Charging Forward: Lessons Learned from the Implementation of the In-Person Assistor/Navigator Program for the NY State of Health Benefit Exchange within the Asian Pacific American Community

Background:  According to the 2010 Census, NYC is home to the largest and fastest growing community of Asian Pacific Americans (APAs) in the U.S., of which 72% are foreign-born, 48% are limited English proficient (LEP), and 17% live below FPL.  Modeled on successful community assistance programs in NY State (NYS), the IPA/Navigator program was designed to provide enrollment assistance for the NY State of Health (NYSOH) benefit exchange, as a provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).  In 2013, 10 APA-serving organizations known as the Charging Forward Coalition were awarded funding to serve as IPA/Navigators and provide culturally competent and linguistically appropriate enrollment services for the APA community.

Purpose:  To describe and present experiences implementing the IPA/Navigator program for the NYSOH benefit exchange within the APA community.

Methods:  The Coalition utilized best practices to reach vulnerable, hard-to-reach populations to provide education and dispel misinformation regarding the ACA, as well as promote their services and availability as IPA/Navigators.  Strategies included leveraging partnerships with ethnic media, community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, consulates, healthcare providers, and business associations. Additionally, Coalition members held weekly meetings to share lessons learned, as well as serve as an active feedback loop to NYS regarding implementation issues.

Results:  Among the funded agencies, 25 individuals received training and certification as IPA/Navigators, among which 19 different languages are represented.  Open enrollment for the NYSOH exchange began October 1^st, 2013.  Since that time, the Coalition has collectively implemented 35 outreach events targeting APA communities, and assisted over 4,000 consumers, both in-person and via phone, to provide enrollment assistance for the NYSOH benefit exchange.  Forthcoming results will include additional enrollment data and qualitative feedback from IPA/Navigators.

Conclusions:  IPA/Navigators are a critical component of the successful implementation of the ACA, and an important conduit for reaching and engaging the APA community in healthcare reform.