Enrollment is down sharply on the federal health insurance marketplace this fall, and the consumer assistance groups that help with sign-ups think they know why.
They don’t have the staff to help as many customers as before because the Trump administration slashed funding. The federal government is spending $10 million this year on navigators who help individuals enroll in coverage. The government spent $36 million in 2017 and $63 million in 2016.
“We don’t have the people to provide the enrollment assistance nor to do the outreach and marketing to let people know what’s happening,” says Jodi Ray at the University of South Florida. She’s overseen Florida’s largest navigator program since 2014.
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