Two big announcements were made on yesterday – one related to UNC Health Care’s merger with Carolinas HealthCare System and the other regarding cuts to Navigator grants and ACA promotional efforts.
Regarding Navigator funding in particular, CMS announced that, nationally, they were reducing planned Navigator funding by 41%. No organization yet knows what level of reduction they may individually receive. Four organizations in North Carolina receive Navigator funding – the NC Navigator Consortium, Mountain Projects, Alcohol/Drug Council of NC, and Randolph Hospital.
As we wait to hear what the funding cuts will mean for the state of North Carolina, you can rest assured that NC Get Covered and our partners will work together to keep as many boots on the ground as possible during Open Enrollment Period 5, and we will continue to promote the benefits of health coverage under the ACA.
Please plan to join us for our next NC Get Covered Coalition Meeting on Friday, September 15 from 10:00-11:30am. Meeting participants will learn about the new health plans that will be offered on the Health Insurance Marketplace in 2018, and get an update on the Seniors’ Health Insurance Information Program. More details about the September 15th meeting, including the location and a webinar link, will be provided early next week.
Have a nice Labor Day weekend,
NC Get Covered staff