Obamacare groups struggle with replacing lost ad funds

Outside groups are scrambling to figure out how to fill the $90 million in ad funding for Obamacare that was cut by the Trump administration.

Advocacy groups said they were surprised and shocked by the Trump administration's abrupt decision last month to provide only $10 million for outreach for Obamacare's 2018 open enrollment. That figure is 90 percent below the $100 million the Obama administration shelled out for 2017.

The cut was coupled with a nearly 40 percent decline in grants to navigators, which are nonprofits tasked with helping people sign up for Obamacare. Navigators are expected to get $36.8 million for 2018, down from $62.5 million this year.

Obamacare advocacy groups say they are meeting to figure out how to make up the gap. But some say additional funds won't be enough because the Trump administration, which oversees healthcare.gov, knows best where to put the money.

"It is impossible to replace the funding and it is impossible to replace the system because the administration knows who is coming to visit the website and might need a nudge," said Leslie Dach, campaign chairman for the pro-Obamacare advocacy group Protect Our Care, during a call with reporters last week.