It’s been an action-packed summer for public health insurance programs! 

Here at NoHLA, we’ve been celebrating the birthdays of the triple pillars of American health coverage: Medicaid and Medicare, which turned 56 on July 30th, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which turns 24 today! These critical programs provide health insurance coverage to more than a third of Washington residents, including over 910,000 kids. And when the pandemic hit, these programs showed their resilience, extending a safety net to catch those facing hardship. We’re proud to have raised up the need for strong public coverage programs over NoHLA’s two decades of advocacy so that it could be there when Washington residents needed it most. 

Now it’s time to keep moving forward: 

#GetCovered. For those who remain uninsured or need to switch plans, please spread the word that the WaHealthPlanFinder.org special enrollment opportunity through the Washington Health Benefit Exchange continues until August 15! 

After that, the next open enrollment period will start November 1 (Apple Health/Medicaid/CHIP coverage is available year-round for those who qualify.)

Eyes on Congress. While Congress is on recess until September, our work is far from over: health priorities must be a top priority in the upcoming reconciliation package. We’ll be monitoring key developments on a number of issues, including:

• enhanced premium and cost-sharing affordability for Exchange plans, 
• extending national postpartum coverage permanently, and 
• addressing affordability and benefits gaps in Medicare.

Stay posted for more news and opportunities to advocate!