No fear.
Dumbed down navigators will be there to guide you.
Obamacare has taken a formerly confusing product and turned it into a simple Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum choice. Insurance agents with years of training, licensing requirements, errors and omission insurance and accountability are no longer necessary.
Consumers will be encouraged to rely on guidance from people with little or no education, no accountability, and almost no training to guide them through the process of finding and purchasing health insurance.
Under the new HHS proposal, states would be able to impose some requirements, such as fingerprinting and background check requirements, but they could not impose requirements that would shut out non-agents, such as requirements that exchange helpers hold errors and omissions coverage.Benefits Pro
No fingerprinting or background checks. Consider this.
Navigators are charged with the responsibility of not only helping you find a plan that meets your needs and budget, but also have access to your personal financial data, used to determine your taxpayer funded subsidy.
Information like your name, address, Social Security number and tax filing status.
What could possibly go wrong?
In most cases, a state could not require an exchange helper to refer some or all consumers to licensed agents or brokers.Last month your navigator was asking if you want to super-size your order. Today they are offering advice on health insurance.
There is certainly no need to challenge their advice, right?
Gotta run. I hear McDonalds is hiring and the government is going to make them pay $15 an hour. I need to get my application in before the rush.
[Added by HGS] Pat did an especially thorough job explaining the implications of background checks (or rather, the absence thereof) for Navigators here. And it's also worth pointing out that E&O coverage simply isn't available for Navigators, at any price.
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