Despite 3.8 Million Uninsured Floridians, Scott Bars Navigators’ Outreach Efforts

Florida Gov. Rick Scott continues to face mounting criticism with his latest move to bar outreach workers, known as “navigators” from county health departments when enrollment begins on October 1, under the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare.

County health departments received a directive from Florida Department of Health earlier this week which stated that “outside organizations will not be allowed to access Department of Health office space and information technology systems to conduct activities.”

A U.S. Health and Human Services Department official called out Scott on his latest ploy as “another blatant and shameful attempt to intimidate groups who will be working to inform Americans about their new health insurance options and help them enroll in the program.”

On Friday, the National Council of La Raza also criticized Scott’s latest move to prevent residents of the state from accessing information related to the new health care law at County Health Department offices.

“The state directive to ban patient navigator outreach activities that would put more health care options in the hands of Florida’s 3.8 million uninsured is irresponsible,” said Jennifer Ng’andu, Director, Health and Civil Rights Policy Projects, NCLR.  “The political dynamics of Affordable Care Act implementation will once again prevent the public from receiving critical information that is meant to improve the health and well-being of Florida’s residents.  The Affordable Care Act is the law of the land; as a nation, we should be doing everything in our power to harness its assets for vulnerable communities.”

Scott and his Republican leaders have done everything to undermine implementation of the Affordable Care Act, going so far as turn down $51 billion in federal grants funds over ten years, which would allow some 1.2 million Floridians to gain access to health care coverage under an expansion of Medicaid.

Florida currently has some 3.8 million or nearly one-quarter of its population without health insurance and barring Navigators from county health departments could negatively impact the number of enrollees. 

Scott and Attorney General Pam Bondi have raised the issue of privacy regarding the Navigator program and the directive from DOH appeared to reinforce this:

“This (Navigator) program has raised privacy concerns due to the consumer information that will be gathered for use in a federal database.”

U.S. Health and Human Services Department officials say, notwithstanding Florida’s restrictions, the program will not be impeded.

More than 25 Florida organizations and businesses have volunteered to help uninsured Americans learn more and get coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace, said HHS on Friday.

Added Ng’andu, “the state directive adds yet another obstacle to those trying hardest to fix health care in the U.S., but groups supporting the law’s implementation won’t be deterred.”