The government has awarded $67 million to organizations thatwill serve as Navigators, or those who help people sign up forinsurance under the new health care law.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) acted even asinsurance agents ramped up their efforts, working throughRepublican members of Congress, to create high barriers fornon-agents to counsel people on how to access health exchanges andbenefit from other components of the healthcare law.

The grants made today were to 105 organizations in states thatare letting the federal government run their online insurancemarketplaces because the leadership in those states are doingeverything they can to thwart implementation of the program.

The two laws — introduced as Congress left for its five-weeksummer recess in early August — were introduced by Rep. CathyMcMorris Rodgers, R-Wash. They are consistent with actions in 34states aimed at ensuring that their licensed agents are protectedby requiring that navigators follow stringent rules in discussingthe health care bill with consumers.

The two pieces of legislation effectively seek to requirestates, mostly large ones with big urban populations, to follow thesame rules that agents have been getting legislatures inconservative states to enact.

The bills pertain to the funding of navigator programs, as wellas in-person assisters and certified application counselors, asenacted under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act,commonly known as “Obamacare.”

H.R. 2980 says that no money can be awarded to potentialnavigators until the secretary of the HHS confirms that recipientsof the funding have certified that they: (1) will not provideadvice concerning benefits, terms and features of a particularhealth plan; (2) will not recommend or endorse a particular healthplan or advise consumers about which health plan to choose; (3)will not accept any compensation that is dependent on whether aperson enrolls in or purchases a health plan; and (4) will notviolate any applicable insurance law or regulation.

Another bill, H.R. 2951, focuses on putting safeguards,certifications and audits in place to guard against the inevitablewaste, fraud and abuse created by exchanges, subsidies andnavigator programs.

According to officials of the Independent Insurance Agents andBrokers of America, “This is of particular importance since theAdministration has announced it will be loosening the verificationmechanisms for subsidy eligibility through the new health insuranceexchanges.”

Under H.R. 2951, “Only if the certifications and safeguardsstipulated in the bill are put in place and enforced can theexchange subsidies be distributed and enrollment assistance funds,including navigator grants, be awarded.”

In June, nine Republican members of the Senate, who are seekingto repeal the law, sent a letter to Kathleen Sebelius, HHSsecretary, seeking to accomplish the same thing. Earlier in June,33 members of the House sent a similar letter to Sebelius.

The letter, written at the request of officials of the NationalAssociation of Professional Insurance Agents argues that guidelinesproposed for navigators and counselors “provide significantly lessprotection to patients and consumers than the states have providedthrough licensed insurance agents for decades.”

Health care professionals say that the navigator program will beparticularly important to the health law's success in someRepublican-led states that aren't doing any state-directed outreachto the uninsured.

The grant winners don't have much time to hire and trainoutreach workers. Enrollment for the health law's new coverageoptions starts Oct. 1, and benefits kick in Jan. 1.

Navigators must complete a training program developed by thefederal government and pass an exam.