The NDNRC is an initiative aimed at providing cross-disability information and support to Navigators and other enrollment specialists thereby ensuring people with disabilities receive accurate information when selecting and enrolling in insurance through the Affordable Care Act Marketplaces. Comprised of seven national disability organizations representing unique cross-disability experiences, the NDNRC website provides news and resources designed to support groups who provide enrollment assistance to consumers with disabilities as they enroll for coverage through the marketplaces. The NDNRC published the “Guide to Disability for Healthcare Insurance Marketplace Navigators” which provides information on special considerations people with disabilities face as they shop for healthcare coverage and it can be accessed at www.nationaldisabilitynavigator.org/ndnrc-materials/disability-guide. The NDNRC is operated by the American Association on Health and Disability under a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
NDNRC with authorship assistance from their partner the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF) have released five new fact sheets:
- “Prescription Medication Benefits” is designed to help navigators answer specific questions that people with disabilities might ask about prescription medication benefits when they are considering buying health insurance through the Marketplace.
- “Supporting Collaborations between Navigators, Connectors and Assisters, and Local Disability and Affinity Organizations” is intended to help Navigators, connectors, and assisters understand why it is important to identify and build relationships with local disability and affinity organizations.
- “Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Parity” is written to help Navigators answer specific questions that people with disabilities might ask about mental health and substance use disorder parity (MH/SUD) through the Health Insurance Marketplace.
- “Medically Frail Status as an Exemption to Receiving Medicaid Alternative Benefit Plan with Essential Health Benefits” is designed to help Navigators answer specific questions people with disabilities may call with if their exchange application indicates that they potentially qualify for enrollment in their state’s Medicaid expansion.
- “Streamlined Marketplace Application Process” is intended to help Navigators answer specific questions that people with disabilities might ask about using the Streamlined Marketplace Application process to apply for health insurance coverage.
These fact sheets provide a useful follow-up to prior fact sheets which addressed such issues as health plans’ summary of benefits and coverage, rehabilitation and habilitation therapies and devices, and prescription medication benefits. The entire list of fact sheets (along with upcoming fact sheets) is also available at www.nationaldisabilitynavigator.org/ndnrc-materials/fact-sheets.
Collection Spotlight from the National Rehabilitation Information Center 