Helping Consumers Enroll in Coverage: A State-by-State Analysis of Consumer Assistance Organizations and Funding

With the launch of Open Enrollment on October 1, 2013, millions of individuals and families started to enroll in Medicaid, CHIP, or private insurance with or without federal subsidies through Health Insurance Marketplaces. As the Marketplaces’ doors opened for business, technological glitches surfaced, making the role of consumer assistance organizations even more important. This report examines states’ health coverage consumer assistance efforts to date. Based on the major categories of consumer assistance entities – Navigators, In-Person Assisters, Certified Application Counselors, and Health Centers – the report takes a closer look at each state’s consumer assistance and health center entities and the funding used to support these efforts.