Good news for undocumented immigrants living in Washington State! During this fall’s Open Enrollment, all Washington residents can finally use Washington Healthplanfinder to look for health and dental options, regardless of citizenship or immigration status.
Here’s what’s changing:
- Starting November 1, 2023, undocumented adults can join others in signing up for health and dental plans with coverage that starts as soon as January 1, 2024. Undocumented adults with incomes up to 250% of the federal poverty level (FPL), can access a $250 per person per month state subsidy to reduce the cost of premiums, though they need to pay the difference as well as cost-sharing for the services they use. NoHLA and partners played a big role in securing these subsidies, most recently by expressing consumer cost concerns in comments to the Health Benefit Exchange that were supported by 23 organizations.
- Starting July 1, 2024, undocumented adults with incomes up to 138% FPL will be eligible for a free Medicaid-like program – but funding for the program is limited, so we expect that enrollment will be capped. Applications for the program aren’t being accepted yet, but people can go into Washington Healthplanfinder and see if Exchange coverage might meet their needs in the interim and get familiar with the application.
Other hot tips:
- Most people will need help applying for the new programs from customer service or a certified Navigator to verify their identity.
- These programs will not be considered in a “public charge” determination for immigration purposes and private information will not be shared with immigration enforcement.
Want to learn more? Check out these resources from NoHLA/partners and state agencies and even more translated resources (in Spanish, simplified Chinese, Vietnamese, Russian and more languages are coming soon!) In addition, there are some helpful videos in English and Spanish. Please feel free to share these resources widely and keep an eye out for more materials from Washington Healthplanfinder!