Wednesday last day to sign up for Washington health insurance that begins Jan. 1 [The Columbian, Vancouver, Wash.]

Dec. 11—Wednesday is the last day to sign up for health insurance through the state for coverage beginning Jan. 1. Customers can still sign up through Jan. 15 for coverage that starts Feb. 1.

A record number of Washingtonians signed up for health care coverage using Washington Healthplanfinder, the state's online health insurance marketplace, during this open enrollment period.

So far, 217,000 customers have chosen a new plan or re-enrolled in their existing coverage for 2022.

That record was set in part due to the American Rescue Plan Act, which expanded options for many people who previously did not qualify for coverage. Plus, many people who previously qualified saw increased savings.

"The past year revealed how important health care coverage is to people, and the American Rescue Plan Act is bringing more savings to our customers than ever before," said Washington Health Benefit Exchange CEO Pam MacEwan in a press release. "Now is the best time to get covered and we encourage everyone to do so by Dec. 15 so their coverage can start on Jan. 1."

To enroll more customers, officials with Washington Healthplanfinder embarked on a statewide "adventure tour."

The adventure tour includes a team of health care navigators, specialists who help people with all of their health care needs. They meet with people face-face to answer their questions, walk them through their options and enroll them in a plan. For those already enrolled, navigators can help them find additional savings.

The adventure tour made a stop Friday outside the Vancouver Mall.

"Enrolling in health care can be a really overwhelming experience for a lot of folks," said Mary McHale, associate director of outreach with Washington Healthplanfinder, while standing in front of the adventure tour van.

"Sometimes having somebody to guide you through that process is what makes all the difference," she said. "That's why we're here with navigators. We've got insurance workers with us, too. We're just out here helping folks understand that they have health insurance options, and they're not alone in figuring that out."

Multiple people learned about the adventure tour through Facebook and came to ask questions and get enrolled. Others saw the large adventure tour van outside with team members handing out hot cocoa.

Some who walked by decided to enroll on the spot.

Language barriers can deter some people from enrolling in coverage, McHale said. To meet this need, most navigators are multilingual, and a translator line is available that can accommodate over 200 languages.

Finding the time to sort through all the options is also a barrier to accessing coverage for some people, McHale said.

"That's why it's so important that we have these navigators," McHale said. "They can take a lot of the pressure off. They can help folks understand what information they need to enroll. Especially for small business owners, that can be a confusing process. There's some deductions that small business owners can include, and navigators and insurance brokers can help walk them through that process, answer all of their questions, and just take the pressure off."

If you need help with enrollment or finding savings and you missed the adventure tour, navigators are also available through WaHealthplanfinder.org.

"Navigators are available in person, of course with COVID safety protocols," McHale said. "They're also available virtually or over the phone. So we have a number of ways for folks to access that assistance in every corner of the state."

People looking to enroll can also complete the process independently.

"We do have that self-service website, and a lot of folks use that successfully all on their own," McHale said. "But again, for folks who really just need some assistance or just like to have that reassurance from a trained professional that they are doing it correctly, we have navigators and brokers available."

McHale stressed how the American Rescue Plan Act increased the availability and lowered the cost of state health care this year. Compared with last year, the number of customers who qualify for monthly premium savings increased by eight percent, and some half of Washington Healthplanfinder customers pay roughly $100 a month for coverage.

"We've always had savings available for folks that make their health plans more affordable, but this year more savings are available than ever before," McHale said. "Even if you looked at Washington Healthplanfinder before and felt it was out of your price range, I encourage folks return and look again."

For more information, visit Wahealthplanfinder.org.

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