WASHINGTON STATE

Washington State House Democrats

HOUSE DEMOCRATS

Did you have trouble signing up for health care?

If you ran into technical problems or paperwork troubles when signing up for health coverage, you’re getting help.

From Aug. 27 through Nov. 14, people who tried to sign up and ran into roadblocks get a fresh start.

Those affected by technical problems and other issues can basically start over. According to the state Insurance Commissioner, they can:

  • Stick with their current health insurance company and plan,
  • Switch to a different plan offered by their health insurer, or
  • Pick an entirely different plan and insurance company

Washington state’s website and health insurance portal, Washington Healthplanfinder, has been a success story. Washington is among the best states in the nation for covering people who didn’t have health care before.

The website is designed to give citizens the chance to truly shop for health coverage, comparing options and prices like they’d shop for anything else online. Before health care reform, truly comparing two different health insurance plans was almost impossible, unless you were a lawyer and health care expert. Economists says free markets don’t really work when consumers can’t compare and shop around. The website and health care reform are meant to give consumers real choices when it comes to private health insurance plans.