Washington State Healthcare Solutions

Here at Suzie Health Solutions , we have reached the start of Open Enrollment #11. The proposed rate changes for 2024.   This is the time of year that Health Insurance Companies submit their rate proposals to the office of the Insurance Commissioner. The public can then submit their thoughts on the plan proposals for public record.  The Office of the Insurance Commissioner had fourteen health insurance filers with an average rate increase of 9.11% that are under review. These are proposed rates so do not be surprised when some of the rates change.  Proposed Rates If you want to view the individual plans then here is the Health Insurance Rate search engine .  2024 Proposed rate change for Washington's individual health insurance market Health Insurance company Requested rate change Inside/outside Exchange, or both Percentage of market (Consumers effected)* Asuris Northwest Health -3.39% Outside 0.4% (1,057) BridgeSpan Health Company 15.15% Inside 0.4% (1,092) Co...

 We do a fair amount of work within the LGBTQA+ community. We have talked about the troubles with insurance equity . Completed additional training with Out2Enroll . Highlighted biases .  However, 2023 has been our biggest year to date. 1. We started off by forming Wenatchee Insurance which has a focus on events, homes, autos, and business insurance. This was a process that took us several years to create. We found Shayla Winter who was doing similar work within the community and formally teamed up. We are competing in the Super Nova Business Launch Competition  and are hoping to get a couple of new businesses in the program next year.  2. We joined the GSBA . Washington state's LGBTQ+ and allied chamber of commerce and the largest in North America. They are doing some amazing work while networking and educating. We also found out that we are the only member in the Wenatchee area. So do not be surprised if we continue to talk about it. GSBA Gear at Fierce Together 3....

The Suzie @ Wenatchee Insurance , we do our best to answer questions regarding health insurance for our clients. Sometimes we go a little extra like how do you dispose of used needles.  This is a hot topic right now. How does a person properly throw away their needles after they have used them? Insulin, Heparin, Dupixen t, etc, there are a lot of medicines that can be done at home that you need to properly dispose of the supplies. You don't want someone to stick themselves by an improperly disposed of used needle. The Food and Drug Administration recommends that used needles and other sharps be placed in approved disposable containers. They are generally available through pharmacies, medical supply companies, health care providers, and online. Seriously, Amazon has a huge selection.  Let's talk about alternative containers. If an FDA-cleared container is not available, then some organizations and community guidelines recommend using heavy-duty plastic household containers. W...

  The Suzie @ Wenatchee Insurance is asked about Medicare a lot. We help people understand and enroll. If you are looking for PEBB information then go to the HCA and request customer service and if you don't like their options request that they contract with brokers. Once they contract then we get access to the specialized training and can effectively assist PEBB retirees. We work with plans that contract out with licensed producers.  Who can get Medicare? Medicare is the federal health insurance program in the United States that provides coverage to individuals who are 65 years or older and certain groups of people including: 1.        Individuals who are 65 years or older: If you are a U.S. citizen or a legal permanent resident and you or your spouse have worked and paid Medicare taxes for at least 10 years, you are eligible for Medicare at age 65. 2.        Individuals with certain disabilities: If you h...

How big is the unwinding effecting our neighbors. Let's look at the Continuous Enrollment Data that was pulled 02/14/2023 Chelan County 5,766 Douglas County 3,030 Grant County 8,012 Okanogan County 3,210 Kittitas County 2,324 Yakima County 22,744 Yes, Central Washington is looking at 45,086 people that have been enrolled continuously renewed into Apple Health. We are looking at a large percentage of our neighbors having to review their health insurance over the next year. Most of that will be outside of Open Enrollment period which runs usually from November 1st through December 15th.  People are setting appointments year round  so that we can travel to outreach events around the state to assist in education and enrollments.  Yes, CHIP payments are restarting Key resources are the Enrollment Centers . Our office moved to 413 N Mission street a few months ago if you want assistance in Central Washington we can do phone, online and in person appointments . The reason th...

An insurance plan is not set in stone. Apple Health is an insurance program that when your income changes more than $150 a month then you need to report the income change. If you make over the specified income limit then you are not eligible for Apple Health and may qualify for a reduced cost plan. We have been talking to people and some are very unaware of the change that is almost upon us.  Apple Health is what Washington State Medicaid has been called since 2013. They renamed it when the Affordable Care Act changed Healthcare in the United States. There is a ton of cool state names like Husky Health, MedQuest, BadgerCare, Green Mountain Care....etc. There are groups that help people understand and enroll in Apple Health with out charging a fee.  Suzie Health Solutions is one of ten Enrollment Centers in Washington State that work with the Washington Healthplanfinder. We have to meet special conditions like explaining all plans on the Healthplanfinder and not charging fees...

 Suzie Health Solutions has been assisting people in Wenatchee and surrounding counties going on ten years. We make it easy as possible because this is a life changing moment. Suzie takes her time during enrollment and answers questions through the year making her high in demand. She does take appointments and people have set them as far out as five years. We do not charge fees .  To enroll in Medicare, you must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident who is 65 years or older, or have a qualifying disability or end-stage renal disease. Yes, if you have a Permanent Resident Card (I-5551) then you can qualify for Medicare! To quote or set appointment here. We do assist people in office for an initial enrollment or receive forms to activate Medicare B from a delayed start. You can enroll in Medicare online, by phone, or in person at your local Social Security office. You will need to provide your Social Security number, date of birth, and other personal information. Once you h...

  We didn't know what to expect when Brian Blair and Matthew Hahn interviewed us last December. We know them from Insurance Soup , the largest Agent's Facebook Group, Agency Elephant and Suzie even meet them at Insurance Soup Live . Interviews can go every direction and we run our agency very simply.  Here is a sample of their interview with Shawn Michael Walker an industry leader talking with Brian and Matt about their focus.  It was in the middle of Open Enrollment 10 . We do some very unreal numbers with hundreds of appointments, enrollments and hours spent assisting everyone that we could. However we didn't realize on how important Automation had become to our business despite working with it for the last three years. Check out the interview:  https://open.spotify.com/episode/6LChQ4vLXggXD4Rw2YQd1i?si=kP0vvl3zQo2en5IA_KpjxA  The way that we do things is that simply keep plowing forward. As now we built out a Property Agency to cover the gaps and pro...

There is a variety of coverages out there. At Suzie Health Solutions , the Enrollment Center located in Wenatchee for the Washington Healthplanfinder , we work with Qualified Health plans.  We are going to talk about non-medicare health insurance plans today. We offer a lot of insurance but health insurance we have worked through 10 open enrollments which usually run from November 1st through December 15th across the United States.  This means that they cover the 10 Essential Coverages.  Inpatient and outpatient medical care Prescription drug coverage Preventive care and screenings Mental health and substance abuse treatment Emergency services Hospitalization Rehabilitation services Pregnancy and maternity care Laboratory services Pediatric care, including dental and vision services. Each plan will cover them in a variety of ways. We do run applications year round however are limited by enrollment dates. If we are outside a open enrollment then a person may have to ...

  At the Enrollment Center , we get asked this alot. Matt has assisted with 10 Open Enrollments helping thousands of people get healthcare. There are 10 Enrollment Centers in Washington State and you can catch Matt in Wenatchee's most of the time. If you need insurance help in Washington State then an easy way to contact him on his office's landing page .  Special enrollment periods (SEPs) for health insurance are periods of time outside of the regular open enrollment period during which certain individuals are able to enroll in or make changes to their health insurance coverage. SEPs are typically available to people who have experienced certain life events, such as the birth of a child, marriage, loss of other coverage, or a permanent move to a new area. In general, the following individuals are typically eligible to enroll in health insurance during a SEP: • People who have recently had a child, adopted a child, or placed a child for foster care. • People who have rece...