Hawai`i Health Navigators - The Legal Aid Society of Hawai`i (LASH), a community-based, nonprofit law firm, has empowered low-income and disadvantaged people throughout Hawaii for 74 years. It is the only civil legal services provider in the state, and one of few nonprofits, with statewide coverage through ten offices, from Lanai to urban Honolulu. It provides assistance to clients facing family, housing, consumer, public benefits, child welfare, elder law, and immigration issues. LASH is applying for a five-year cooperative agreement to provide outreach, education and health insurance enrollment assistance to consumers throughout the FFE State of Hawai`i. LASH seeks funding of $258,297 for the first 12-month period of this project, with increased amounts in subsequent years ($266,046; $274,027; $282,248; $290,715), for a total of $1,371,333 to support personnel, fringe benefits, travel, and indirect expenses for the five-year project. LASH is not proposing any subrecipients for this project. LASH will provide services to all uninsured and underinsured consumers across the FFE State of Hawai`i. The project will focus on providing services to consumers in vulnerable and “left behind” populations including limited English proficient, consumers living below 250% of the poverty level, and COFA migrants. The State of Hawai`i is composed of approximately 40% immigrants, both long-term and new. This project will additionally work to reach individuals experiencing homelessness and individuals who are uninsured due to the August 2023 Maui fires. During the current Navigator project, project staff have participated in more than 60 outreach events and have reached more than 200 consumers with Limited English Proficiency. Income, assets, and national origin will not be determinative of an individual’s eligibility for assistance through this project, and all those in need of assistance will be helped. During each 12-month period of the project, LASH will accomplish the following goals (these goal numbers will be reassessed annually): • Provide health insurance literacy to 500 consumers in person or by phone • Provide enrollment or re-enrollment assistance to 200 consumers • Provide one-on-one interactions to 1,000 consumers • Assist 50 consumers with Marketplace forms, exemptions, and appeals • Assist 100 consumers with complex cases and other Marketplace enrollment issues • Assist 300 consumers with Medicaid/CHIP applications or referrals • Perform outreach and attend public education activities, including on social media, that reach a total of 5,000 potential consumers LASH will ensure language accessibility by utilizing interpreters and translators throughout the delivery of services, including outreach via social media. Outreach materials and social media may also be translated into key languages to target specific communities with high volumes of uninsured or underinsured consumers. LASH will provide services throughout the state to decrease physical barriers to accessing services, and LASH Navigators will also help consumers with varying levels of education and financial and health literacy. This Navigator Project will utilize 2.0 Full-Time Navigators, one PT coordinator, one PT Paralegal, and one PT Project Manager, all of whom will be certified or recertified by October 1, 2024, to provide outreach, education and assistance throughout Hawaii to over 5,000 consumers.
