Texas on Thursday received almost $11 million in federal grants to fund organizations designated to spread the word about the new Health Insurance Marketplace, which begins enrollment Oct. 1 — only 46 days away.
That’s about $2.7 million more than the state expected to fund the eight “navigators.”
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said $10,867,875 in federal funds will be split among eight organizations in Texas. The largest grant, nearly $5.9 million, went to the United Way of Metropolitan Tarrant County.
The administration divided $67 million among 105 organizations in 34 states where the federal government is running all or part of the health insurance marketplace. The program received an additional $13 million in funds from the health law prevention fund, officials said.
The navigators, officials said, are critical to the success of the new health care law. They will serve as in-person resources for Americans who want assistance sorting through the marketplace.
The organizations will have to go through 20 to 30 hours of training to become certified before offering assistance. Below is a list of the Texas agencies selected, along with the amounts of their grants. Asterisks denote organizations serving as navigators in more than one state. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has published a complete, state-by-state list of navigators nationwide.