Cascade Medical: Offers help signing up on Washington Health Benefits Exchange

Cascade Medical is offering free help to Upper Valley residents signing up for the Washington Health Benefits Exchange. Open enrollment began on Nov. 1. There are two bilingual insurance navigators, Lora Zamudio and Richard Vasquez. 

For Vasquez, this is his second year of serving as a navigator. 

“I went through some different training. You take 13 courses, which takes a day-and-a-half. We try to run it as fast as we can. It’s continuously one module after another. After every quarter or two months, we get more training, it is constant,” Vasquez said. “You have to get it done and completed, summer, fall, spring. There are three modules every time.”

Vasquez said he has 60 days to complete each module. It is continuous, he said, because they always want to make sure navigators know what is coming and how Healthplan Finder is changing and what things might pop up. 

Interfacing with Washington Healthplan Finder is easier, he said, with changes that help the client. Vasquez receives a state certification for his efforts. Certainly, there have been a lot of changes to health insurance options recently. 

Vasquez said it has been a learning process for him. 

“We’re trying to make it easier and make it better. It has always been changing. All the changes have been going around. Some costs are going up. We’re losing plans in certain counties. They are also finding ways to make it easier,” Vasquez said. 

There is a new tool on Washington Healthplan Finder called Smartplan Finder. 

“You can match the patient’s medical needs, prescriptions, doctors, specialists. Anything they anticipate needing, the smartplan finder will take that into account and match those needs,” said Rachel Hansen, CM public relations coordinator. “You can look at facility, providers, who’s in network, who’s out of network.”

Those new to Washington Healthplan Finder are not registered in the system so a new application needs to be started. A number of questions must be answered. That takes about 30 minutes, Vasquez said. 

If someone is already in the system, and nothing has changed, it takes about two minutes to update it. It’s much faster than before, he said. 

Last year, Vasquez said they started their navigator offering late in the enrollment last year, so they saw around 5-7 people per week. They are expecting more now. 

“You get all kinds. Young people. People in their 40s. The people going into Medicare, we don’t see them as often. They go through DSHS. We get college kids. We also get people in their 30s, 40s,” he said. 

You do need to call 548-5815 for an appointment to see a navigator. That is only because it does take a little while to process a new enrollee. You’ll need to bring in a driver’s license, W-2 form or pay stub, social security or immigration information number for you and your dependents. Also bring your current health insurance information. 

“I think we’re going to see more people calling soon, now that open enrollment has started. Free service. We wanted to give people a local option to talk to a navigator, rather than having to drive to Wenatchee. That is the next place where this service is available,” Hansen said. “If you live in Plain, that is a long way to go. We want to give people access here locally.” 

Currently in Chelan County, the only plan offered is through Coordinated Care. There are nine silver plans and one gold plan. They are not offering any bronze plans, he said. 

“It’s all under Coordinated Care, but there are 10 different plans to choose from. Beside Washington Healthplan Finder, you can also go outside and find a broker, which is an option,” Vasquez said. 

Washington Healthplan Finder is the only way to get subsidy, Hansen said. 

“You can go outside and get a broker, but I think it’s worth asking if you qualify for any subsidy or lower cost insurance,” Hansen said. 

The subsidy is based on your income. Vasquez said he doesn’t know how that works, because it only goes through the health authority. 

“It’s a sliding scale up to 250 percent of the federal poverty level. If you make below 250 percent, then you qualify,” Hansen said. 

Dec. 15 is the deadline for signing up if you want to have health insurance beginning Jan. 1, 2018. You have until Jan. 15, 2018 but then your insurance would not start until Feb. 1, 2018. 

“Open enrollment is a month shorter this year. Just get it all done in a one hour appointment,” Hansen said. 

If you do qualify for special enrollment, like if you lose your job or lose your insurance, become married, divorced or moving from a different state. You can enroll later, Vasquez said. 

Ian Dunn can be reached at 548-5286 or editor@leavenworthecho.com.