A navigator is trained and certified to help people apply through NY State of Health. Two features matter: the help is free, and navigators are not paid by insurers, so they have no financial stake in which plan you choose.
How they differ from a broker. A broker is licensed and often genuinely useful, but is compensated by carriers. That does not make the advice bad; it makes the compensation worth knowing when you weigh a recommendation.
What a navigator actually does:
- screens you for Medicaid, the Essential Plan and Child Health Plus at once
- explains which documents you need, including what to do if you are paid in cash
- helps compare plans and asks the network questions most people skip
- sits with you through the application instead of handing you a link
Where to find one: NY State of Health at 1-855-355-5777, and community organizations across the five boroughs, often in the languages the neighborhood actually speaks.
Also called: certified application counselor, enrollment assistor. Reference: Navigator on Wikipedia — general definition, not New York specifics.
More in Glossary of health coverage and billing terms
- Copay — A fixed amount you pay for a specific service — $25 for a visit, $10 for a generic drug.
- Coinsurance — Your percentage share of a bill after the deductible — 20% of a $4,000 procedure is $800.
- Out-of-pocket maximum — The annual ceiling on what you pay for in-network covered care. After it, the plan pays 100%.
This page explains how the system works. It is not medical advice. More.