Washington State Healthcare Solutions

  How does we know that big changes is coming to Medicare for 2025 without talking about insurance plan details? Well it is real simple, the Inflation Reduction Act put in some very positive changes that impact Prescriptions in a big way. 1. Insulin at $35/month (already started). 2. vaccine access (already started). 3. Expansion of low income subsidy (already started). 4. $2000 yearly out of pocket max of prescription drug cost 2025. 5. Medicare Prescription Payment plan starts in 2025. 6. Manufacturer discount program starts in 2025. 7. In 2026 we will see the first 10 negotiated drug prices. These impact every Medicare Prescription Plan including Medicare Advantage plans that have prescriptions! Yes, large insurance companies have been predicting 50% of people using Medicare with prescriptions will switch plans this year. The Medicare Annual Enrollment Period runs from October 15th through December 7th. Set your appointments early for Suzie . While we can not discuss Medicare ...

 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...

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...

 This year Suzie is going through her Annual Medicare Training . It is done every year and allows her to contract with Medicare Plans, educate and enroll consumers and receive a commission for her services. If you have been to our main webpage then you notice that we do a lot of different types of insurance.   Insurance is an heavily regulated industry. It requires being trained and then licensed with the Office of the Insurance Commissioner. We purchase equipment, open office spaces, and software so that we can effectively interact with the public. We have to secure contracts with companies if we want to be able to offer their products. Now not every company offers contracts with Agents. So we had to put up a new disclaimer. "We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any Information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options. " Yes, since not every compan...

  We do a lot of work with the Washington Healthplanfinder as an Enrollment Center for Healthcare. Seriously, we are open year round answering questions and enrolling people in healthcare. When Suzie first started transitioning from being a Pharmacy Technician, she wanted to lead helping Medicare Individuals with their plans.  Yes, we assist people with Medicare. We stock materials Medicare Advantage, Supplement and Drug plans so that we can help with questions at our office in Wenatchee for your initial enrollment. Most people can enroll into Medicare plans 3 months before their 65 th Birthday, the month of and 3 months after their Birthday. Folks also can delay enrollment if they are covered by   plan through work. We can do a lot over the phone however sometimes there is nothing like having a complete enrollment packet in your fingertips. We like to take the time to do it correctly and it is not a problem to answer questions through the year. The best part is ...

 At the Enrollment Center we do a lot of different pricing for Dental Insurance.  One of the more popular is Delta Dental for our area. For 2022 they updated their pricing in our state. This is only a partial description of benefits; for full plan benefits and pricing then visit our site .  This is different from the state and may be different from other Delta Dental offerings as they have a wide variety of plans available. For example this is different from the plan offered on the Washington Healthplanfinder.  We also walk people through the coverages for a better understanding. We have appointments, online, over the phone or in person if you are in the Wenatchee Area .  We do enrollment year round for dental and a few other programs.  Catch our Blog Suzilla . 

 As a full service enrollment center  for the Washington Healthplanfinder , Suzie Health Solutions educates and enrolls people into healthcare for no cost. There are 11 enrollment centers however we are the one located in Wenatchee.  If you do not have health insurance then enroll now. You may not be able to get it until 2023 as there are special rules however it means that you are one step closer to having coverage. Schedule an appointment and get your options .  For the last nine years, we have assisted with people enrolling into Apple Health . While the application can be confusing or you might not understand the letters, these are things that we assist with so that you have coverage.  In June of 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act went into effect in Washington State and we saw costs plument. In Washington state over 10,000 were eligible for $0 cost plans . To be fair they often come in at a $1 per month however they have serious cost sharing at the silver ...

  Tax season is upon us again. Suzie Health Solutions an Enrollment Center with the Washington Healthplanfinder, we have been printing these forms  and answering questions for years without charging a fee.  The tax season runs from 01/24/2022 through 04/18/2022 . If you have not heard then you want to file electronically and choose direct deposit. Seriously, they are starting the year with a tremendous backlog .  One of the forms that you need to file your taxes is the 1095. There are three types. The 1095 - A is provided by the Washington Healthplanfinder for it's clients for paid plans. In Central Washington these are Ambetter , Community Health and Lifewise . They are available on the account and can be reprinted. If the application is closed then it will be mailed. This form is required when filing taxes .  The 1095 - B is provided by the Health Care Authority for clients that have enrolled in Apple Health. This form will not be mailed; it is...

 We have been hearing some mean rumors about folks telling the unvaccinated that they can not get health insurance. If you lose coverage from a job then it opens a special enrollment and you have 60 days. We have had enough questions that we did a quick 10 minute video on it. For the unvaccinated, the Affordable Care Act protects you from being discriminated against. You can get a individual health plan on the Washington Healthplanfinder until January 15th, 2022. We recommend getting some assistance from an enrollment center as they cost nothing and some areas have over 70 health plans to choose from.  There are some carve outs. Large Group plans can add surcharges for the unvaccinated. Kroger  and Delta Airlines  are good examples of doing a soft mandate.  A Healthshare Ministry while allowed under the ACA is not insurance so if they can change their rules leaving subscribers no avenue of appeal. We do not work with these products because we like regulated pr...

 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...

  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...

  Here at Wenatchee Insurance , we have been working with Healthcare because of the Affordable Care Act . Matt has been writing insurance for nearly a decade. He transitioned from property from a customer request. Suzie is second generation Insurance coming over from being a Pharmacy Technician for nearly two decades. We are going on five years of running the enrollment center in Wenatchee with the Healthplanfinder.  Give us a call (509-295-9055) or grab an appointment if you could use some help navigating health insurance. We charge zero fees.  The Affordable Care Act had a historic number of hours of debate and amendments during Committee development.  It was a massive law covering insurance coverages, healthcare costs and preventative care. It added protective rights called the Patient Bill of Rights that protected consumers, required insurance to cover 10 essential health benefits , a means for those with  low income to get coverage and a new way for th...

OK thanks to the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) and last year's Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act of 2020 (CARES Act), we have a lot of income that may or may not impact your healthcare. If you have a good tax preparer do not hesitate to talk with them if you have questions. As this is only some of the simple guidelines. Here is the FAQ from the Healthplanfinder about the American Rescue Plan. It is a big deal and we have talked several times about the impact that is having on healthcare for good. Here we talked about it on our Podcast: Suzilla .  Tax guideline chart On the Washington Healthplanfinder , there are two types of plans. 1. The Qualified Health Plans which can use Advanced Premium Tax Credits (APTC) to lower monthly costs. If the Income level is under 250% of poverty level then a household can also receive Cost Sharing Reduction (CSR) which lowers things like deductibles, out of pocket maximums and co-pays to increase household savings. ...