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) Community Health Plan

 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. We did our fir

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. We

  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 have a qualifying disability and have received Social Security Dis