The Role of Insurance Navigators in Mitigating the Financial and Health Risk of Unemployed Workers
Description:
The Affordable Care Act implemented National Insurance Navigator Programs to have insurance navigators assist the uninsured in signing up for health insurance. Since 2017, the federal administration has severely cut the budget for the National Insurance Navigator Program resulting in less help for the uninsured to find health insurance, especially for individuals with bilingual needs or more complicated cases. The COVID-19 pandemic left millions of people without work and health insurance. Navigators were to assist these millions of extra uninsured with severely tight budgets. Some navigators may have lost their jobs or been furloughed due to COVID risks, which added further pressure on existing and struggling Navigator Programs. We examined navigator employment situations before and after COVID-19 and the challenges these health workers faced mitigating the financial and health risks of unemployed workers.
Lead Researcher:Marieke van Eijk, PhD
Contact Info:mariev2@uw.edu
Funder:
HRSA: HWRC Health Equity
Status:
Complete
Publications/Presentations
| Authors | Title | Type | Date | Documents/Media |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| van Eijk MS, Prueher L, Kett PM, Frogner BK, Guenther GA | Financial Instability of Federal Navigator Program Challenges Organizations to Help Uninsured Enroll in Health Insurance Coverage | PUBLICATION | 08-01-2022 | Article |
| van Eijk MS, Kett PM, Prueher L, Frogner BK, Guenther GA | Lack of Consistent Investment in Federal Insurance Navigator Program Undermines Navigators’ Equity Work in Vulnerable Communities | PUBLICATION | 07-30-2022 | Article |