The Fight of Obamacare's 'Navigators' Against Republican Hurdles

[DonViejo]

HEALTH CARE

The Fight of Obamacare's 'Navigators' Against Republican Hurdles

While the GOP lambasts the administration for making Obamacare difficult to access online, they've set up roadblocks on the ground.

By Alex Seitz-Wald
October 30, 2013

As Republicans in Washington prepare to grill Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on Wednesday over problems a broken website is creating for accessing Obamacare, their fellow party members in a dozen-and-a-half states have added complications for people trying to access those benefits through alternate means.

"Even as we improve the website, remember that the website isn't the only way to apply for coverage under these new plans," President Obama said in his weekly address Saturday, noting that applicants could use the phone or apply "in person with a specially trained navigator." The Affordable Care Act provided $67 million in federal grant money that went to local community groups to hire "navigators," whose job it is to help applicants through the process of applying for insurance.

But whether by fees, background checks, tests, extra training, certifications, threats of civil penalties, or delays, Republican legislatures and officials in at least 17 states across the country have thrown up all manner of bureaucratic roadblocks in front of the program.

The officials say the regulations are necessary to protect consumers and their personal information, but health care reform advocates say the regulations, adopted only in states controlled by Republicans, are just part of a multipronged campaign to obstruct the implementation of the Affordable Care Act at every turn.

full article
http://www.nationaljournal.com/health-care/the-fight-of-obamacare-s-navigators-against-republican-hurdles-20131030