Illinois Navigator Grant Program Plan Year 2027

***For Plan Year 2027 the Illinois Navigator Grant opportunity is only available to the five grantees that were awarded the Plan Year 2025 Illinois Navigator Grant. The Merit Based Review has been completed.*** The Illinois Department of Insurance (DOI) and Get Covered Illinois (GCI) are jointly posting this Non-Discretionary Funding Information (NDFI) for the Illinois Navigator Grant Program Plan Year 2027. The purpose of this NDFI is to provide grant funding to support a robust, statewide Illinois Navigator program. States running their own State Based Marketplace are responsible for performing all marketplace functions for the individual market. Customers in these states apply for and enroll in coverage through marketplace websites established and maintained by the state. This funding opportunity targets organizations seeking to assist eligible Illinois residents in enrolling in health coverage options and affordability programs made available through Get Covered Illinois, the state’s official Health Insurance Marketplace. Grant proposals that identify and serve populations currently without health insurance and are expected to benefit from the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) provision of financial assistance for the purchase of Qualified Health Plans (QHPs) on Get Covered Illinois and the Illinois Medicaid program will be favored by DOI and GCI. The State is particularly focused on serving individuals who would have difficulty enrolling in coverage without the help of an Illinois Navigator, including (but not limited to) individuals with low literacy, limited English proficiency, low- income individuals, people with disabilities, people who are or at risk of experiencing homelessness and other hard-to-reach populations. Eligible Illinois residents will be able to enroll in or make changes to their current Marketplace health coverage through Get Covered Illinois throughout the Open Enrollment period (and through any potential extensions). Enrollment must occur during this period unless an individual experiences a loss of other health coverage or another qualifying life event which triggers a special enrollment period (SEP). Enrollment will occur 24 hours a day, 7 days a week during the entire open enrollment period. Medicaid eligible individuals will be able to enroll in coverage at any time throughout the year. Through this NDFI, the State is seeking to award funding to eligible organizations to perform the following duties prior to, during, and after the Open Enrollment period: - Maintain expertise in eligibility, enrollment, and program requirements through the Get Covered Illinois Learning Management System (LMS), Get Covered Illinois State Based Marketplace platform, technical training, and other Navigator-specific professional development trainings. - Conduct daily outreach and public education activities through two or more out of office events at a physical location weekly with one or more navigators present, social media posts, and community stakeholder engagement to raise awareness about Get Covered Illinois, Illinois Medicaid and utilization of health coverage. - Provide information and services in a fair, accurate, ethical, and impartial manner, which includes providing information that assists customers with submitting the eligibility application; clarifying distinctions among health coverage options, including QHPs; and helping customers make informed decisions during the health coverage selection process. - Facilitate selection of a QHP or, when appropriate, a public insurance plan. - Provide referrals to the Illinois Department of Insurance, or any other appropriate State agency, for any enrollee with a grievance, complaint, or question regarding their health plan, coverage, or a determination under such plan or coverage. - Provide information in a manner that is culturally and linguistically appropriate to the needs of the population being served by Get Covered Illinois at no cost to those individuals, including individuals with limited English proficiency, and ensure accessibility and usability of Illinois Navigator tools and functions for individuals with disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act; and - All funded navigators maintain a physical presence in the Marketplace service area, so that face-to-face assistance in a private location to protect Personally Identifiable Information (PII) can be provided to applicants and enrollees.

Period of Performance: The period of performance of this grant is expected to begin July 1, 2026 and end June 30, 2027. The grant period may be renewed at the end of the term with a letter of intent by the grantee to continue under the program, based on an evaluation by Get Covered Illinois and the Illinois Department of Insurance. Renewals will also depend on the availability of funding and grantee performance for the previous grant year. Notices of non-compliance regarding grant deliverables will be taken into consideration. Grantee organizations may begin to utilize funding for non-enrollment activities (i.e., hiring new staff, training, conducting outreach events) immediately upon receiving an award. However, no employee of an organization may conduct enrollment activities with grant funding prior to completing all required training and receiving certification from Get Covered Illinois. All awardees must perform required activities throughout the grant cycle. This will include public education and outreach prior to Open Enrollment and education and enrollment throughout the Open Enrollment period (and through any potential extensions). Due to the condensed Open Enrollment period, grantee organizations and Illinois Navigators will be required to limit the period of office closure, not to exceed four consecutive days throughout the Open Enrollment period (and through any potential extensions). Any absence or closure beyond four days must be reported to and approved by Get Covered Illinois. Additionally, awardees will be required to perform post-enrollment assistance activities, Medicaid enrollments, outreach, and SEP enrollments throughout the entirety of the grant period.

Funding Information Cost Sharing or Matching: There is no cost sharing or matching for this program. Funding for the 2027 Illinois Navigator Grant Program will be determined by service area, the number of Illinois Navigators proposed, and the associated costs, as outlined in Appendix I. Applicants are required to submit information for each service area in which they would like to perform activities under the Illinois Navigator program. Applicants may apply as a single organization or as a partnership of organizations; each organization in the partnership may operate in one or more counties. Applicants applying as a partnership of organizations must designate a Lead Grantee. Funding and reimbursements will be paid by the Illinois Department of Insurance (DOI) through the Lead Grantee. Lead Grantees will be responsible for remitting payment to all partnership organizations and that the proposed service area is covered as outlined in the original application. - Total amount of funding to be awarded: $7,000,000 - Anticipated number of state awards: 3-5 - Amount of individual awards: (can be range) $500,000 - $2.5 M - Anticipated start date: July 1, 2026 - Periods of performance for new state awards: July 2026 through June 2027 Allowable costs: Grant funding is intended to support the provision of in-person and virtual/remote application assistance to Illinois customers eligible for enrollment into QHPs, premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions, and/or Medicaid. Grant funding will also be used to provide outreach and education to eligible populations and provide post-enrollment support to individuals served by the grantee organization. Examples of eligible expenses include, but are not limited to - hiring new staff to perform grant activities, - paying current staff for performing grant activities, - expenses associated with travel to and from locations at which grant activities are performed, - production of materials to promote awareness of the specific organization’s services as an Illinois Navigator entity (example: event flyers). Educational and marketing materials describing features of the Illinois Marketplace, eligibility requirements, enrollment processes, common features of health insurance products, and other materials not specific to promoting awareness of individual Illinois Navigator entities will be produced by the State. Applicants should therefore not apply for funding for the production of such materials. The grant funds may not be used: - For institutional, organizational, or community-based overhead costs not directly related to grant objectives, indirect costs, or levies. - To cover the costs to provide direct health care services to individuals. - To match any Federal funds. - To provide services, equipment, or support that are the legal responsibility of another party under Federal or State law (such as vocational rehabilitation or education services) or under any civil rights laws. Such legal responsibilities include, but are not limited to, modifications of a workplace or other reasonable accommodations that are a specific obligation of the employer or other party. - To support existing State, local, or private funding of infrastructure or services such as staff salaries, etc. - To cover any pre-award costs. - To assist customers residing in a State other than Illinois. Grantees may provide these customers with basic information about Health Insurance Marketplaces, but should refer them to other state Navigators, the Get Covered Illinois Call Center, and other resources within the State where the customer resides for more in-depth assistance. - For any activity designed to influence the enactment of legislation, appropriations, regulation, administrative action, or Executive order proposed or pending before the Congress or any state government, state legislature or local legislature or legislative body. Grant recipients may lobby at their own expense if they can segregate federal funds from other financial resources used for that purpose. - To purchase gifts, gift cards, or to provide cash gifts. - To cover the cost of food or beverage

Submission Dates/Times: Application Opens: April 28, 2026, 10:00 a.m. (CST) Application Deadline: May 19, 2026, 11:59 p.m. (CST) Application deadline is the date and time by which Get Covered Illinois must receive the application in the "Euna Grants powered by Amplifund" (Euna) system. Late applications will not be reviewed or considered. Get Covered Illinois will determine if an application has been submitted by the application deadline by using the Euna system generated documentation of receipt date and time. Application Submission: Acceptable form of application submission includes the following: Electronically through the Euna System at https://il.amplifund.com/Public/Opportunities/Details/b3b3f66c-9e2a-43a8-a6e1-1cb3ee27f87c Euna records the date and time of each submission, along with the submitting applicant and the title of the grant proposal.

Application and Submission Information: Agencies forming a partnership will designate a Lead Grantee that will submit the grant application and coordinate Illinois Navigator operations in each county (or counties) listed as the service area and on behalf of the partnership. No single organization may be included as a Lead Grantee or partner on more than one application. The Illinois Department of Insurance and the Get Covered Illinois team will work directly with the Lead Grantee and each partnership agency to fulfill the objectives of the program. For agencies applying as a partnership, the Lead Grantee will serve in a management role and be responsible for distributing grant funds to each fellow partnership agency. Ways to request an application package: All application materials are provided in this NDFI and the Euna opportunity. Content and Form of Application Submission: Affordable Care Act (ACA) Illinois Navigator Grant Program Application Instructions and content are listed at https://il.amplifund.com/Public/Opportunities/Details/b3b3f66c-9e2a-43a8-a6e1-1cb3ee27f87c and this NDFI. Registration Requirements: Each applicant (unless the applicant is an individual or Federal or State awarding agency that is exempt from those requirements under 2 CFR § 25.110(b) or (c), or has an exception approved by the Federal or State awarding agency under 2 CFR § 25.110(d)v is required to: - Be registered in SAM (System for Award Management) before submitting its application, with a UEI (Unique Entity ID) assigned. To establish a SAM registration, go to www.SAM.gov. - Continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active Federal, Federal pass-through or State award or an application or plan under consideration by a Federal or State awarding agency. The State awarding agency may not make an award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable SAM requirements. If an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time the awarding agency is ready to make an award, the awarding agency may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive an award and use that determination as a basis for making an award to another applicant.

Application Questions: Questions regarding any item listed in this NDFI may be submitted via this web address: https://forms.office.com/g/SizbWm0s8K The deadline for submitted questions is 5:00 p.m. (CST) on May 6, 2026.

Legally recognized organizational entities based within Illinois (including local chapters of national organizations). The minimum eligibility requirements for entities responding to this NDFI are consistent with the final regulations issued by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services on March 27, 2012, April 3, 2013, and May 16, 2024 (45 CFR 155.210 and 45 CFR 155.215). An entity may not apply for a grant until the entity has registered and pre-qualified through the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA) Grantee Portal.

Individuals who would have difficulty enrolling in coverage without the help of an Illinois Navigator, including (but not limited to) individuals with low literacy, limited English proficiency, low-income individuals, people with disabilities and other hard-to-reach populations.

Pre-Registration: An entity may not apply for a grant until the entity has registered and pre-qualified through the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA) Grantee Portal, www.grants.illinois.gov/portal. Registration and pre-qualification are required. Pre-Qualification: During pre-qualification, verifications are performed including a check of federal SAM.gov Exclusion List and status on the Illinois Stop Payment List. The Grantee Portal alerts the entity of “qualified” status or informs how to remediate a negative verification (e.g., missing UEI- Unique Entity Identifier assigned in sam.gov, not in good standing with the Secretary of State). Inclusion on the SAM.gov Exclusion List cannot be remediated. Eligible Applicants: Get Covered Illinois will only accept letters of intent through an application in Euna from current Navigator grantees who are legally recognized organizational entities; applications from individual persons will not be considered. Only organizations based within Illinois (including local chapters of national organizations) are eligible for these funds. The minimum eligibility requirements for entities responding to this NDFI are consistent with the final regulations issued by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services on March 27, 2012, April 3, 2013, and May 16, 2024 (45 CFR 155.210 and 45 CFR 155.215). Pursuant to these regulations and the Affordable Care Act (ACA), organizations eligible to apply for funding include the following: - Community and customer-focused nonprofit groups. - Trade, industry, and professional associations. - Commercial fishing industry organizations, ranching and farming organizations. - Chambers of commerce. - Unions. - Resource partners of the Small Business Administration. - Other public or private entities that meet the requirements of this section. - Other entities may include but are not limited to Indian tribes, tribal organizations, urban Indian organizations, and State or local human service agencies and other government entities, including local Public Health Departments. To receive a grant, an applicant must: - Be capable of carrying out duties described in CFR:: 45 CFR Part 155 Subpart C Section F, "Program Requirements" (see Appendix II for a web link to this regulation). - Demonstrate to Get Covered Illinois that the entity has existing relationships, or could readily establish relationships, with Illinois customers (including uninsured and underinsured customers) likely to be eligible for enrollment in a QHP or Medicaid – with a plan to target those eligible for QHPs. - Meet the certification standards prescribed within this application. - Agree to use and actively maintain platform find help tool. - Provide a complete employee roster by August 31st of each plan year and update within 2 days, if changes are made. - Not have a conflict of interest during the term as grantee defined in the section below; and - Comply with the privacy and security standards adopted by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), IDOI, GCI, and HFS, including those found in 45CFR 155.260 (see Appendix II for a web link to this regulation). Organizations receiving consideration from health insurance issuers for reasons other than enrollment in insurance products (e.g., reimbursement for the provision of medical services, or grant funding for educational activities related to community health) are ineligible to apply for this grant. To receive a grant or participate in the grant program, an applicant or grantee may not: - Be a health insurance or stop-loss insurance issuer. - Be a subsidiary of a health insurance or stop-loss insurance issuer. - Be an association that includes members of, or lobbies on behalf of, the insurance industry; or, - Receive any consideration directly or indirectly from any health insurance or stop- loss insurance issuer in connection with the enrollment of any individuals or employees in a QHP or a non-QHP, though no health care provider shall be ineligible for participation in this grant program solely because it receives consideration from a health insurance issuer for health care services provided. - Charge any applicant or enrollee, or request or receive any form of remuneration from or on behalf of an individual applicant or enrollee, for application or other assistance related to Illinois Navigator program duties. - Provide gifts, including gift cards or cash, unless they are of nominal amount, or provide promotional items that market or promote the products or services of a third party, to any applicant or potential enrollee as an inducement for enrollment. Gifts, gift cards, or cash may exceed nominal amount for the purpose of providing reimbursement for legitimate expenses incurred by a customer in effort to receive application assistance, such as, but not limited to, travel or postage expenses. - Use grant funds to purchase gifts or gift cards, or promotional items that market or promote the products or services of a third party that would be provided to any applicant or potential enrollee. - Solicit any customer for application or enrollment assistance by going door-to-door or through other unsolicited means of direct contact, including calling a customer to provide application or enrollment assistance without the customer initiating the contact, unless the individual has a pre-existing relationship with the Navigator or Navigator entity and other applicable State and Federal laws are otherwise complied with. Outreach and education activities may be conducted by going door-to-door or through other unsolicited means of direct contact, including calling a customer. - Initiate any telephone call to a customer using an automatic telephone dialing system or an artificial or prerecorded voice, except in cases where the Navigator or Navigator entity has a relationship with the customer and so long as other applicable State and Federal laws are otherwise complied with. Conflict of Interest: All applicants and grantees must have a signed conflict of interest form on file for each Administrator, Program Manager and Navigator attesting the adherence to the following conflict-of-interest disclosure requirements: - Certain conflicts of interest, while not a bar to serving as an Illinois Navigator, must be disclosed to Get Covered Illinois and to each customer receiving application assistance (which includes pre-enrollment and post-enrollment services, but does not include outreach and education assistance). Disclosures include: - Any lines of insurance business, other than health insurance or stop loss insurance, which the Navigator intends to sell while serving as a Navigator. - Any existing and former employment relationships they have had within the last five years with any issuer of health insurance or stop loss insurance, or subsidiaries of such issuers. - Any existing employment relationships between any health insurance issuer or stop-loss insurance issuer, or subsidiary of such issuers, and the individual’s spouse or domestic partner. - Any existing or anticipated financial, business, or contractual relationships with one or more issuers of health insurance or stop loss insurance or subsidiaries of such issuers. - Upon request, all Illinois Navigator entities must submit a written plan to remain free of conflicts of interest during their term as Illinois Navigators. Applicant organizations may also apply for and receive funding through other programs providing funding for ACA enrollment assistance efforts. However, applicant organizations that are selected for the Illinois Navigator grant program may not use other funding sources designated for outreach, education, or enrollment through the Marketplace to pay staff working as Illinois Navigators under this grant program. Each Illinois Navigator staff member’s time must be dedicated fully to the performance of this grant’s detailed activities (e.g., no job sharing or adding navigator duties to an existing role). Additional outreach and enrollment staff may be certified to support the funded program staff with other funding streams. Organizations that receive funding through another program must demonstrate that activities performed under the Illinois Navigator program will be distinct from those performed under the other program and maintain separate accounting and financial records for each program. If an organization is applying for funding for the same activities through this NDFI and another program, please include an attachment that clearly identifies areas of overlap. If the organization receives an award in any of these areas, it will not be eligible for funding through this NDFI for overlapping activities or program staff. If an organization receives funding from another source, it should submit the Project Narrative or similar document submitted with that application.

* Program Requirements * Activities: Organizations awarded funding through this grant opportunity will be required to provide in-person assistance to eligible individuals seeking to enroll in QHP (including advanced premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions) or Medicaid coverage, particularly with federal eligibility changes due to HR1. The list of required duties includes those referenced in Appendix I of this application. In addition, outreach and education activities must be performed by all granted partners to raise awareness and knowledge of coverage options in Illinois. Examples of required outreach and educational activities include but are not limited to: - Canvassing local communities and small businesses - Developing community contacts - Educational presentations - Visibility and tabling events - Using social channels to promote educational and enrollment activities - Stakeholder engagement IDOI and Get Covered Illinois are committed to engaging the communities that we are serving at times that are most beneficial to the public. Grantees and Illinois Navigators must be regularly available for client services during evening and weekend hours. Due to the condensed open enrollment period, granted organizations and Illinois Navigators will limit the period of office closure, not to exceed four days throughout the Open Enrollment period (and through any potential extensions). Grantees must review their plan for enrollment coverage during emergency closures with Get Covered Illinois. It is an expectation of this grant funding that Illinois Navigators will conduct daily outreach. Examples of this are public education activities outside of the grantee offices through two or more events at a physical location weekly with one or more navigators present, social media posts, and community stakeholder engagement to raise awareness about Get Covered Illinois, Illinois Medicaid and utilization of health coverage. This requirement will be demonstrated through the weekly event reporting. Organization Structure and Staffing Requirements: Lead Grantees of the Illinois Navigator Grant Program coordinate all operational and administrative matters for any/all sub-granted organizations in addition to directly fulfilling the Outreach and Enrollment requirements stated in the Illinois Navigator grant. All Lead Grantees will appoint a Program Director responsible for managing all Illinois Navigator grant activities. Duties may include but are not limited to the following: - Manage partnership organizations within all service areas to ensure that project goals are being met. - Take responsibility for metrics and reporting requirements set by the Get Covered Illinois team. - Ensure that hours of operation and activities requirements are being met in all service areas. - Participate in calls, webinars, email communication, as needed. - Ensure that certification requirements are met by all individuals expected to be certified under the grant (all Navigators and Program Managers). - Engage and serve as the point of contact for Get Covered Illinois. Lead Grantees must also have a Project Supervisor who will directly manage their sub-contracted partners in regard to Illinois Navigator grant. For Lead Grantee organizations with 5 or more sub-grantees, a Project Supervisor may be dedicated to each group of 5 or more sub-grantees and be available full time to oversee the activities of the organization, per review and approval by Get Covered Illinois during budget review. - Manage the Lead Grantee organization’s sub-contracted partners in regard to Illinois Navigator outreach and enrollment activities. - Monitor submission of fiscal reporting and performance reporting. - Participate in calls, webinars, email communication, as needed. - Support activities related to grant and metrics reporting. - Support outreach / enrollment event planning and reporting. - Serve as point of contact for Navigators. The lead organization must also designate an individual to serve as a Fiscal Manager for the grant program to support program activities. (Please see Appendix I for further detail on staffing requirements). The Fiscal Manager will oversee all financial and grant management activities for the Illinois Navigator program. Duties may include but are not limited to the following: - Fulfill all reporting requirements on a timely basis as required by Get Covered Illinois. - Establish and manage grant oversight program for Lead Grantee organization and any sub-grantees. - Coordinate with Get Covered Illinois, as necessary, on grant procedures, processes, and requirements. - Establish and implement appropriate tracking controls to ensure compliance with grant guidelines and requirements. - Participate in calls, webinars, email communication, as needed. Each Lead Grantee will also have a Lead Navigator. Lead Navigators will be dedicated to performing enrollment and outreach functions within the service area on a full- time or part-time basis. If a sub-grantee has only one navigator, being the Lead Navigator, this position must be full-time. The Lead Navigator will be responsible at the sub-grantee level for the day-to-day operations of the Illinois Navigator Program and will serve as back up when there are Navigator staff absences and/or when enrollment activities are high. Lead Navigator duties include the following: - Complete and maintain certification for the duration of employment under this position. - Serve as back up when there are Navigator staff absences and/or when enrollment activities are high. - Maintain expertise in eligibility, enrollment, and program requirements. - Help Marketplace applicants who may be more apprehensive about completing a QHP enrollment due to cost and are typically confronted with more options than customers under other programs. - Follow-up appointments with Marketplace applicants may be required to complete the QHP enrollment process. - Attendance is required for all Get Covered Illinois trainings, webinars and in-person. - Provide in-person and virtual assistance to eligible individuals seeking to enroll in QHP (including advanced premium tax credits (APTC) and cost-sharing reductions (CSR). - Virtual assistance must include the ability to visually compare Marketplace Qualified Health Plans (QHP) with the customer. - As necessary Navigators may help facilitate enrollment for individuals eligible for Medicaid and other Illinois programs. - Schedule, attend and report events. - Examples of required outreach and educational activities include but are not limited to: (1) Canvassing local communities and small businesses (2) Developing community contacts (3) Educational presentations (4) Tabling events (5) Using social channels to promote educational and enrollment activities (6) Stakeholder engagement - Conduct public education activities to raise awareness about Get Covered Illinois, Marketplace QHPs, Illinois Medicaid, and utilization of health coverage. - Provide information and services in a fair, accurate and impartial manner, such information must acknowledge all health benefit programs. - Provide referrals to the Illinois Department of Insurance, or any other appropriate State agencies, for any enrollee with a grievance, complaint, or question regarding their health plan, coverage, or a determination under such plan or coverage. - Provide information in a manner that is culturally and linguistically appropriate to the needs of the population being served by Get Covered Illinois at no cost to those individuals, including individuals with limited English proficiency, and ensure accessibility and usability of Illinois Navigator tools and functions for individuals with disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. - Maintain a work schedule that meets the needs of the population being served. - Report required information to necessary staff related to enrollment numbers, appointment, outreach activities, and other metrics as necessary. Each Navigator staff member’s time must be dedicated fully to the performance this grant’s detailed activities (e.g., no job sharing or adding navigator duties to an existing role). Navigator duties include the following: - Complete and maintain certification for the duration of employment under this position. - Maintain expertise in eligibility, enrollment, and program requirements. - Help Marketplace applicants who may be more apprehensive about completing a QHP enrollment due to cost and are typically confronted with more options than customers under other programs. - Follow-up appointments with Marketplace applicants may be required to complete the QHP enrollment process. - Attendance is required for all Get Covered Illinois trainings, webinars and in-person. - Provide in-person and virtual assistance to eligible individuals seeking to enroll in QHP (including advanced premium tax credits (APTCs) and cost-sharing reductions (CSRs). - Virtual assistance must include the ability to visually compare Marketplace Qualified Health Plans (QHP) with the customer. - As necessary Navigators may help facilitate enrollment for individuals eligible for Medicaid and other Illinois programs. - Schedule, attend and report events. - Examples of required outreach and educational activities include but are not limited to: (1) Canvassing local communities and small businesses (2) Developing community contacts (3) Educational presentations (4) Tabling events (5) Using social channels to promote educational and enrollment activities (6) Stakeholder engagement - Conduct public education activities to raise awareness about Get Covered Illinois, Marketplace QHPs, Illinois Medicaid, and utilization of health coverage. - Provide information and services in a fair, accurate and impartial manner. Such information must acknowledge all health benefit programs. - Provide referrals to the Illinois Department of Insurance, or any other appropriate State agencies, for any enrollee with a grievance, complaint, or question regarding their health plan, coverage, or a determination under such plan or coverage. - Provide information in a manner that is culturally and linguistically appropriate to the needs of the population being served by Get Covered Illinois at no cost to those individuals, including individuals with limited English proficiency, and ensure accessibility and usability of Illinois Navigator tools and functions for individuals with disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. - Maintain a work schedule that meets the needs of the population being served. - Report required information to necessary staff related to enrollment numbers, appointment, outreach activities, and other metrics as necessary. Organizations may be allowed an Additional Position exclusively focused on program operations and customer education and outreach strategy. The Lead Grantee will be required provide a clear job description for this position. This is an optional position; if included, the position must be employed by the Lead Grantee and may be dedicated to the Illinois Navigator grant project on a full-time or part-time basis depending on the needs of the applicant. This position must be reviewed and approved by Get Covered Illinois. Target Populations: Grantees are expected to engage with all individuals seeking health coverage, regardless of the coverage program they ultimately enroll in. Using the Get Covered Illinois website, Illinois Navigators are expected to work with customers to apply for coverage through either the Marketplace or Medicaid. Illinois Navigators will conduct referrals to experts for other health programs, such as Medicare, or to agents or brokers as requested by customers. Grantees are expected to refine their messages and outreach activities in order to reach the Marketplace-eligible population including but not limited to African American, Hispanic or Latino, LGBTQIA and Asian American/Pacific Islander customers. It is expected that Illinois Navigators and grantees expend the necessary effort to reach these populations. Certification: All Illinois Program Directors, Project Supervisors, Lead Navigators and Navigators designated in the proposal and participating in grant activities through successful applicant organizations will be required to be certified by completing online training through Get Covered Illinois and in person trainings (when offered). Upon completion of the training, trainees will be required to demonstrate their knowledge of coverage options, eligibility rules, enrollment procedures, the needs of underserved and vulnerable populations, customer assistance rules, conflict of interest standards, and privacy and security considerations through testing on the Get Covered Illinois LMS System. Training will be free of charge for grantees. Certified individuals are required to pass a criminal background check, conducted by the Illinois State Police through a process designated by the State. The cost of the background check is an eligible grant expenditure—see Section 6.8 of the Grant Application Instructions. For prospective Illinois Navigators who are currently certified by the Illinois Department of Insurance as of Plan Year 2025, a new background check would not be required. For prospective Illinois Navigators who are new employees, background checks must be submitted within 2 weeks of the hiring date. Equipment: Organizations must have sufficient infrastructure to facilitate online submission of enrollment applications through the Marketplace or Medicaid, including computers and internet access to facilitate online enrollment; scanners to assist potential enrollees with uploading copies of documents to the Marketplace and Medicaid online web portals; and printers. Except in rare instances, all enrollment applications assisted through the Illinois Navigator program will be electronically submitted through the appropriate eligibility and enrollment system or state Application for Benefits Eligibility (ABE) online portal. New equipment purchases must be reviewed and approved by Get Covered Illinois.

Statutory Requirements: Grantees must comply with all legal requirements related to procurement, environmental concerns, labor standards, and other requirements. Failure to comply with any legal requirement or other requirement specified in the grant agreement may result in suspension or termination of the grant agreement, grant funds being repaid by the Grantee, the withholding of future grant payments by DOI, or other remedy provided by law. In addition to the below requirements, Grantees must comply with all rules, regulations, and laws applicable to the grant program, as may be listed in this NOFO.

Reporting, Monitoring, and Audit Requirements: Grantees must complete multiple reports during the term of the grant and potentially after the grant has ended. This will include, but is not limited to, financial and performance reports, closeout report, and labor hour reports. Grantee is subject to the audit rules and policies set forth by the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget as found in 30 ILCS 708/65(c) and 44 Ill. Admin. Code 7000.90. Deadlines for any required reports may be extended at the discretion of DOI and Get Covered Illinois. Extensions shall be issued only in extraordinary circumstances not in control of the grantee. - Grantee must complete weekly performance metrics on a form provided. See example of weekly metrics Appendix III. - Grantee must report out of office events on a form or platform provided by Get Covered Illinois. - Grantee must complete periodic financial reporting at least quarterly using the State grant management system. - More frequent or additional reporting may be required in the grant agreement based on the successful applicant’s risk assessments. In addition to required reporting, grantees are subject to fiscal and programmatic monitoring visits by Get Covered Illinois in accordance with 2 CFR 200.336. Grantees must have an open-door policy allowing periodic visits by Get Covered Illinois to evaluate the progress of the project and must provide documentation upon request. Get Covered Illinois staff will also maintain contact with the participants and will monitor progress and performance under the terms of the agreement(s). DOI and Get Covered Illinois may modify grants based on performance. Grantees shall be subject to Illinois’ statewide Audit Report Review requirements. Terms of the Single Audit Act Amendments of 1996 (31 USC 7501-7507), Subpart F of 2 CFR Part 200, and the audit rules set forth under the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act shall apply. (See 30 ILCS 708/65). Reporting: Grantees will be required to participate in regular calls and meetings with the state and other organizations providing application assistance and outreach services to share best practices and coordinate activities within common geographic regions. Grantees will be required to abide by the grant agreement, submit Periodic Performance Report and Periodic Financial Report, progress reports on a quarterly basis, expenditure reports every month, and communicate performance data to Get Covered Illinois on a regular basis. In addition, individual navigators will be required to submit events and weekly enrollment metrics as determined by Get Covered Illinois.

Patrick Flanagan

Merit Based Review For Plan Year 2027 the Illinois Navigator Grant opportunity is only available to the five grantees that were awarded the Plan Year 2025 Illinois Navigator Grant. The Merit Based Review has been completed.