Groups Race to Hire, Train ‘Obamacare’ Guides

CHICAGO (AP) — The program known as "Obamacare" is three weeks away from its key launch date and hectic preparations are in motion in communities across the country.

One of the major practical challenges now is hiring and training a small army of instant experts — called "navigators" — who can explain the intricacies of health insurance to people who've never had it.

It's a tight timeline for the groups doing the hiring, which range from food banks to farmworker organizations. Their goal is to get workers trained by Oct. 1, when people can start shopping for the new health coverage available under the law.

But many groups haven't hired any workers yet. And they received training materials just days ago.