USF receives $5.9M 2016 Navigator grant, once again the country’s largest award
For the last 3 years Jodi Ray’s team has successfully partnered with key organizations statewide, providing enrollment education and outreach to vulnerable populations in all 67 Florida counties
Tampa, FL (Sept. 17, 2015) — Over the last three years, the University of South Florida’s College of Public Health has been awarded more than $14.5 million in federal Navigator grants to help eligible uninsured Floridians get health care coverage.
That total includes a $5.9 million 2016 Navigator grant announced Sept. 2 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which awarded a total of nearly $67 million in grants in 34 states federally facilitated and state partnership Health Insurance Marketplaces. All recipients will have the opportunity to renew their grants for the next two years.
The Year 3 Navigator grant marks the second consecutive year that Jodi Ray’s team at the Florida Covering Kids & Families program (FL-CKF), USF College of Public Health, has won the largest Navigator grant in the country and in Florida. Once again the program, directed by Ray, covers all 67 Florida counties, working with consortium partners that deploy in-person assisters known as navigators to explain health insurance options and help people sign up for plans.
“Jodi Ray and her incredible team are dedicated to helping everyone in Florida secure the means to access the health care they need to live full, productive lives,” said Donna Petersen, ScD, dean of the USF College of Public Health. “This level of support three years in a row is a clear testament to the incredible knowledge, skill and talent this group has cultivated over many years, connecting Florida families to health care coverage. The College of Public Health couldn’t be prouder of their continued excellent work.”
For three years running, Jodi Ray, director of the Florida Covering Kids and Families program at the USF College of Public Health, has been the lead investigator for USF’s Navigator grant.
In its third year, the program will focus on helping consumers understand how to get the most out of their coverage as well continue new enrollments and renewals, Ray said.
“We want people who get health coverage to keep it and to understand how to use their benefits correctly to access care,” she said. “We will continue to make a concerted effort to target hard-to-reach populations and hone in on post-enrollment activities.”
Read the full story at USF Health News