Health Insurance Resources
WA Healthplanfinder (the Exchange), Washington’s alternative to Healthcare.gov
· WaHealthPlanfinder.org
o Apply for coverage and tax credits
· WaHBExchange.org
o Information about insurance, the Exchange, calculators, etc.
Washington State Department of the Insurance Commissioner:
· Insurance.wa.gov
· Health plans and rates offered in King county: insurance.wa.gov/your-insurance/health-insurance/individuals-families/health-plans-rates/region-one/
· Info and resources on all types of insurance, not just Health insurance
· Educational information, company information, other resources
Individual Health Insurance Carrier Websites:
· BridgeSpan: BridgeSpanHealth.com
· Coordinated Care: CoordinatedCareHealth.com
· Group Health: GHC.org
· LifeWise: LifeWiseWA.com
· Molina: MolinaHealthcare.com
· Premera Blue Cross: Premera.com
· Regence Blue Shield: Regence.com
· United Healthcare: UHC.com (leaving WA 1/1/17)
Dental Insurance
· Many companies offer it as a rider, but only at initial purchase/renewal
· Delta Dental of WA: DeltaDentalCoversMe.com
Medicare.gov – All things Medicare
KFF.org – Non-profit focusing on national health issues
Squaremouth.com – Travel insurance comparison website
Healthcare.gov – Not used in Washington State, but has a lot of useful information
Irs.gov/affordable-care-act – Nitty gritty tax information for individuals and employers
HagenInsurancePartners.com – My website for your health insurance needs
Individual Health Insurance Road Map
These are questions to help you navigate which health insurance options make the most sense for you. It assumes that you do not have access to coverage through an employer.
- What is your budget?
- Did you qualify for a tax credit? Does your income fluctuate a lot?
· Credits will be reconciled when you do your taxes
· Underestimating income can result in having to pay back the credits
- Do you see any doctors frequently due to chronic conditions or general health issues?
· Verify that your doctor is in-network
· It may make sense to pay more for a plan that covers all of your doctors
- Do you have any expensive medications?
· Does the plan cover your medication before or after the deductible?
· Are prescriptions covered with a copay or percentage?
- Would you prefer a lower monthly premium and a higher deductible, or a higher monthly premium and a lower deductible?
· Your monthly premium is a fixed cost
· You may or may not meet your deductible in any given year
- Would you prefer to have a copay to see a doctor?
· Do you need unlimited doctor visits, or does it makes sense to pay more for a few doctors visits, but have a lower premium?
- Do you need out-of-network coverage? (Doctors in multiple networks, children in college, etc)
· Avoid out-of-network charges whenever possible – they are costly!
· Many plans now cover only emergencies when out of network
- Do you want one plan for your family, or should you have separate plans?
· Families of 3 or more can benefit from shared deductibles and out-of-pocket costs
· If only one family member has a high utilization, it may be smart to split them off on a separate plan, and keep the rest of the family on a lower cost plan
206-353-3088 115 N 85th St #202 Seattle WA 98103 HagenInsurancePartner.com