Washington State Healthcare Solutions

We find people all the time that are unaware that they have access to low cost/high benefit healthcare. The Native American Program is a good example on why we have talked about the ACA for nearly a decade.  The Affordable Care Act improved healthcare quality and coordination. It included a permanent reauthorization of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act . It was designed to help prevention and improve wellness by increasing access to affordable health coverage. If you are a member of a federally recognized tribe or Alaska Native Claim Settlement Act (ANCSA) Corporation shareholders then you are qualified for the program. The Healthplanfinder will ask for proof of affiliation however we can help you upload a copy. Marketplace Health Plans. Washington is an expanded medicaid state so up to 138% of the federal poverty level then you are enrolled in Apple Health. These are comprehensive plans which means most services including dental are included.  Between 138% and 300% of ...

 Each year at The Suzie @ Wenatchee Insurance  we talk about rates in June . It is one of the few times that the public has a chance to lower their insurance rates. If you follow our podcast or facebook page then you have a greater chance of knowing when this occurs. We even did a follow up video about the thousands of Washington State Residents that were able to purchase Healthcare for $1 or less.  For 2021 thanks to ARPA, nearly half were paying $100 or less for a qualified health plan and these savings will continue through 2022 at least!  The office of the Insurance Commissioner has released some results. The first round impacts the plans found on the Washington Healthplanfinder . If you are not using this tool to shop for insurance then you should just because of the American Rescue Plan's lowering of rates through 2022. Since the adjustment to the top bracket opened up reduced pricing to the upper income brackets, there is very little reason to be shopping ...

 Open Enrollment for Healthcare will run November 1st 2021 through January 15th 2022 . This is when people can make changes to their healthcare. There are 11 Enrollment Centers spread throughout Washington State and we are located in Wenatchee . Enrollment Centers have been around for six years and are almost a secret way to get no cost help with understanding health insurance. It has been a great program to be part of. Some are even set up to assist with Medicare and Life Insuranc e as well.  Outside we have what is called Special Enrollment .  One of the myths is that you can enroll any time of the year unrestricted is not true. You may be required to submit documentation to prove that you have a valid reason to get healthcare outside of special enrollment.  We have seen Special Enrollments for: Income - You have low income and Qualify for Apple Health : Do not be surprised if the Healthcare Authority asks to see how much you make .  Native American/Ala...

  Confluence Health announced that they are going to terminate the contract with Premera January 31,2022. We started hearing about the negotiations back in May so we double checked with the Premera Filings in June. Our county is zone 7 and you can quickly see how we are priced compared to the rest of the state. You can also see that Premera intends to be in our area because it is literally in their filed plans. If they don't reach an agreement then professionals already have solutions.  We have had insurance companies leave the area before. The last we saw this was Soundpath Health a Medicare Advantage Plan bought by Premera closed its's doors January 1, 2019. We saw it when Premera, Lifewise and Molina left the individual marketplace during a contraction. At any given time, there is about two hospital systems negotiating with an insurance company. Insurance professionals have dealt with this before and have plans for when this happens.  We are recommending to not do a...

  February of 2020 has been over a year ago. We were preparing for a Home show to talk to thousands of people about running the Enrollment Center in Wenatchee and other Suzie Health Solutions options. We thought that all we would need was an touch free hand sanitizer. How little did  we know. We masked up and ran most of last year with one Special Enrollment or another. From Covid Special Enrollments to finishing up with the wildfire special enrollments for the End of 2020. The last Covid Special Enrollment has been going from February 15th through August 15th. Millions of Americans have received coverage during this special enrollment and they are receiving lower rates.  We are excited to have a few months to train and just focus on special enrollments. Special Enrollments are documented reasons that allow a person to get health insurance. Some of the reasons are losing employer coverage, moving into the area when you had coverage, getting married when one of you had ...

The Washington Healthplanfinder started the Full Service Enrollment Centers about six years ago. Some are run by small businesses (brokers) and some are run by corporations (navigators). When the Healthplanfinder put out the request, we seemed to be a good fit. There are some rules to operate an Enrollment Center.  1. Easy access to the public and open year round. 2. Enhanced Security and Insurance. 3. Experienced In person assisters.  4. Offer all plans regardless of pay.  5. No additional fees.  From our experience of working with insurance for nearly a decade. Always select a broker. If not us then someone connected to a Enrollment Center. You are already paying for them ($0 Dollars) and if you need assistance or have questions then you have a prepared customer service team. It is an easy way to support a small business and help build a community resource.  Special Interview with Coordinated Care CEO There are enhanced features such as ability to assist with ...

Hey, dialing in from the Wenatchee Enrollment Center . Thanks to the American Rescue Plan Act, healthcare has gotten cheaper for 2022. If nothing is done then it will skyrocket in 2023 for some of the people. That is for a different blog.  Here is the teaser of what we are looking at in Central Washington: Again, we are the most or second most expensive zone in the state for the health insurance plans. Healthcare is a team event with a dance between Providers and Insurance companies. When you have large areas to cover with only a few providers, providers can drive up the price. If you are concerned with the trend in Central Washington then our largest providers can be reached at: Confluence Health   Columbia Valley Community Health   A simple comment of could help:  Insurance Companies have left our area and have had to raise rates. We have some of the highest rates in the state for health insurance. The Health Insurance companies are required by law to pay back fun...

 

  We are a couple of weeks away from Pride Month. Matt got into supporting Gay marriage early because that was the only way to get equality when it came to retirement planning. The model in Washington State of domestic partnership didn't allow people to roll over annuities and forced them to cash them out early. Matt has been advocating for equality for a while . Here and Here  and here .  So let’s get down to some reminders before June arrives. 1.        The American Rescue Plan Act will significantly address LGBTQ Poverty .   We have been talking about this since last March and are enrolling people that need healthcare and making sure that they are receiving eligible benefits. There is a Special Enrollment right now.  a.        The Increased in tax credits is a massive change so if you have skipped health insurance then shop. In Washington State the new pricing goes into effect the mont...

At t he Wenatchee Enrollment Center, we have been running steadily since the first business closures in March of 2020. Since we enroll people in healthcare, we have been using masks, disinfectants and social distancing for over a year. Since our focus is on living insurance, we want our clients to be around as long and healthy as possible. The vaccines are a light at the end of a very dark period.  If you want healthcare then you have until May 15th. We are one of the eleven enrollment centers throughout the state that can answer these complex questions without charging a fee.    We have made it to Phase 1B Tiers 3 & 4 in Washington's state Covid-19 program. In Washington State 3.2 million doses have been given and about 15% are fully vaccinated! Private pharmacies are now offering the vaccine so the process is speeding up.   As 3/31/2021 1. If you meet the requirements then enroll: The Washington state site is located at:  https://vaccinelocator.doh....

  Hello from Wenatchee Enrollment Center. . We assist people from all walks of life understand and enroll with insurance. We do not charge fees and are available throughout the year.  If you need help then grab an appointment here . We can work online or in person. The app even sends reminders.  Between February 15th and May 15th if you need health insurance then we can get it. Normally, we are only enrolling people that have a documented reason. (Why it's called Special Enrollment). Yes, we help folks year round when they move to the area, loss coverage from an employer, get married. Here is a small portion of who we help.  We recommend always selecting a broker at one of the enrollment centers. In Wenatchee, we have Matt and Suzie McColm at Wenatchee Insurance. By having us connected to your account, it costs you nothing and allows us to assist you immediately if there is a problem.  

  During 2021, we are looking at the first Special Enrollment Period (SEP) to allow people seeking health insurance coverage to get coverage. Due to COVID-19, the Washington Healthplanfinder opened up our ability to assist people getting healthcare. (Normally, you have only from November 1st through December 15th).  413 N Mission street, Wenatchee  is one of the eleven full service enrollment centers located in Washington State. We assist people year round in making changes, uploading their documents, understanding healthcare and enrolling in plans. We do not charge fees for our services.  What you need to know: • This SEP begins on February 15, 2021 and runs through May 15, 2021 . • This SEP is for those currently uninsured as well as those who are enrolled in other health insurance products – including short-term limited duration plans, health sharing ministries or COBRA – who are seeking coverage alternatives (anyone not currently covered through Washington ...

Here are Wenatchee Enrollment Center ,  we have been helping people get their 1095 Forms since the second year so that they can file their taxes. We are one of the full service enrollment centers for the Washington State Healthplanfinder . We print out forms and assist customers attached to us for no cost. We have done it so long that we created a help form. If you go to: https://teammccolm.wufoo.com/forms/qi53yg1en5p81/ then we can quickly generate and email a form for you so that you can file your taxes. Always file your taxes .  If someone tells you that you made too little to file your taxes then they are incorrect and go someplace else to file them. Filing your Federal tax credits is for every that receives a tax credit to reduce the cost of health insurance. If you do not file, then you jeopardize your ability to reduce the cost of healthcare and may have to pay full price.  1095-A form is eligible for everyone with a Qualified Health Plan. In our area t...

  It has been a great year as a Full Service Enrollment Center for the Washington Healthplanfinder .  there are 10 others spread across the state. A normal Open Enrollment runs from November 1 st through December 15 th . However, we have a bonus enrollment season. December 16, 2020 through January 15, 2021, you can enroll in a qualified health plan that starts February 1, 2021. Set an appointment or walk in . This is a great time to get a second set of expert eyes on a health plan if you need to make any changes. In our area, we have over 31 basic plans on the Healthplanfinder so you can miss details that impact how you use your insurance. You can roll into the pharmacy and fill a prescription that first week in January and discover that you were paying more for a prescription than you planned so make a change.   Eleven months of coverage beats no coverage until 2022. Normally, it takes a documented reason to get health insurance outside of the Open Enrollment ...

Reduce your misery We get the flu shot every year. Every year people die from the flu.  “ Last year the flu killed 296 people in Washington and thousands more were hospitalized", said Dr. Scott Linquist, the state epidemiologist for communicable diseases. Getting an influenza vaccine — though not 100% effective — is the best way to prevent the misery of the flu and its complications. We don't like being miserable nor do we like inflicting misery upon others. We work with a lot of different people and some have compromised immune systems and we want our office space as safe as possible for others. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone 6 months of age or older be vaccinated annually against influenza. Do you like kids? Well one study showed that flu vaccinations reduced the risk of flu-associated death by half for children with high risk medical conditions and nearly two-thirds among healthy kids. Medical conditions  increasing...

After six years of helping thousands of people get healthcare, we have seen a few things. I am currently running the full service enrollment center in Wenatchee . It's where we answer questions and enroll people in healthcare at no cost to them. Look if you have an account on the Washington Healthplan Finder then please keep it current. Reading your mail and paying your taxes solves the basic difficulties with the program. Here are the big tips: Put the mobile app on your phone so you can check easily check your account and get messages. The user name and passwords are the same as the desktop version.   Select a no charge broker to get your questions answered. This is maximum service for minim dollars. Some of us throw out tips on facebook and if you don't get help directly, your neighbor does.  Right off the bat if you have Apple Health Dental then use the heck out of it. You get cleanings every year, basic restorative fillings, some root canals and denture...