In Washington State the Medicaid program is called Apple Health. If you are buying individual health insurance through the Washington HealthPlanFinder, this is the most common way people get on Apple Health. The WA Exchange is income based. The taxable income you earn or estimate to earn needs to be for the SAME year you are in now, not last year. This means you need to estimate your total income from a job, capital gains, rental income, dividends and any other taxable income (MAGI, Modified Adjusted Gross Income on your tax return).
While on Apple Health there is no cost to you for any services when seeing a doctor or at the hospital. However, there is generally a smaller network of doctors offices that take Apple Health since the government them much lower than private carriers. Often the monthly cost for Apple Health is free, yet can at times charge $10 to $30 per month per child depending on income. If they send you a bill, pay that in order to remain on the program.
There are five Apple Health Carriers and across Washington State. Often you will be randomly assigned an Apple Health carrier or use the ProviderOne card unassigned one. Keep both the ProviderOne card and your Apple Health carrier card (this is the one you will generally need to use).
How to Find out if Your Doctor or Hospital Facility Takes Apple Health:
- Call the Doctor’s office or Hospital facility billing department directly.
- If they do not take your Apple Health carrier you can switch to another Apple Health carrier once a month (via the WA Exchange).
APPLE HEALTH: Phone Numbers to Call for Questions
- United HealthCare: 833-751-1661
- Molina: 800-869-7165
- Coordinated Care: 800-562-3022
- Community Health Plan of WA: 800-440-1561
- Amerigroup: 800-660-4441
If you have questions you can reach us at 425-802-2783 or health@achieve-alpha.com. We can help with many of your Apple Health Medicaid questions, however it is a government plan and we can help with updating your account on the WA Exchange, yet are not able to access your Apple Health account on the carrier websites. Only you can access your Apple Health account with carriers.
Gary Franke, Tamara Chandler, Brianna Crawford & Melissa Tibbs
Heffernan Insurance Brokers
Individual Health & Medicare Specialists
1100 Bellevue Way NE, Ste 8A-545
Bellevue, WA 98004
425-802-2783 (call or text office line)
wahealth@heffins.com
www.wahealthplan.org
