Nearly 450,000 Enroll in Coverage through Healthplanfinder

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 12, 2:00 pm PST

 Nearly 450,000 Enroll in Health Coverage through Washington Healthplanfinder

Open Enrollment in Private Health Plans Ends on March 31 

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Washington Healthplanfinder today announced that 446,787 Washingtonians have now accessed free or low-cost coverage options since Oct. 1. More than 350,000 individuals who have been previously covered through Apple Health have renewed their coverage through wahealthplanfinder.org for a total of nearly 800,000 residents.

Residents still seeking coverage through a private health plan should enroll by March 31 at www.wahealthplanfinder.org. Washington Apple (Medicaid) enrollment continues throughout the entire year.

Help to enroll is available through the toll-free Customer Support Center at 1-855-WAFINDER or through in-person help that may be located through the Customer Support link on the homepage.

Updated enrollment numbers from Oct. 1 to March 6 are included below.

 

Web and Call Center Data
Unique Visitors	1,572,263
Accounts Created	481,308
Call Center Volume (through   March 9)	36,568
Avg. Initial Call Center Wait   Time (through March 9)	45 sec
Avg. Wait Time after Call Menu   Selection* (through March 9)	50 min

Enrollments Completed
Qualified Health Plans	109,021
Medicaid Newly Eligible Adults	222,607
Medicaid Previously Eligible but   not Enrolled	115,159
Medicaid Redeterminations   (Previously Covered)	351,241
Total	798,028

 

In-Process Applications
Qualified Health Plan Applicants   – Need to Pay	82,060

 

*Note: These numbers reflect enrollments and applications through March 6. Please note that “Average Wait Time after Call Menu Selection” refers to customers who have had an initial point of contact with a customer service representative and entered into wait queues for various areas of enrollment assistance.

Application Status Legend

• Qualified Health Plans: Includes individuals who have selected and submitted payment for a qualified health plan (private health plan).
• Medicaid Newly Eligible Adults: Includes newly eligible individuals who have qualified and enrolled in a Medicaid plan under the Medicaid expansion and does not include those who have transitioned from other Medicaid programs.
• Medicaid Previously Eligible but not Enrolled: Includes individuals (children, pregnant women, low-income families) who are newly enrolling but were eligible under old Medicaid eligibility rules.
• Medicaid Redeterminations: Includes individuals who were already enrolled in a Medicaid program and have had their eligibility status converted, re-determined or renewed through Washington Healthplanfinder as opposed to newly determined.
• QHP (Need to Pay): Includes individuals who have completed an application for a Qualified Health Plan that is awaiting payment.

Medicaid note: Washington Apple Health (Medicaid) does not have an open enrollment period.  Individuals and families will be able to apply and complete their renewals via www.wahealthplanfinder.org throughout the year. Questions about Healthplanfinder should be directed to the toll-free Customer Support Center at 1-855-WAFINDER; Apple Health questions can be directed to the toll-free hot line at 1-800-562-3022 or emailed to AskMedicaid@hca.wa.gov

For more information about Washington Healthplanfinder and to enroll in health coverage, please visit www.wahealthplanfinder.org.

CONTACTS
Washington Healthplanfinder, Bethany Frey, (360) 688-7752

Washington Health Care Authority, Jim Stevenson, (360) 725-1915

About Washington Healthplanfinder

Washington Healthplanfinder is a new online marketplace for individuals, families and small businesses in Washington to compare and enroll in health insurance coverage and gain access to tax credits, reduced cost sharing and public programs such as Medicaid. Washington Healthplanfinder began enrolling consumers on Oct. 1, 2013, for health insurance coverage beginning on Jan. 1, 2014. The open enrollment period extends through March 31, 2014.

About the Washington Health Benefit Exchange

The Washington Health Benefit Exchange is a public-private partnership established in accordance with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA) with the goal to redefine people’s experience with health care through the creation of a new health insurance marketplace for individuals and small businesses. The Exchange is separate from the state and governed by an independent 11-member board appointed by former Gov. Chris Gregoire in Dec. 2011.

About Health Care Authority

The Health Care Authority includes the two largest state health care purchasing programs – Apple Health (Medicaid) and Public Employees Benefits system, which handles state employee benefits. Under Medicaid expansion, income eligibility guidelines increased to 138% of the federal poverty level effective Jan. 1, 2014, increasing state Medicaid rolls by an estimated 328,000 individuals.

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