Open Enrollment is Coming in November! Low-Cost Health Insurance Options are Available for You.

Open Enrollment is Coming in November! Low-Cost Health Insurance Options are Available for You.

Open Enrollment takes place November 1 – January 15, 2024. During this time, you can explore the various health insurance options that are available to you. It’s a time to evaluate your current healthcare needs and choose a plan that best suits your lifestyle and budget.

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Over 990 Individuals in Eastern Washington Enrolled in Recent Apple Health Expansion

Over 990 Individuals in Eastern Washington Enrolled in Recent Apple Health Expansion

In June, BHT and a number of our community partners got together to pre-enroll folks in need into the Apple Health Expansion program. Due to limited funding, the available spaces filled up in less than 48 hours, however BHT and Community Partners had the honor of enrolling over 990 individuals in Eastern Washington!  

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Apple Health Expansion: Expanding Immigrant Health Coverage in WA

Apple Health Expansion: Expanding Immigrant Health Coverage in WA

Apple Health Expansion provides free healthcare coverage for adults age 19 and older with certain immigration statuses, including undocumented community members.

Have you previously applied for Washington Apple Health and were denied due to immigration status? You may be eligible for Apple Health Expansion! Applying for Apple Health is always free and does not impact immigration status.

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Open Enrollment 10: Health Coverage for 2023

Open Enrollment 10: Health Coverage for 2023

Open Enrollment season is upon us! New and existing Healthplanfinder customers can begin shopping for a 2023 Qualified Health Plan (QHP) and Qualified Dental Plan (QDP) on November 1, 2022. Our navigators can help customers select a plan by December 15, 2022 for their coverage to start January 1, 2023!

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American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Lowers the Cost of Health Insurance for Most Washingtonians

American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Lowers the Cost of Health Insurance for Most Washingtonians

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) was enacted in March 2021 and includes changes impacting health care affordability, coverage access, and other federal assistance through Washington Healthplanfinder.

Beginning May 6, Washingtonians qualify for more cost assistance to reduce premiums for health plans sold through the Washington Healthplanfinder!

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Open Enrollment 8 is a wrap!

Open Enrollment 8 is a wrap!

January 15 marked the last day of Open Enrollment 8. We are sure you can hear the collective sigh of relief as our hardworking Navigator Network eased back into a more normal pace of work. Our Access to Care team along with the entire Navigator Network assisted over 4,000 of these individuals in gaining or continuing their health coverage.

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Healthy Kids Together - Back to School Flyers

Your child may be eligible for WA Apple Health for Kids free or low-cost coverage (with a low premium) if your income is at or below the Medicaid standard.

Please call our Navigators today for assistance 509-340-9008! Appointments can be made with an insurance navigator and interpreter if needed.

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10th Anniversary of the Affordable Care Act

On its tenth anniversary, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is helping our state provide health care during a pandemic.

Being at the center of the COVID-19 pandemic shows how critical it is for Washington State to have a strong health system. A virus does not discriminate, and we need everyone, regardless of their income, to be able to access health care to keep us all safe.

Passed by Congress 10 years ago this week, the ACA has helped 600,000 uninsured Washingtonians get health coverage and care. While there’s not a lot for health care providers to celebrate right now, we do want to honor this anniversary and stand strong to protect the ACA.

The Affordable Care Act enabled Washington State to significantly expand Medicaid coverage, greatly increasing health care access and resources. This has been particularly important for access to dental care as the number of Medicaid-insured adults accessing dental care each year has more than doubled since the state expanded Medicaid. In total, our state’s expanded health care safety net now provides health care to more than 1.7 million patients.

The ACA has also increased access to health services that are critical in addressing our state’s homelessness and opioid crises. The ACA created more funding for mental health and substance use treatment, and rural hospitals have been able to remain open thanks to Medicaid expansion. 

Better Health Together launched the Navigator network in 2013 with the audacious goal of enrolling 10,000 participants in qualified healthcare plans. Within the first two years, the Network dramatically exceeded this number, enrolling more than 100,000 participants. Because of this work, more than 96% of our Eastern Washington region now has insurance coverage.

Our network’s tremendous success comes from the web of diverse partners connected across our region. This vast network of partners, which represents many sectors has reached population segments including un/underinsured people, older adults, people with disabilities, low-income individuals and families, people experiencing homelessness, foster youth, prison and re-entry populations, people with limited English proficiency, migrant workers, small businesses, rural populations, and the region’s diverse racial/ethnic populations.

Unfortunately, the ACA has been under attack for the past several years. Federal threats to weaken it put millions of people at risk of losing access to health care. But the fact is that people depend on coverage provided by the ACA. Global health care emergencies such as the coronavirus show how much our health is connected to everyone around us. Washington State policymakers must protect the advances gained through the ACA to ensure that everyone in our state can access health care, keeping us all safer.

 

COVID-19: What does it mean for our work?

COVID-19: What does it mean for our work?

The BHT team is trying to be mindful of what is happening in our community and not unnecessarily burden our organizational partners during this time. We fully expect that most, if not all, of our Transformation work together will pause as you redirect your resources toward addressing the Covid-19 pandemic.

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BHT COVID-19 Response

BHT COVID-19 Response

As coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to spread, for the safety of our staff, as well as our partners and the communities we serve, Better Health Together has decided to implement the recommendation for social distancing. On Monday, March 16, the following protocols will go into effect for BHT…

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BHT Welcomes Three New Orgs to Navigator Network

BHT welcomes ADEPT Behavioral Health, Compassionate Addiction Treatment Center, and Volunteers of America to our Network! 

Since 2014, BHT has been the Lead Organization of our region’s Navigator Network. Over 130 Navigators from more than 20 organizations make up the network, which spans seven counties in Eastern Washington. The Navigators assist all customers with health insurance needs like enrollment, renewals, program eligibility, and document submission. 

As the lead org, BHT provides the Network’s Navigators with semi-annual training, technical assistance, and general insurance advice. BHT has led this network of Navigators through seven open enrollment periods. In 2019, our Network assisted over 21,000 customers with their insurance applications. BHT would like to congratulate our Network partners for their efforts. 

Navigator Network Organizations