Three Kansas organizations are receiving about $900,000 from the federal government to help consumers purchase health insurance. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius says the groups will use the money to hire specially-trained consumer counselors called “navigators.”
The navigators will help consumers select coverage from a new online health insurance marketplace. It's scheduled to launch on October 1 as more of the federal health reform law is implemented. The state association that represents safety-net clinics received the largest Kansas grant of nearly $525,000. Nationally, $67 million in navigator grants were awarded to more than 100 organizations.