Washington Health Insurance
Washington HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAMS
Basic Health Plus - Basic Health Plus is a Medicaid program for children in qualified households. If you are eligible for Basic Health, your children may be eligible for Basic Health Plus. If your children are not living in your household, you may be able to enroll them in Basic Health, but not Basic Health Plus.
Maternity Benefits Program - This program, jointly administered by Basic Health and the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), allows you to receive maternity benefits through the same health plan you choose for Basic Health. When selecting a provider for your maternity services, make sure (s)he contracts with your chosen health plan.
Common Health Conditions in Washington
- Achalasia
- Acne
- Prostate cancer
- Influenza
- Diabetes
- Heart diseases
Washington Health Insurance Regulations
Some of the most important Washington health insurance laws are the ones that influence the health insurance policy specifically. One of the more universal policy provisions is the guaranteed renewability provision. In Washington this clause, stating that a policyholder has the right to renew an existing health insurance policy as long as no part of the contract was violated, is a required element in all health insurance policies. A second important provision of Washington health insurance policies that is allowed to be included is a pre-existing exclusion period clause. Exclusion periods can last for up to 9 months. Medical conditions are considered to be pre-existing if you received medical treatment for or were diagnosed with them in the 6 months before the beginning of your health insurance plan. In situations of switching your Washington health insurance make sure you have continuous coverage, because state laws allow your old coverage to be used to credit the pre-existing condition period of your new Washington health insurance plan. This means if, under your old policy, your condition was excluded from coverage for 5 months, the maximum exclusion period under your new plan, would be 4 months, not 9. Finally, under Washington health insurance laws, newborns and adopted children are covered by their parent's insurance policy if the policy already provides coverage for dependents. The coverage ends after 60 days and the policy needs to be amended to include these dependents. The other area of importance in regards to health insurance laws is the degree of influence your health insurance company has over your policy and its price. You can be denied health insurance on the basis of your health and age or charge you higher premiums because of youe family size and residency. However, Washington health insurance companies cannot charge you more because of poor health. However, since Washington health insurance company can't refuse to renew your existing health insurance policy not even on the grounds of illness, it is advisable to buy health insurance while you are young and healthy to guarantee a comprehensive health insurance policy.
Washington
101 Israel Road SE, Tumwater, Washington 98501, PO BOX 47890
Website: http://www.doh.wa.gov/
Phone: (360) 236-4030
