Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., has a message for Republican Gov. Rick Scott who doesn’t want Obamacare “navigators” spreading the word about the health care law: Relax. We’ve had similar folks helping Floridians navigate health care programs for many years.
Scott has sought to ban Obamacare navigators from county health departments and has faced some blowback: Broward and Pinellas counties have refused to comply and Miami-Dade may follow their lead.
Nelson portrayed Scott as a hypocrite because he said there are already similar navigators who help Floridians with questions about health insurance.
“State officials have so far failed to mention that these ‘consumer helpers’ have been serving the people of Florida in various ways for years — and, yes, even with the current governor’s full backing,” Nelson wrote in a Tampa Bay Times op-ed Sept. 19. “In fact, many state and federal agencies have such ‘navigators’ involved in helping folks maneuver through the often complex processes associated with filing benefits claims, for example — even buying health insurance. That’s right: even when buying health insurance created by the state. From Medicaid to Medicare, from veterans’ organizations to the state’s own KidCare insurance program, navigators are available to make sure Floridians get assistance.”
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