It is widely known that healthcare and health insurance are deeply complex and challenging to navigate in the United States. In fact, a 2020 KFF survey found half of consumers who looked for coverage during the 2020 open enrollment period encountered difficulties, and nearly 5 million consumers sought in-person help but couldn’t get it. Consumers across the country – especially those within vulnerable populations or communities with limited English proficiencies (LEP) – face many obstacles when accessing and signing up for health insurance.
The solution is clear: LEP consumers need help enrolling and understanding that there is financial assistance that can be available to them, which is where organizations like United Language Group step in and provide in-language support and expertise.
To address the health care coverage enrollment challenge on a nationwide scale, the Biden-Harris Administration is supporting organizations in providing consumer assistance in 30 states with a Federally-Facilitated Marketplace as a part of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) Navigator program. This program is investing $80 million to helping navigators ensure health coverage access in underserved populations across the country.
Supporting Populations with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) in Accessing Health Care Coverage
We are so excited to announce that out of that $80 million, ULG has been selected as one out of the 60 organizations awarded to receive a $1.1 million portion of $80 million in grant awards over the next three years. With this support, ULG will provide certified Navigators to help uninsured LEP consumers get access to affordable health care coverage in the state of North Carolina.
ULG knows trust is critical in working to address health care challenges. Utilizing our in-language community engagement expertise to help provide enrollment support to local LEP populations will help more LEP consumers access coverage on the federal health exchange. “ULG is committed to helping address barriers to health within culturally and linguistically diverse communities. Being named a recipient of this award is a great opportunity to improve health outcomes among diverse populations in North Carolina and beyond,” said Abigail Katz, Executive Director of Health Outcomes Solutions at United Language Group.
In North Carolina, bilingual navigators will be available to serve consumers speaking Spanish, Vietnamese, Mandarin and Cantonese. In-person navigators will be stationed in Raleigh and Charlotte, with virtual navigators supporting throughout the metropolitan area including Chatham, Cabarrus, Durham, Gaston, Harnett, Lee, Mecklenburg, Union, and Wake counties.
To learn more about this grant, visit the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services page.
