Washington is one of 14 states with its own health insurance marketplace and the sign-up numbers are better here. It ranks 3rd in the number of sign ups, as it has created its own marketplace and does not rely on the federal government.
Some people have a problem signing online but the majority of consumers find it more convenient to sign up online. To date, nearly 660,000 people have visited Washington's health plan finder's website and 77,000 have signed up for insurance. Of those people, roughly 9,000 signed up through private health plans and 68,000 with Medicaid. Better Health Together is run by Curt Fackler an in-person assistance group which helps people enroll in health care through the state's exchange.
"We've been able to solve a lot of problems and answer questions and people really do like that touch," Fackler said. He said roughly 90-percent of those enrolled are single. So how much does the insurance cost? Fackler crunched the numbers and found, for instance, a 30-year-old man living in Spokane and making $25,000 a year could pay $117 a month in one plan. Another plan, with a lower deductible, would cost $167.
You can also shop online without filling out an application."The process is a lot quicker and a lot easier, once you decide what you want, now you can go in and create an application," Fackler said. The state's website has been beset with glitches, by now most of the problems have been resolved. In order to be insured by January 1, you have to sign up and pay by December 23.
If you want to meet someone in person to talk about insurance plans there are a number of places around the area you can go, including some local CHAS clinics and libraries. They've trained 250 employees at those sites to enroll people.
References:
Hannah Punitha (IRDA Licence Number: 2710062)
Kylee Cruz, November 2013
Source: Medindia
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