Friday, November 22, 2024
11/22/2024
El Centro del Barrio dba CentroMed requests support in the amount of $1,374,000 for a 12- month budget period under the Cooperative Agreement to Support Navigators in Federally-Facilitated Exchanges Year Three Non-Competing Continuation opportunity to continue a Navigator Program in Texas, currently assisting the following 13 counties. These counties include Atascosa, Bandera, Bexar, Comal, Frio, Gillespie, Gonzales, Guadalupe, Kendall, Kerr, Medina, Uvalde, and Wilson. According to the U.S. Census, Texas remains the state with both the largest number and percentage of uninsured residents in the United States. Texans make up 9% of the U.S. population but 19% of the country's uninsured population. In 2021, 5.2 million Texans (all ages) were uninsured, approximately 18%. Census data available through the UDS Mapper Web App, estimates that 33% of the proposed region is low-income, 15.1% of the population is uninsured, and about 55% of the population is of Hispanic descent. CentroMed's Navigator Program will continue to serve diverse, underserved, and vulnerable populations including racial and ethnic minorities, rural communities, LGBTQ individuals, pregnant women, new mothers, women with children, victims of domestic violence and their children, individuals with mental health disorders and Medicaid eligible consumers who are not enrolled in coverage despite being eligible for Medicaid. CentroMed's Navigator Program Year 3 (August 27, 2023 - August 26, 2024) goals aim to serve a total of 22,500 unduplicated consumers with one-to-one assistance; reaching 9 million consumers through social media impressions, viewership, and listenership; participate in 900 public outreach, enrollment, and education events both in person and virtually throughout the proposed are of service; provide assistance to 1,800 consumers with enrolling and/or re-enrolling in a qualified health plan; and assist 4,400 consumers with Medicaid/CHIP applications and referrals. Funding will support a total of 37 individuals to serve as Navigators (11 FTE Navigators, 5.5 FTE for 25 PT Seasonal Navigators and 0.75 FTE Navigator/Enrollment Manager totaling 17.25 FTE) who will be in line with 45 C.F.R. S 155.210 and S155.215 and will be federally trained and certified/re-certified by 10/01/23 and throughout open enrollment (OE), 01/15/24. Twenty-five individuals, totaling 5.5 FTEs, will be part-time workers who will work varying and limited hours during OE (09/15/23 - 12/15/23). CentroMed will employ 11.75 FTE navigators to assist consumers during OE, Extended OE, and Special Enrollment (09/15/23 -10/31/24); totaling $944,798 for personnel. Specifically, the navigator's scope will include conducting public education activities to raise awareness about the Exchange; Facilitating the selection of a QHP; Providing information in a manner that is culturally and linguistically appropriate to the needs of the population served by the Exchange; including individuals with limited English proficiency, and ensuring accessibility and usability of Navigator tools and functions for individuals with disabilities; Providing referrals to any applicable office of health insurance consumers assistance or health insurance ombudsman established under section 2793 of the PHSA, or any other appropriate state agency or agencies, for any enrollee with a grievance, complaint, or question regarding their health plan, coverage, or a determination under such plan or coverage,; Complying with applicable training and conflict of interest standards; Obtaining the authorization of applicants for coverage available through an Exchange application prior to accessing their personally identifiable information; and Providing targeted assistance to serve underserved or vulnerable populations, as identified by the Exchange, within the Exchange service area.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
