146 pages. "This final rule addresses various requirements applicable to Navigators and non-Navigator assistance personnel in Federally-facilitated Exchanges, including State Partnership Exchanges, and to non-Navigator assistance personnel in State Exchanges that are funded through federal Exchange Establishment grants. It finalizes the requirement that Exchanges must have a certified application counselor program. It creates conflict-of-interest, training and certification, and meaningful access standards; clarifies that any licensing, certification, or other standards prescribed by a state or Exchange must not prevent application of the provisions of title I of the [ACA]; adds entities with relationships to issuers of stop loss insurance to the list of entities that are ineligible to become Navigators; and clarifies that the same ineligibility criteria that apply to Navigators apply to certain non-Navigator assistance personnel. The final rule also directs that each Exchange designate organizations which will then certify their staff members and volunteers to be application counselors that assist consumers and facilitate enrollment in qualified health plans and insurance affordability programs, and provides standards for that designation.... State Exchanges will not be required to use the standards being finalized ... for their Navigators, or for non-Navigator assistance programs not funded through section 1311(a) Exchange Establishment grants.... State Exchanges may find the federal standards to be useful models, and we encourage them to draw upon these standards as they develop and disseminate conflict of interest and training standards for Navigators ... or when establishing standards for any non-Navigator assistance program that is established by the State Exchange and is not funded by federal 1311(a) Exchange."  MORE >>