Are you interested in why your rates went up? The Washington State Office of the Insurance Commisioner now publishes all rate requests, reviews, and approvals.
If you would like to look at them, please visit the official website at:
WA State OIC
Many of our clients have questions when they go to the doctor for routine preventative care and end up being charged for the service. It is true that under the new Federal Health Care Reform your preventative care is in most cases covered at 100% but here is an article from the Seattle Times that explains why in many cases the final result is different from the expected one:
Seattle Times
The individual health insurance market will have two special open-enrollment periods for children this year. Parents who want to add their children to their individual health plans or buy child-only plans can do so from March 15-April 30, 2011 and from Sept. 15-Oct. 31, 2012.
This is ongoing from 2011 legislation and is WAC 284-43-985
You can read about the WAC here.
On Oct. 1, 2010, state law will consider 1 person a “group” for insurance purposes. This means that sole proprietors, for example, will now be able to apply for group coverage.
The law includes provisions to ensure that the business is bona fide. Depending on the way the business is set up, applicants may have to:
show that the business has been their employer for at least the past 12 months,
and show that at least 75 percent of their income has come from the business or trade. (For agricultural businesses, this requirement is 51 percent.)
For more information please visit the WA State insurance commissioner’s website here.
Washington State has a free drug card available to all of its citizens that can be used for a 60% discount on generic and 20% discount on brand name drugs. Most large pharmacy chains honor the discount card, and there’s also the option of home delivery. Any Washington State resident regardless of age or income can join the Washington Prescription Drug Program – there really is no catch! Follow the link: http://www.rx.wa.gov/