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CMS wants to make it harder to become a navigator

Written by Valerie Ortiz | Apr 29, 2014 10:37:11 AM

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently proposed to put more restrictions on navigators of the federal and state health insurance exchanges, according to Modern Healthcare.

CMS is looking to create stricter standards for navigators during the next round of enrollment. According to the 300-page document CMS issued, the CMS is wants to make it more difficult for navigators to promote their own products and services. Navigators would also need to receive authorization to access consumers' personally identifiable information, and navigators wouldn't be able to charge people for their services. According to Modern Healthcare, there is also a section of the proposal that suggests state laws or elements of them may be pre-empted if they "prevent the application of the provisions of Title I of the Affordable Care Act."

Some of these proposals aren't being met with support from many in healthcare, with one organization saying they don't take into account limitations of federal power in the ACA.

Tightening navigators' rules and requirements was just part of the document, which also included suggestions for health insurance discontinuation and renewal, to name a few, Modern Healthcare reported.