ObamaCare Navigator Grants in Illinois

Perhaps there is good reason that Illinoisans don’t place much confidence and trust in their elected officials. A nonbinding resolution that would have called for oversight of federal ObamaCare Navigator funds being spent by the state couldn’t muster enough support to make it out of committee this month. State Rep. Darlene Senger’s resolution, House Resolution...

Perhaps there is good reason that Illinoisans don’t place much confidence and trust in their elected officials. A nonbinding resolution that would have called for oversight of federal ObamaCare Navigator funds being spent by the state couldn’t muster enough support to make it out of committee this month.

State Rep. Darlene Senger’s resolution, House Resolution 807, had the support of more than a dozen fellow lawmakers. The goal of the resolution was to provide transparency of federal funds administered by the Department of Insurance and directed at ObamaCare enrollment in the state. The resolution recommended “[conducting] a thorough review of the Navigator program and its performance in enrolling previously uninsured Illinois citizens”.

Serious concerns about the program were raised in a report by the U.S. Congressional Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Their findings point to a program that, while well intentioned, lacks the framework, resources and security necessary to be implemented successfully.

One has to ask, is that why Democrats in Illinois so adamantly opposed a glance into the details of the Navigator program? All else being equal, their vote likely tells us a lot about the state of the Navigator program, and it does not look good.  It is no stretch to say that the program is facing serious obstacles getting clients to enroll in ObamaCare and this recent example of Democrat obstructionism only further points to a floundering program.

Senger’s resolution had the potential to reveal where large amounts of grant money are going and could have verified whether the current Navigators are, in fact, an effective use of resources. With more than $155 million being spent to implement, promote and market ObamaCare in Illinois, one has to wonder why state lawmakers don’t want more transparency and accountability.