WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King joined a group of his colleagues in urging Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma to restore funding for the Navigator program that helps millions of Americans purchase health insurance. The Navigator program funds nonprofit entities and health care organizations to assist consumers in navigating, shopping and enrolling in health insurance coverage. CMS recently announced that funding for this program would be slashed by $26 million. This announcement also encouraged the promotion of “junk plans,” insufficient insurance plans that will not adequately address the healthcare needs of the 133 million Americans with pre-existing conditions, raise costs on older Americans and deny access to critical health care services. It is clear that the Administration’s attempts to sabotage the health care system continue.

“This year, CMS failed to provide Navigators with timely guidance and information concerning their funding opportunities,” wrote the Senators in their letter. “In past years, the federal grant process was underway by April. This year’s July 10 announcement was delayed for months and clearly aims to undercut the essential role played by Navigators. A total of $10 million is not sufficient to support the work of those seeking to ensure that more Americans have access to quality, affordable health care. Since 2016, support for the Navigator program has decreased by 84 percent, when funding amounted to $62.5 million.”

The Senators continued, “Drastically reducing funding for the Navigator program while encouraging organizations to provide information to consumers on junk plans represents just another effort by the Trump Administration to sabotage the health care system. These changes will jeopardize affordable, quality coverage for individuals who need it most and contribute to market instability, threatening health care coverage for millions of Americans.

“We urge the Administration to reinstate funding for this critical program and to reconsider program changes to ensure Navigator organizations continue to provide comprehensive information about quality health options through the Marketplace that include guaranteed consumer protections.”

The Navigator program, required by federal law, provides outreach, education and assistance to underserved populations, including individuals with limited English proficiency, complex financial circumstances and those eligible for Medicaid. Since 2016, support for the Navigator program has decreased by 84 percent, when funding amounted to $62.5 million. The program is particularly important in rural areas, where limited broadband access makes the assistance – which often comes in-person or over the phone – even more valuable.

Senator King has been outspoken in opposition to Administration moves and legislative proposals that seek to undermine the Affordable Care Act, and last week spoke on the Senate floor to highlight the impact of the Administration’s sabotage of the ACA. The floor speech came the same week as Senator King’s visit to Leavitt’s Mill Free Health Center, where he spoke with clinic volunteers and patients who are already feeling the effects of the administration’s continued efforts. Last month, Senator King announced his support for a resolution that would authorize the Senate Legal Counsel to intervene in a legal case challenging the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) provisions protecting people with pre-existing conditions, and published a post on Medium highlighting the Administration’s efforts to weaken the ACA. In June, Senator King hosted a conversation with Maine people with pre-existing conditions, health care advocates and medical professionals focused on the importance of these protections, and released a video on his social media accounts criticizing the DOJ’s “downright cruel” decision.

Senator King previously spoke on the Senate floor regarding the “sabotage” efforts underway from the Administration in advance of the ACA Open Enrollment Period last October. Senator King has also pursued agreements that would improve the Affordable Care Act to protect coverage for the millions who rely on it for affordable health care, and has developed several proposals to make common sense fixes to the legislation. During the health care debate last summer, Senator King outlined a roadmap of health care priorities to stabilize the health care marketplace and lower the underlying costs of treatment and health coverage for people in Maine and across the country.

The Senators’ full letter is available here.