HHS Announces New Round of Grant Funding to Support Consumer Assistance Programs

• HHS Press Release (June 7, 2012)
• Map: See What's Available in Your State
• HHS Grants Announcement [Search for CFDA Number 93.519]
• Report on Consumer Assistance Program Accomplishments from Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight, CMS (June 7, 2012)

From Families USA:

Consumer health assistance programs provide critically important services to today's consumers, who face a bewildering array of choices and challenges in an increasingly complex marketplace. Families USA has developed resources and materials that profile what states are doing, best practices, and how these programs can help all consumers.

• Help Wanted: Preparing Navigators and Other Assisters to Meet New Consumer Needs explains the requirements for navigator programs and answers seven key questions that states will face as they seek to establish effective navigator programs. It is available as an online tool kit and as a PDF. (Updated January 2013)
  
  
• Best Practices in Consumer Assistance highlights the successful practices of selected state consumer assistance programs that received federal grants in 2011 under the Affordable Care Act. (January 2012)
  
  
• Table of Best Practices
• Profiles of Selected State Consumer Assistance Programs
  
  
• How the Affordable Care Act Affects Consumer Assistance Programs provides an overview of the consumer assistance provisions in the health care law. (January 2012)
  
  
• The Consumer Assistance Program Locator has been updated. Click on your state for a list of consumer assistance programs. (Updated July 2011)
  
  
• Six Important Reasons to Fund State Consumer Assistance Programs is a set of talking points that can be used to educate state and federal legislators about the services provided by consumer assistance programs and the need for continued federal support. Besides the pdf of this fact sheet, there is also a Word doc that can be customized for state programs and organizations. (November 2011)
  
  
• Designing a Consumer Health Assistance Program discusses these programs and how health reform will dramatically expand the assistance they provide. It reviews key considerations to keep in mind when designing such programs, including grants and other funding, function, scope, location, staffing, training, and outreach. (August 2010)

Resources

• Navigator Programs and Consumer Assistance Program Grants under the Affordable Care Act is a PowerPoint presentation that provides an overview of requirements for Navigator and consumer assistance programs under the health care law and suggests ways that advocates can improve them in their state. It also highlights successful initiatives that these programs have undertaken. (December 2011)