Grantee Name
Health Research, Inc.
Funding Area
Expanding Health Care Coverage
Publication Date
May 2018
Grant Amount
$80,787
Grant Date:
June 2014 – December 2016
The first open enrollment period of the Affordable Care Act’s insurance coverage expansions resulted in nearly 1 million New Yorkers gaining public or private insurance coverage.
Much of this enrollment surge relied on an army of in-person assistors to provide one-on-one, face-to-face guidance to those seeking coverage. The New York State of Health Marketplace (New York’s state-operated exchange) funded nonprofit organizations and trained their staff members, called enrollment Navigators, to provide independent, neutral, direct enrollment assistance. At the time, the New York State of Health Marketplace funded, trained, and certified 651 Navigators.
In addition, a large number of in-person enrollment services were provided by 4,103 certified application counselors (CACs) throughout New York State. New York offered training and support, but not funding, for CACs to provide in-person enrollment assistance. Navigators and CACs went through an identical intensive multiday training course to gain certification.
Going into the second round of open enrollment, NYHealth awarded a grant to Health Research, Inc. (HRI), the fiscal sponsor for New York State agencies, to support a continuing education and training program for both Navigators and CACs; develop training materials on specialized topics and populations; and create a recognition and awards program for assistors.