Cooperative Agreement to Support Navigators in Federally-facilitated Exchanges | CA NAV 21 001

Opportunity Information: Apply for CA NAV 21 001

The Cooperative Agreement to Support Navigators in Federally-facilitated Exchanges (opportunity number CA NAV 21 001) is a discretionary funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), under the Affordable Care Act (CFDA 93.332). Its purpose is to fund organizations or individuals to serve as Exchange Navigators in states that use the Federally-facilitated Marketplace (FFM). The goal is to ensure consumers, especially people who are hard to reach or face barriers to enrollment, can get clear, trustworthy help understanding their coverage options and enrolling in health insurance for benefit years 2022 through 2024.

At its core, the program supports Navigator work that is already defined in federal law and regulation. Awardees must be able to carry out, at a minimum, the Navigator duties required by the Affordable Care Act and by HHS regulations, especially 45 C.F.R. 155.210 and 155.215. In practice, that means funded Navigators are expected to educate the public about the Marketplace, help people shop for and choose a Qualified Health Plan (QHP), and provide fair, accurate information that meets people where they are. A major emphasis is on culturally and linguistically appropriate assistance, including serving individuals with limited English proficiency, and ensuring that Navigator tools and services are accessible and usable for individuals with disabilities. The intent is not just to provide generic information, but to make help practical and understandable for the populations in a given service area.

The required activities also include consumer support beyond initial enrollment. Navigators must be prepared to refer consumers who have grievances, complaints, or coverage questions to appropriate consumer assistance resources, such as an office of health insurance consumer assistance or an ombudsman program established under section 2793 of the Public Health Service Act, or to other appropriate state agencies. Navigators must also follow applicable training requirements and conflict-of-interest standards, reinforcing the expectation that assistance is unbiased and protects consumers from steering or improper influence. Another key compliance requirement is privacy and authorization: Navigators must obtain an applicant's authorization before accessing personally identifiable information, which reflects CMS expectations around safeguarding sensitive data during the enrollment process. Finally, the opportunity explicitly calls for targeted assistance to underserved or vulnerable populations, signaling that outreach and direct help should be prioritized for communities that historically experience lower coverage rates or face higher barriers to enrollment.

In terms of who can apply, eligibility is broad and includes public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, certain Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments, as listed), nonprofit organizations both with and without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in those nonprofit categories), individuals, small businesses, and other entities as further clarified in the full announcement's eligibility section. The listing indicates CMS anticipated making around 120 awards, although the forecasted award ceiling is shown as 0 in the provided data (often a placeholder in early postings rather than a meaningful cap). The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, which typically means CMS expects substantial involvement or oversight compared to a standard grant, such as closer coordination, technical guidance, or specific programmatic requirements during the project period.

Timing and status notes are important here because the text is presented as a forecast. It states that all information is subject to change, that no applications are requested at the forecast stage, and that the final Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) could differ from the forecast details. It also stresses that the forecast does not obligate HHS to issue the solicitation or make awards, and that issuing the 2021 cooperative agreement is contingent on internal approvals and the availability of funds. The dataset you provided includes a creation date of June 4, 2021 and an original closing date of July 6, 2021, with a note to refer to the NOFO, which suggests the formal application window and requirements would be laid out in the full announcement rather than the forecast summary.

Overall, this opportunity is designed to strengthen on-the-ground enrollment assistance in FFM states by funding Navigator entities that can do outreach, provide unbiased plan-selection support, protect consumer information, meet accessibility and language needs, connect consumers with complaint and appeals help when necessary, and focus resources on communities that need the most support navigating Marketplace coverage.

• The Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare Medicaid Services in the affordable care act sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cooperative Agreement to Support Navigators in Federally-facilitated Exchanges" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.332.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jun 04, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 06, 2021 Please refer to the NOFO. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 120 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Individuals, Small businesses, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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