# The ENROLL Act of 2021: Making Health Insurance Help More Accessible

This bill strengthens the "navigator" program, which is a system that helps people understand and enroll in health insurance through the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Navigators are counselors and organizations that provide free, unbiased guidance to people shopping for health insurance. Right now, navigators help individuals figure out which plans work best for them, explain coverage options, and assist with the enrollment process. This bill makes sure navigators are better funded and more widely available, especially in states where the federal government runs the health insurance marketplace.

The main change is that the bill guarantees $100 million per year in dedicated funding for navigators in federal exchanges (the healthcare.gov system and similar platforms in states that don't run their own marketplaces). Previously, navigator funding was less stable and predictable. The bill also requires that at least some of this money goes to community-based nonprofit organizations that focus on consumer health issues, ensuring that local groups serving their communities get a fair shot at these grants. Additionally, navigators will now be required to help people understand not just private health plans, but also Medicaid and children's health insurance programs—expanding the scope of assistance available to people who might qualify for these programs.

Another important requirement is that navigators must maintain a physical presence in their state, meaning they need to be available for in-person help, not just phone or online assistance. This ensures that people who prefer face-to-face help can get it. The bill also removes a previous requirement that navigators had to explain short-term insurance plans and employer group plans, allowing them to focus their efforts on the main health insurance options available through the ACA marketplaces. These changes take effect for health insurance plans starting January 1, 2022.

ENROLL Act of 2021

Castor, Kathy

Expand Navigators' Resources for Outreach, Learning, and Longevity Act of 2021 or the ENROLL Act of 2021 This bill makes several changes to the navigator program for health insurance exchanges (a program&nbsp;through which entities receive funding to provide education and enrollment assistance). Specifically, the bill addresses certain funding decisions and regulatory actions taken by the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services (CMS). For example, the bill increases funding for navigators in federally facilitated exchanges (FFEs) beginning in FY2021. (The CMS decreased annual funding for FFE navigators for the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 program years.) The bill also counters guidance issued by the CMS regarding navigator criteria by requiring FFE navigators to be chosen without regard to&nbsp;how the entity provides information about association health plans or short-term, limited-duration insurance. The bill also reinstates certain requirements that were removed by the CMS in 2018. Specifically, the bill requires (1) at least two navigators in each FFE, including at least one community and consumer-focused nonprofit group; and (2) that navigators be physically present in the state where the exchange is located.