Washington State Health Benefit Exchange: Potential Role and Responsibilities of Navigators

This brief outlines the federal requirements for Navigators, reviews research conducted for the Washington Health Care Authority to explore consumer and stakeholder opinions about the role of Navigators, and offers recommendations on:

• The ideal qualities or traits for Navigators and
• The types of entities or organizations that are best suited to act as Navigators.

The recommendations are informed by key findings from a recent statewide survey on Washington residents and interviews with stakeholders from community organizations, health care associations, brokers, insurance carriers and consumer advocacy organizations.