ACA Funding Cuts Leave Navigators Struggling to Help Ohioans

Drastic reductions in federal navigator program support make it harder for residents to access health insurance.

Apr. 11, 2026 at 1:09pm

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An extreme close-up X-ray photograph showing the ghostly, translucent internal layers and structures of a health insurance card, conceptually representing the opacity and complexity of the healthcare system.As funding for ACA navigators is slashed, the complex healthcare system becomes even more difficult to navigate for many Americans.Cincinnati Today

The Trump administration's cuts to the Affordable Care Act's navigator program have left Ohio with just 5 navigators to serve the entire state, down from 50 previously. Kimberly Dudley, a navigator at Cincinnati's Freestore Foodbank, says the job has become much harder as resources have dwindled, making it difficult for many Ohioans to find and enroll in health insurance plans.

Why it matters

The navigator program was designed to provide in-person assistance to help people, especially those in underserved communities, understand their health insurance options and enroll in coverage through the ACA marketplace. With drastically reduced funding and staffing, navigators are struggling to reach and support Ohioans who rely on their expertise to access affordable health care.

The details

In one of its first acts, the second Trump administration cut annual funding for navigators by 90 percent, from $100 million to $10 million, arguing the program was wasteful. Under the ACA, navigators were paid through a user fee on monthly premiums to help educate and enroll people, especially those in hard-to-reach communities. In January 2025, Ohio had 50 navigators serving the state's 88 counties, but by the start of open enrollment in November, only 5 remained.

  • In January 2025, Ohio had 50 navigators serving the state's 88 counties.
  • By the start of open enrollment in November 2025, only 5 navigators remained in Ohio.

The players

Kimberly Dudley

A navigator at Cincinnati's Freestore Foodbank who has worked on the front line of the Affordable Care Act for four years, helping Ohioans navigate the process of buying private insurance on the federal HealthCare.gov marketplace.

Trump administration

The second Trump administration cut annual funding for the ACA navigator program by 90 percent, from $100 million to $10 million.

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What they’re saying

“It's been hard this year.”

— Kimberly Dudley, Navigator, Freestore Foodbank

What’s next

With open enrollment underway, advocates are calling on Congress to restore funding for the navigator program to ensure all Ohioans have access to the in-person assistance they need to find and enroll in affordable health coverage.

The takeaway

The drastic cuts to the ACA's navigator program have left Ohio severely understaffed, making it much harder for residents to get the help they need to navigate the complex process of finding and enrolling in health insurance plans. This threatens to leave many Ohioans without access to affordable coverage, undermining a key goal of the Affordable Care Act.