"The navigator program has become surprisingly controversial. Insurance agents and brokers have seen it as threatening their territory. Agents seem to be concerned that if navigators help consumers enroll in health insurance plans, agents will lose the commissions to which they are entitled when they themselves market insurance products.... Responding to lobbying by politically powerful agent organizations, states that have shown little interest in participating in any way in the implementation of the ACA have been enacting legislation to regulate the navigator program. Many of these states will have federal exchanges. The proposed regulations lay down standards for the navigator program in the federal exchange which will preempt more restrictive state standards. It also clarifies the extent to which states can license navigators in both the state and federal exchanges."  MORE >>