The Maine Wire
  • News
  • Commentary
  • Maine Wire TV
  • About
  • Contact
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Trending News
  • Portland School Board to Confirm New Superintendent Tuesday with “Unapologetic Commitment to Equity”
  • Maine Democratic Rep Wants Respectful Burials for Coyotes but Cosponsors Late Term Abortion Bill
  • RSU 10 School Board Candidate Labels Republican Rep “Bigot” for Backing School Transparency
  • Top Maine Businesses Are Funding Push for Late-Term Abortion and Far Left “Trans” Policies
  • Taxpayer-Funded Domestic Violence Resource Center Sponsors ‘Drag Story Time’ at Sanford Library
  • The Maine Wire Podcast: Sen. Trey Stewart
  • Pro-Abortion Satanist Berates Christians Protesting Outside Portland Planned Parenthood
  • Liberals Roast “Great White Mother” Mills for Opposition to Tribal Sovereignty Bill
Facebook Twitter Instagram
The Maine Wire
Login
Saturday, June 3
  • News
  • Commentary
  • Maine Wire TV
  • About
  • Contact
The Maine Wire
Home » News » Feds release first round of Maine's Obamacare "navigators"
News

Feds release first round of Maine's Obamacare "navigators"

Steve RobinsonBy Steve RobinsonAugust 19, 20135 Comments3 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Email LinkedIn Reddit
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email

obamacare

Two non-profit groups will receive federal grants totaling more than $500,000 under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, for assistance they will provide signing Maine residents up for health insurance.

According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), Western Maine Community Action (WMCA) and Fishing Partnership Health Plan (FPHP) are anticipated to receive, respectively, grants worth $475,000 and $66,846.

WMCA is a Wilton-based 501(c)3 non-profit “community agency.” According to CMS, it is the lead for a “state-wide consortium of eight community action agencies, collectively referred to as the WMCA Community Action Navigator Consortium.” According to its 2011 tax filings, the organization took in more than $8.8 million from September of 2011 to August of 2012, $8.3 million of which came from government contracts.

[RELATED: LePage blasts Michaud-backed Obamacare…]

FPHP is a Massachusetts-based health insurance company. According to CMS, it is a “health plan developed that provides subsidized coverage to uninsured commercial fisherman, many of whom operate as small business owners or employees.”

“FPHP, in collaboration with the Maine Lobstermen’s Association, will undertake a series of community health navigation activities, including: outreach; social marketing; distribution of material describing the program, the Affordable Care Act, and the health insurance enrollment process.”

The grants are part of a $67 million effort on behalf of HHS to help people sign up for health insurance. The grants range from almost $5.9 million provided to United Way of Tarrant County in Texas to $44,938 for the Ohio-based Clermont Recovery Center, Inc.

According to Department of Health Human Services (HHS), “Navigators are trained to provide unbiased information in a culturally competent manner to consumers about health insurance, the new Health Insurance Marketplaces, qualified health plans, and public programs including Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.”

In other words, navigators exist the shepherd people into government-run health insurance exchanges and medical welfare programs.

[RELATED: Allumbaugh: Medicaid needs reform, not expansion…]

The final rule describing the role of navigators was issued on July 12, more than 3 years after President Barack Obama signed his controversial health care overhaul into law. Under that final rule, traditional insurance agents are barred from being trained as navigators and navigators must not be affiliated with the insurance industry. Also, navigators are limited in the topics they can address with individuals seeking assistance. Permissible subjects include health care exchanges, tax implications, eligibility for premium tax credits, and cost-sharing reductions.

States that, unlike Maine, have chosen to operate their own exchanges have the opportunity to establish more rigorous requirements for navigators. For example, navigators must complete only 30 hours of training in states with federally-created exchanges, whereas a state like Maryland, which will be operating its own exchange, can (and does) require at least 120 hours of training.

The navigator provisions of Obamacare are one of the less well-known aspects of the healthcare law. Many critics of the law believe the creation of navigators was simply a way to funnel taxpayer money into left-leaning non-profit organizations.

CNS News reported Friday that abortion provider Planned Parenthood is also a navigator and will be provided with grants totaling $655,192. The federal government has not said whether Planned Parenthood’s Maine branch will be receiving funding, although Planned Parenthood of Northern New England is slated to receive $145,161.

Many health insurance watchers were surprised that the Maine People’s Alliance and Consumers for Affordable Care – two non-profits dedicated to bringing about a government-run, single-payor health care system – were not on the list. However, it is entirely possible that CMS will name more navigators in the future.

S.E. Robinson
Maine Wire Reporter
serobinson@themainewire.com

Affordable Care Act health insurance Obamacare
Previous ArticleLePage stresses pro-growth policies in weekly address
Next Article Video: Entrepreneurs battle New York Nanny State
Steve Robinson
  • Twitter

Steve Robinson is the Editor-in-Chief of The Maine Wire. ‪He can be reached by email at Robinson@TheMaineWire.com.

Related Posts

Portland School Board to Confirm New Superintendent Tuesday with “Unapologetic Commitment to Equity”

June 2, 2023

Maine Democratic Rep Wants Respectful Burials for Coyotes but Cosponsors Late Term Abortion Bill

June 2, 2023

RSU 10 School Board Candidate Labels Republican Rep “Bigot” for Backing School Transparency

June 2, 2023

5 Comments

  1. Jonathan McKane on August 19, 2013 6:47 AM

    In Maine, navigators must be licensed by the Bureau of Insurance. http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/bills_125th/billtexts/HP109802.asp

  2. John Frary on August 22, 2013 5:47 AM

    The non-profit sector promises to replace the old patronage sources that political machines relied on to sustain their organizations before civil service undermined that resource. A NYT expose of the Clinton non-profit enterprise shows the way.

  3. Teofila Vahey on October 5, 2014 1:56 PM

    jooouli

  4. porn on October 5, 2014 10:14 PM

    you will love it

  5. viagra on October 6, 2014 9:26 AM

    don’t regret it

Leave A Reply

Recent News

Portland School Board to Confirm New Superintendent Tuesday with “Unapologetic Commitment to Equity”

June 2, 2023

Maine Democratic Rep Wants Respectful Burials for Coyotes but Cosponsors Late Term Abortion Bill

June 2, 2023

RSU 10 School Board Candidate Labels Republican Rep “Bigot” for Backing School Transparency

June 2, 2023

Top Maine Businesses Are Funding Push for Late-Term Abortion and Far Left “Trans” Policies

June 2, 2023

Taxpayer-Funded Domestic Violence Resource Center Sponsors ‘Drag Story Time’ at Sanford Library

June 2, 2023
Newsletter

News

  • News
  • Campaigns & Elections
  • Opinion & Commentary
  • Media Watch
  • Education
  • Media

Maine Wire

  • About the Maine Wire
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Submit Commentary
  • Complaints
  • Maine Policy Institute

Resources

  • Maine Legislature
  • Legislation Finder
  • Get the Newsletter
  • Maine Wire TV

Facebook Twitter Instagram Steam RSS
  • Post Office Box 7829, Portland, Maine 04112

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

Sign In or Register

Welcome Back!

Login below or Register Now.

Lost password?

Register Now!

Already registered? Login.

A password will be e-mailed to you.