Washington Health Insurance
Health Insurance OverviewWashington residents have many options for health care coverage. There are numerous Washington insurance providers to choose from, along with a variety of Washington medical insurance plans designed to meet the specific needs of individuals, families and groups.
We can help you find the right information for your situation—whether you need independent self-employed health coverage, or your employer simply doesn’t offer group Washington health insurance benefits; whether you are looking to cover your spouse and children under the same low rate, or you are a small business that wants to provide your employees with affordable coverage. We are the one-stop resource for all your health care needs—including quality Washington medical insurance from the best Washington insurance providers around. Even under the new Affordable Care Act, each state is unique in its individuallaws and regulations, as well as the types of coverage it offers. Here you will find an array of resources and useful information to help you better understand Washington health insurance and the range of options available to you. This includes current facts and statistics about residents, important state legislation, financial assistance and public Washington health insurance programs, healthcare exchange information, and even details on some of the top Washington insurance providers. To compare specific Washington medical insurance plans offered by the various Washington insurance providers, and get a free personalized quote for the options that are right for you, contact us now. We’ll connect you with a highly qualified insurance agent near you who will be happy to help with all of your Washington health insurance needs. At Healthcare Solutions Team, we’re committed to making affordable health care accessible to everyone. Our group of elite Washington health insurance advisors is dedicated to helping find the right coverage to fit the needs of all families, individuals and groups. Not a resident of Washington? Find your state here. Washington Health Insurance Facts & StatisticsTotal Washington Residents – 6,794,000
Total Health Insurance Coverage In Washington: Employer – 50% Individual – 5% Medicaid – 16% Medicare – 13% Other Public – 3% Uninsured – 14% Average Individual Monthly Premiums – $231 Average Annual Single Employee Contribution for Employer-Based Health Insurance Plan – 16% Average Annual Single Employee Premium for Employer-Based Health Insurance Plan – $877 Average adjusted hospital cost per inpatient day – $2,875 Source data according to the Kaiser Family Foundation (http://www.kff.org/) (2009-2012 data) and http://www.statehealthfacts.org/ Washington Medical Insurance Laws, Regulations & PoliciesWashington was one of the first states to move ahead with a state-run health insurance marketplace as envisioned by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Under ACA, all Washington health insurance plans for individuals and families are guaranteed issue, as are group health insurance plans for small groups of two to 50. This means that individuals have a variety of options for healthcare coverage and a greater chance of being eligible for stable and affordable health insurance plans.
All residents of Washington are required to have health insurance coverage, whether it is purchased through the Washington State Healthcare Exchange or individually through an approved Washington insurance provider. Plan availability and premiums are based on many factors, including age, family status, income, and more. Depending on the health insurance company, Washington individual and family health insurance rates can vary widely, so it’s important to check all options. If a policy is purchased through the exchange in Washington, enrollees pay their premiums directly to Washington Healthplanfinder and the exchange then sends the premiums out to each insurer. This is different from the standard billing method used in most other states, where premiums are paid directly to the policy carriers after enrolling through the exchange. Under ACA, stronger emphasis is placed on the importance of preventative care. Washington medical insurance plans are required to cover cancer screening for prostate, breast and colorectal cancer. Washington insurance providers are also required to uphold mental health parity, which means that mental health conditions must have coverage limits and maximums set equal to those for physical conditions. Policyholders in Washington group health plans have a right to health insurance coverage for time in between jobs. The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) allows insured individuals to stay on their employer’s insurance for a temporary time period up to 18 months after losing a job. However, it can be quite expensive, and qualifying is mandatory. For example, Federal law makes employees eligible for COBRA only in companies with more than 20 workers. Learn more here. To learn more about the Washington State health insurance online marketplace or healthcare exchange, visit www.wahealthplanfinder.org. You may be able to get help paying your premium—visitwww.wahbexchange.org. For a handy guide to review your options by area,click here. To learn more about buying a plan directly from a health insurance company,click here. Washington Health Insurance ResourcesWashington State Department of Social and Health ServicesExplore Washington Public Health Department’s Guide to Health & Medical Services, with convenient links to many other key state programs.
Washington State Office of the Insurance CommissionerGet all the details on the state’s health system and get answers to common questions. The Affordable Care Act: Immediate Benefits for WashingtonLearn how the ACA has impacted Washington State residents, and get updates on future changes and open enrollment opportunities. Washington Health Insurance High Risk PoolThe ACA established temporary national high risk pools to provide health insurance to those who have been denied coverage due to their medical status. Under the new ACA guaranteed issue laws, insurance companies are no longer able to deny individual coverage due to pre-existing conditions. Washington State’s Health Insurance Pool (WSHIP) is one of the few state-run pools in the country that will remain operational—for existing members only—until the end 2017. WSHIP is continuing to enroll Medicare members as well as some non-Medicaid eligible applicants. For more information on the Washington health insurance high risk pool visit http://www.wship.org/ To stay up-to-date on the latest health care reform news, visit:http://healthreform.kff.org/ Washington Medical Insurance and Health Care ProgramsThe state of Washington offers residents quite a few public health insurance programs to assist low-income residents in getting access to affordable health care and insurance coverage. These programs include:
Washington Insurance ProvidersIndividual and Family Health Insurance Companies for Private Policies in Washington
If your employer doesn’t provide health insurance, you’ll need to buy your own individual health plan to comply with ACA. Health reform provides two ways to buy an individual health plan during the annual open enrollment period:
Four more carriers have submitted plans to join Washington Healthplanfinder for 2015:
Important Contacts and LinksWashington State Health Care and InsuranceFind contact Information for Washington health insurance and public health departments at:
Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner P.O. Box 40256 Olympia, WA 98504 (800) 562-6900 www.insurance.wa.gov Washington State Health Care Authority Executive Office 626 8th Avenue SE P.O. Box 45502 Olympia, WA 98504-5502 Street Address (please do not mail or ship to this address) 626 8th Avenue SE Olympia, WA 98501 1-800-562-3022 http://www.hca.wa.gov/Pages/contact.aspx Public Records Requests Ramona Roberts PO Box 42700 Olympia, WA 98504-2700 360-725-1911 or Fax 360-586-9080 Email: PublicDisclosure@hca.wa.gov |
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