Members of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce posed the questions in a letter to Gary Cohen, deputy administrator and director of the CMS Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight. Mr. Cohen recently testified about the navigator program at a hearing before a House subcommittee.
In the letter, lawmakers expressed numerous concerns about the navigators, who will perform informational services for Americans who need assistance in shopping for and enrolling in plans this fall. Planned activities such as door-to-door outreach efforts increase the likelihood of fraud and abuse, according to the committee.
Furthermore, various navigator groups are split on the importance of staff background checks, and some organizations’ plans to provide their staff members with bonuses for enrolling a certain number of people is also troubling, among other facets of the navigators’ plans, according to the committee.
The committee members have asked Mr. Cohen to provide additional information on the navigators, such as how many navigator groups list door-to-door contacts as part of their planned enrollment efforts.
The letter is the latest in a line of Republican requests for information about the healthcare reform law’s navigator program. In late August, members of the House Energy and Commerce committee asked the navigators for information on how they plan to spend $67 million in federal grants. Navigator groups have responded to the requests with offense and have said the committee’s demands could hurt hiring and training efforts.
Additionally, last week, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee released a staff report stating the PPACA navigator and in-person assistance programs lack basic safeguards against fraud and abuse.
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