Empire Justice Center, Inc.

The successful implementation of Federal health reform will rely on educating consumers about their insurance options, getting and keeping them enrolled, and helping them use coverage.

To that end, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) mandated the establishment of two programs: Consumer Assistance Programs (CAPs) and Navigator Programs (Navigators). New York already has several programs that perform some of the functions required of CAPs and Navigators. Sorting out the similarities and differences between the Federal programs, integrating them with existing consumer-oriented initiatives in the State, and administering the programs to provide maximum benefit for consumers are critical to ensuring successful implementation of the ACA in New York. The New York Health Foundation (NYHealth) funded the Empire Justice Center to address these issues in partnership with the Community Service Society of New York (CSS).

Together, they are:

• Assessing existing consumer education, enrollment, and assistance programs in New York State.
• Developing a discussion guide for sessions with consumer assistance stakeholders.
• Convening stakeholders and building consensus for structuring CAPs and Navigators.
• Preparing and distributing a final report for State decision makers.