Houston Food Bank Expands Healthcare Enrollment Support with Impactful Grant

First food bank in Texas to receive grant from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Thanks to a generous grant from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Houston Food Bank has expanded its capacity to assist Texans in 18 counties in southeast Texas to sign up for vital health coverage. This team will be available by phone, virtual appointment or at Houston Food Bank partner agencies in the Greater Houston area, and Houston Food Bank encourages its neighbors to utilize these free services during the critical open enrollment period.

Houston Food Bank is the first food bank in Texas receive this grant.

The government has awarded a new round of $100 million to organizations vital to helping underserved communities, consumers and small businesses find and enroll in quality, affordable health coverage through HealthCare.gov, the Health Insurance Marketplace®. CMS awarded the grants to 44 Navigator grantees in states using HealthCare.gov. The grants are part of a commitment of up to $500 million over five years — the longest grant period and financial commitment to date, and a critical boost for recruiting trusted local organizations to better connect with those who often face barriers to obtaining health care coverage.

Houston Food Bank is receiving a 2024 grant award amount of $1,077,055, with a five-year grant of $5 million, funded through August 2029.

With the grant, Houston Food Bank has grown its Community Assistance Program (CAP) through a team of navigators who will provide invaluable assistance to individuals seeking to enroll in the marketplace. Navigators offer free assistance to people exploring health coverage options through HealthCare.gov, from reviewing available plans to assisting with eligibility and enrollment forms, and post-enrollment services such as using their coverage to get care. Navigators can also assist people in helping enroll in or renew Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage. Navigators are vetted and trained to provide support for the millions who have enrolled in ACA coverage under the Biden-Harris Administration.

“Houston Food Bank is grateful and honored to be the first Texas food bank to receive this CMS grant, which further validates our work in providing long-term stability for neighbors in our 18-county coverage area of southeast Texas,” says Brian Greene, president/CEO of Houston Food Bank.  “Healthcare is essential in assisting those experiencing food insecurity because it addresses the health-related barriers that can prevent individuals from accessing nutritious food, such as chronic illnesses or disabilities, or financial restrictions. By ensuring access to medical care, through this grant Houston Food Bank can continue to address the root causes of hunger and can better support the well-being of individuals, enabling them to lead healthier lives and make informed food choices that contribute to long-term food security.”

There are three ways in which those in need of healthcare enrollment assistance can schedule an appointment with one of Houston Food Bank’s health enrollment navigators: 

• Online at https://houstonfoodbank.org/healthenrollment
• Over the phone by calling 832-369-9390
• In person at the Houston Food Bank, 535 Portwall Street, 2^nd floor  (Persons must bring their ID with them.)

The deadline to enroll for a 2025 Marketplace health plan is January 15, 2025.

During the plan year 2024 Marketplace Open Enrollment Period, a historic 21.4 million people selected health care plans through HealthCare.gov and State-based Marketplaces, including with the help of Navigators. The Biden-Harris Administration has taken unprecedented action to make health insurance available and affordable to everyone. National estimates show that most consumers qualified for $0 premiums after subsidies or are saving at least $800 a year on their premium, underscoring the importance of expanded subsidies from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. Overall, four in five HealthCare.gov customers were able to select from health care coverage options that were $10 or less per month after subsidies.

To continue the momentum and encourage smaller community-based organizations to become Navigators, CMS streamlined and simplified the application process this year. CMS also continues to advance critical requirements that Navigators focus their outreach on key underserved groups that have accounted for more than 20% of Marketplace enrollees in recent years. These groups include racial and ethnic minorities; rural communities; the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer/questioning, asexual, plus (LGBTQIA+) communities; refugees; immigrants; families with low income; pregnant and expectant parents; and those who lack transportation, internet access, or English-language proficiency.

To learn more about this year’s Navigator grantees, click here. Consumers in any state, including those that run State-based Marketplaces, can access Navigators by visiting Find Local Help for assistance with their application and more. For additional details on Marketplace Open Enrollment, which will run from November 1, 2024, to at least January 15, 2025 (and longer in some states), visit HealthCare.gov.