FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ST. PAUL, Minn.—MNsure has announced recipients for the fiscal year 2019 Navigator Outreach and Enrollment Grant Program. This year’s 25 grants totaled $4.2 million and will fund 45 organizations across the state. These grants will support targeted outreach to uninsured populations and sustain a robust statewide navigator network to provide application, enrollment and renewal assistance to Minnesotans who need help to get and maintain coverage.

Over the last year, more than 40,000 Minnesotans found coverage with the help of a navigator from one of MNsure’s grantee organizations.

“While federal funding for navigator assistance programs is being cut across the county, MNsure is maintaining its commitment to ensuring in-person assistance is available for any Minnesotan who wants it,” said Interim MNsure CEO Nate Clark. “One of the benefits of being a state-based insurance marketplace is that these federal decisions do not affect Minnesota’s world-class assister program.”

Grantees work to assist communities with all aspects of the application, enrollment and renewal process, and utilize established relationships with populations facing barriers to coverage.

The 25 MNsure grants are split into two funding areas: Geographic Focus Grants and Population Focus Grants. Many MNsure grantees work with partner organizations and /mnsure/assets/FY2019-Outreach-Enrollment-Grantee-Summary_tcm34-346837.pdfinformation about each grantee, including award amount, is available on the website.

Funding Area 1: Geographic Focus Grants ($2.9 million)

Grants in the /mnsure/assets/FY2019-Outreach-Enrollment-Geographic-Grantees_tcm34-346836.pdfgeographic funding area support highly skilled navigator organizations working collaboratively with MNsure to reach the uninsured and support Minnesotans in obtaining and maintain health insurance coverage. The focus on this grant area is on ensuring statewide access to a navigator for any Minnesotan looking for in-person assistance.

• Arrowhead Economic Opportunity Agency, Inc.—Virginia
• Briva Health—Minneapolis and St. Cloud
• Community Action Partnership of Hennepin County—St. Louis Park
• Community Resource Connections—Bemidji
• Generations Health Care Initiatives—Duluth
• Health Access Minnesota—Saint Paul and Rochester
• Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid—Saint Cloud
• Northwest Community Action—Badger
• Portico Healthnet—Saint Paul
• United Community Action Partnership—Marshall and Willmar, Minnesota

Funding Area 2: Population Focus ($1.3 million)

Grants in the /mnsure/assets/FY2019-Outreach-Enrollment-Population-Grantees_tcm34-346838.pdfpopulation funding area support organizations that have identified populations that face barriers to enrolling in coverage and/or high levels of uninsurance and can demonstrate an ability to effectively reach, enroll and help renew coverage for the population.

• African Community Senior Services—Minneapolis
• CAPI USA—Minneapolis
• C.A.R.E. Clinic—Red Wing
• Comunidades Latinas Unidas En Servicio, Inc. (CLUES)—Saint Paul
• Face to Face Counseling Service—Saint Paul
• HealthFinders Collaborative, Inc.—Faribault
• Hmong American Partnership—Saint Paul
• Intercultural Mutual Assistance Association (IMAA)—Rochester
• JustUs Health (formerly Minnesota AIDS Project)—Minneapolis
• Native American Community Clinic—Minneapolis
• NorthPoint Health & Wellness Center, Inc.—Minneapolis
• Northwest Indian Community Development Center—Bemidji
• Open Door Health Center—Mankato
• Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota—Saint Paul
• Southside Community Health Services, Inc.—Minneapolis

/mnsure/help/find-assister/find-navigator.jspMNsure-certified navigators are trained experts at local, trusted community organizations. Minnesotans can use a navigator for help filling out an application and enrolling in coverage. Services from MNsure-certified navigators are always free.

The 2019 open enrollment period is November 1, 2018, to January 13, 2019. More information can be found at mnsure.org.