Glossary
Certified Application Counselor (CAC)
A trained, CMS-certified enrollment helper who works at a hospital, community health center, or nonprofit. Like a Navigator, a CAC provides free, neutral help with Marketplace, Medicaid, and CHIP applications, but their organization is not funded by a CMS grant.
Last updated: May 19, 2026
A Certified Application Counselor (CAC) is a trained, CMS-certified individual who helps people apply for coverage through the Marketplace, Medicaid, or CHIP. CACs work at hospitals, Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), community health clinics, social service agencies, or nonprofits. Their host organization is called a CDO (Certified Application Counselor Designated Organization).
The key difference from a Navigator: a CAC’s organization is not funded by a federal CMS grant. They are typically funded by the hospital, FQHC, or nonprofit itself. Everything else (training, certification, neutrality, free service) is essentially the same.
What CACs do
- Help you create or log into HealthCare.gov
- Walk you through the Marketplace application
- Explain APTC and CSR eligibility
- Help with Medicaid and CHIP applications
- Provide post-enrollment support
- Help you renew coverage at the end of the year
What CACs cannot do
Same restrictions as Navigators:
- Cannot recommend a specific plan
- Cannot earn commissions
- Cannot sell insurance
- Cannot charge you
Where to find one
CACs are usually embedded inside organizations you already use:
- Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs): nearly every FQHC has at least one on-site CAC. Find your local FQHC at findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov
- Hospitals: especially nonprofit hospitals and safety-net hospitals
- Community organizations: legal aid, immigrant services, refugee resettlement agencies, churches
- Social service agencies: county or city departments of human services
You can also search LocalHelp.HealthCare.gov for both Navigators and CACs in your area.
Why CACs exist alongside Navigators
CMS Navigator grants are limited. Many regions have just one or two Navigator organizations. CACs fill the gap by extending free enrollment help into existing community institutions. A patient at an FQHC who has never had insurance can fill out a Marketplace application during the same visit where they get their first physical. A homeless person at a shelter can apply for Medicaid with a CAC who already knows the local social service landscape.
Example
A 28-year-old construction worker in Georgia visits his local FQHC for a tooth infection. He has no insurance. The clinic’s billing office hands him off to an in-house CAC, who, in the same visit, helps him apply through HealthCare.gov. He qualifies for a $0-premium Silver plan with strong CSR. He picks a plan that includes the FQHC in its network and walks out with an enrollment confirmation. No fee, no sales pitch, no commission.
Related terms
Run the calculator first to estimate your subsidy, then bring that estimate to a CAC at your local FQHC or hospital.