Nevada: @NVHealthLink announces licensed broker/agent/navigator grant recipients

via the Nevada Health Link. This is from a couple of weeks ago, but still:

Nevada Health Link Announces Licensed Broker/Agent,
Navigator and In-Person Assister Recipients of Grant Program for Plan Year 2021

Carson City, Nev. –The Silver State Health Insurance Exchange (Exchange), the state agency that connects Nevadans to qualified health plans (QHPs) through the online State Based Exchange (SBE) known as Nevada Health Link, announces the licensed Brokers/Agents, Navigators and In-Person Assisters selected as part of its plan year 2021 grant program. The program is designed to help close the uninsured gap in Nevada by helping those on the frontline to more effectively market to uninsured and underinsured populations.

In May, licensed Brokers/Agents, Navigators and In-Person Assisters otherwise known as Exchange Enrollment Facilitators (EEFs), were invited to apply for the program by providing detailed outlines on how they could use the funds for marketing, outreach and operational costs associated with storefront locations with the goal of increasing enrollees through more targeted marketing and outreach. In light of COVID-19, this year’s grant program applicants were also required to outline how they plan to implement social distancing, in an effort to limit the spread of Coronavirus throughout the entire duration of the grant’s performance period, July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021. Below are the 2020-2021 awardees.

The Brokers/Agents awarded grants are:

• Brian Douglas, Protect Health
• Brent Leavitt, Battle Born
• Chris Carothers, Carothers Insurance Agency
• Albert Ochoa, Smart Buy Insurance Agency
• Gina Aguerre, NV Silver Life & Health

In addition to the Broker/Agent grantees, eight In-Person Assister and Navigator grantees have been issued awards:

• Asian Community Development Council
• Asian Community Resource Center
• Access to Healthcare Network
• Community Health Alliance
• Nevada Health Centers
• Nevada Outreach Training Organization
• Office of Consumer Health Assistance
• St. Rose Dominican Hospital Dignity Health

These grantees will receive funds to help them with marketing, outreach and enrollment efforts during the Exchange’s upcoming Open Enrollment Period (OEP) for plan year 2021 which starts November 1, 2020.

Navigators, and In-Person Assisters (EEFs) are enrollment assisters throughout the state, and include but are not limited to: nonprofit organizations, community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, trade or labor unions, chambers of commerce, ranching or farming organizations, schools, school districts, Native American Tribes and City or County agencies. Combined, these health insurance professionals and entities are instrumental in reaching more uninsured Nevadans and providing education and in-person assistance to those seeking to purchase affordable QHPs, many of which are subsidized to help cover consumers’ premiums. Since the Exchange introduced its Broker/Agent grant program in 2018, approximately $80,000 has been provided to nearly ten Brokers, enabling them to better reach and serve consumers statewide.

Those interested in purchasing insurance with the assistance of a Broker/Agent can call and make an appointment with these professionals at any time and consumers who plan on shopping or re-enrolling in the marketplace are encouraged to start their research and planning process early. For more information on how to locate free assistance, call 1-800-547-2927 or visit the website.