverage Level means the Single Life Coverage insurance death benefit the Employee is eligible for under the Plan, determined based on the Employee's job classification, in accordance with the schedule of Coverage Levels maintained by the Plan Administrator.
What is a navigator?
A Navigator is your go-to person for support. For dual health plan members, a Navigator serves as your single point of contact. Your Navigator is a trusted advisor. Someone who’ll learn about your specific health challenges.
How can a navigator help you?
Just like the name says, your Navigator can help you: Make a plan to help with questions about your medical, transportation and food needs. Schedule appointments and transportation to your doctor, dentist or pharmacy. Review your benefits to help you get the most out of your plan.
What is a dual eligible special needs plan?
Plans that are low cost or no-cost. Medicare dual eligible special needs plans. Plans that provide special coverage for those who have both Medicaid and Medicare. For Members (Opens in a new tab) Site Language: Currently selected language: English (en) English (en) Español (es)
What to see if you are dual eligible for medicaid?
Many people who are dual-eligible for Medicaid and Medicare have chronic health issues. They may need to see a number of different care providers on a regular basis. They may also see mental health counselors for depression or anxiety. And therapists to help with pain and mobility.
Can you have both medicaid and medicaid?
Life isn’t easy for those who have both Medicare and Medicaid. Many people who are dual-eligible for Medicaid and Medicare have chronic health issues. They may need to see a number of different care providers on a regular basis. They may also see mental health counselors for depression or anxiety. And therapists to help with pain and mobility. They may also need special medical equipment or help with transportation.
Can a navigator help with dual health?
A Navigator can help make life easier for dual health plan members. Life isn’t easy for those who have both Medicare and Medicaid. Many people who are dual-eligible for Medicaid and Medicare have chronic health issues. They may need to see a number of different care providers on a regular basis.
Enrollment and Ongoing Support for Marketplace Enrollees
Louise Norris has been a licensed health insurance agent since 2003 after graduating magna cum laude from Colorado State with a BS in psychology.
What Assistance Can Navigators Provide?
Navigators offer a broad range of support for people who need to obtain their own health insurance. They provide outreach and education about available health coverage, and can help applicants determine whether they’re eligible for Medicaid, CHIP, or subsidies in the marketplace.
What Training Do Navigators Receive?
Navigators are trained and certified by the exchange/marketplace. State-run exchanges set their own Navigator training and certification standards, while the federal government handles that for states that use HealthCare.gov.
Where Can I Find a Navigator?
You may stumble across a Navigator at a local hospital, clinic, or nonprofit organization in your community. But if you’re actively seeking assistance from a Navigator, you can start at your state’s exchange website and search for enrollment assistance.
How Do Navigators Get Paid?
Navigator organizations receive funding from the health insurance exchange. Unlike health insurance brokers, Navigators do not receive any sort of compensation from health insurance companies.
Summary
Health insurance Navigators are trained and certified to provide outreach and education about health insurance coverage at no cost to those who need their help. They can help determine eligibility and assist in enrollment and issues after enrollment.
A Word From Verywell
Navigators provide essential assistance to people who might otherwise not know where to turn for help. They know their local communities well and are skilled at helping vulnerable populations secure coverage, especially in programs like Medicaid and CHIP, where enrollment assistance may be needed.
What is a navigator?
Navigators play a vital role in helping consumers prepare applications to establish eligibility and enroll in coverage through the Marketplaces and potentially qualify for an insurance affordability programs. They also provide outreach and education to raise awareness about the Marketplace, and refer consumers to health insurance ombudsman and consumer assistance programs when necessary. Navigators are funded through federal grant funds and must complete comprehensive federal Navigator training, criminal background checks, and state training and registration (when applicable), prior to assisting consumers.
How are navigators funded?
Navigators are funded through federal grant funds and must complete comprehensive federal Navigator training, criminal background checks, ...
How much is the Navigator Grant 2020?
On August 28, 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) awarded $10 million in Navigator grant awards to 30 organizations who will serve as Navigators in Federally-facilitated Marketplace states. These awards will support the work of organizations that offer assistance to consumers navigating, shopping for, ...
Can a person be a navigator in the federally facilitated marketplace?
Entities and individuals cannot serve as Navigators in the Federally-facilitated Marketplaces without receiving federal grant funding from CMS to perform Navigator duties. On June 4, 2021, CMS published its sixth Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), making $80 million available in grants to Navigators in the Federally-facilitated Marketplaces ...
What is Medicare Advantage Plan?
Medicare Advantage Plan (Part C) A type of Medicare health plan offered by a private company that contracts with Medicare. Medicare Advantage Plans provide all of your Part A and Part B benefits, excluding hospice. Medicare Advantage Plans include: Health Maintenance Organizations. Preferred Provider Organizations.
What is a non discrimination notice?
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is the federal agency that runs the Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Programs, and the federally facilitated Marketplace.
What is CMS in Medicare?
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is the federal agency that runs the Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Programs, and the federally facilitated Marketplace. CMS doesn’t exclude, deny benefits to, or otherwise discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, sex, or age in admission to, participation in, or receipt of the services and benefits under any of its programs and activities, whether carried out by CMS directly or through a contractor or any other entity with which CMS arranges to carry out its programs and activities.
What is a CMS auxiliary aid?
CMS provides free auxiliary aids and services including information in accessible formats like Braille, large print, data/audio files, relay services and TTY communications. If you request information in an accessible format from CMS, you won’t be disadvantaged by any additional time necessary to provide it. This means you will get extra time ...
How to contact Medicare by phone?
Call us. For Medicare, call us at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY: 1-877-486-2048. For the Health Insurance Marketplace, call us at 1-800-318-2596. TTY: 1-855-889-4325. Email us at [email protected]. Send us a fax: 1-844-530-3676. Send us a letter: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Does Medicare Advantage cover prescriptions?
Medicare Advantage Plans may also offer prescription drug coverage that follows the same rules as Medicare drug plans. , contact your plan to request their information in an accessible format. For Medicaid , contact your State or local Medicaid office.
What is an insurance navigator?
The Affordable Care Act required that “ insurance navigators” be available to help consumers research and enroll in health insurance through the law’s health insurance marketplace, the “exchanges.”. It’s no wonder that there is confusion about these definitions.
What is a hospital navigator?
In most cases, these hospital-based navigators primarily manage the patient’s needs during the hospital stay and discharge planning. They work for the hospital. They usually also generally only refer to services within the hospital system that employs them. This is a key difference from what private advocates offer.
How much does a private navigator cost?
There is no standard fee for private navigation services. Fees can range from $60 to $250 per hour, depending on the person you interview. Based on the navigator’s track record, you should feel comfortable that you will be getting your money’s worth, as you would with any other professional service provider.
Why were many individuals in medically underserved or minority communities at risk?
Many individuals in medically under-served or minority communities were at risk because of financial, communication, health care system and cultural barriers to care. In 2005, U.S. policymakers came together to support the Patient Navigator Outreach and Chronic Disease Prevention Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-18).
When did the Patient Advocacy Credential come together?
To tackle the issue of setting standards and competencies for the profession, in January 2013 a group of individuals representing various advocacy constituencies came together with the goal of creating a substantive, accredited national patient advocacy credential.
Who invented patient navigation?
What is the origin of patient navigation? The original concept of patient navigation was pioneered in 1990 by Dr. Harold P. Freeman, a surgical oncologist at Harlem Hospital, for the purpose of eliminating barriers to timely cancer screening, diagnosis, treatment, and supportive care.
Who supports the Navigator model?
The American Cancer Society, The Susan G. Komen Foundation, and the National Cancer Institute have all supported various navigator research efforts based on the success of Dr. Freeman’s model. Another part of the navigator landscape is now seen in hospital-based nurse navigators, particularly for breast cancer patients.
What is non covered in NCD?
Non-Covered: An item or service may be non-covered if the coverage criteria are not met per the NCD or LCD; it would be considered not reasonable or necessary. For these services that do not meet policy criteria, a mandatory Advance Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage (ABN) is required with the GA modifier appended upon claim submission. ...
Why are personal comfort items not covered by Medicare?
Personal Comfort Items: These items are statutorily not covered because these items do not meaningfully contribute to treatment of a beneficiary's illness or injury, or functioning of a malformed body member. Examples: Radios. Televisions.
What is medical necessity?
Medical necessity is defined as services that are reasonable and necessary for diagnosis or treatment of an illness or injury, or to improve the functioning of a malformed body member and are not excluded under another provision of the Medicare Program.
What is a voluntary ABN?
A voluntary ABN may be given and the claim is submitted with the GY modifier, indicating the voluntary ABN. Dental: Items and services in connection with care, treatment, filling, removal or replacement of teeth or structures directly supporting teeth.
What is considered medically necessary?
To be considered medically necessary, items and services must meet certain qualifications: Consistent with symptoms or diagnosis of illness or injury under treatment. Necessary and consistent with generally accepted professional medical standards (e.g., not experimental or investigational)
Does Medicare cover medically necessary services?
Medicare covers services it views as medically necessary to diagnose or treat health conditions. If those conditions produce debilitating symptoms or side effects it would also be considered medically necessary to treat those as well.
Is Medicare a secondary payer for the VA?
For example, Veterans Administration (VA) authorized services will not be covered and Medicare should not be billed as secondary payer to VA. Exceptions that May Be Covered: The VA may authorize non-Federal providers or private physicians or other suppliers to render services at Federal expense.
What is DSNP in Medicare?
What is a DSNP? For millions of Americans who qualify as dual-eligible healthcare beneficiaries, trying to coordinate their health care with both Medicare and Medicaid services can be confusing. For this reason, there are Special Needs Plans from Medicare Advantage that provide you with a convenient way to manage your healthcare services ...
Is DSNP available through private insurance?
DSNPs are available through certain private insurance companies in some states , but not all. These plans are required by federal law to provide all benefits covered by Original Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) and Part B (medical insurance) and individual states control the additional benefits that providers can include in the DSNP.

Background
- Starting October 1, 2013, consumers in all states were able to access affordable health insurance options through the Health Insurance Marketplace. Some states set up a State-based Marketplace and the remaining states opted for the Federally-facilitated Marketplace (FFM). No matter what state they live in, consumers can receive help as they apply f...
Key Resources
- CMS-9955-F: Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; Exchange Functions: Standards for Navigators and Non-Navigator Assistance Personnel; Consumer Assistance Tools and Programs of an Exchange an...
- CMS-9949-P: Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; Exchange and Insurance Market Standards for 2015 and Beyond
- CMS-9955-F: Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; Exchange Functions: Standards for Navigators and Non-Navigator Assistance Personnel; Consumer Assistance Tools and Programs of an Exchange an...
- CMS-9949-P: Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; Exchange and Insurance Market Standards for 2015 and Beyond
- CMS-9949-F:Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Standards for 2015 and Beyond
- CMS Enrollment Assister Bulletin 2021-01 - Guidance Regarding Training, Certification, and Recertification for Navigators and Certified Application Counselors in the Federally-facilitated Exchanges...
Navigators
- Each year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) makes grant awards to organizations who serve as Navigators in FFM states. Navigators play a vital role in helping consumers prepare applications to establish eligibility and enroll in coverage through the Marketplaces and potentially qualify for an insurance affordability programs. They also provide …
Certified Application Counselors
- Certified application counselor designated organizations (CDOs) are a vital component of the assister community. In the Federally-facilitated Marketplaces (FFMs), CDOs oversee certified application counselors (CACs) who are trained and able to help consumers seeking health insurance coverage options through an FFM. Organizations that wish to become CDOs designat…
Agents and Brokers
- Agents and brokers also play a key role in the Health Insurance Marketplace. To the extent permitted by states, agents and brokers play an important role in educating consumers about Marketplaces and insurance affordability programs, and helping consumers receive eligibility determinations, apply for premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions, compare plans, and …