News
Washington State Residents Who Missed the Deadline: What Now?
Of The Skanner News
W
ashington Healthplanfinder says
people who tried to get health
coverage through wahealthplan-
finder.org before the Dec. 23 deadline, but
who were unable to complete their applica-
tions, still have options.
That may include having to pay for treat-
ments out of pocket if you need care before
your plan goes active – but you may be able
to get reimbursed for the costs.
These residents will have additional time
through Jan. 15 to enroll in retroactive cov-
erage that begins Jan. 1.
“We want our customers who may be
accessing their new coverage in January to
be aware of the process for utilizing health
benefits before they are fully enrolled,” said
Richard Onizuka, CEO for Washington
Healthplanfinder. “Some may incur out-of-
pocket expenses if using services prior to
their enrollment information being fully
reconciled with their new health insurer.”
This is what you need to know:
— There may be a delay between when a
customer completes their enrollment in
Healthplanfinder and when they are shown
as fully enrolled with their newly selected
health plan.
— Although coverage is effective on Jan.
1 for those who are eligible for the retroac-
tive option, customers may not receive
health plan ID cards or other plan
information until later in January.
This may impact customers seeking
medical or prescription services
before their ID cards arrive.
— Customers may be required to
pay the full cost of treatment or pre-
scription medications they receive
if the provider cannot verify cover-
age. However, they will be entitled
to reimbursement for covered serv-
ices from covered providers in their health
plan once their application is complete.
— Customers may contact their health
plan with any questions about how to use
their benefits before they receive their ID
card.
“We continue to work closely with the
health insurance carriers to ensure that all
new enrollee information is properly
reflected in the system,” said Onizuka.
“Please be patient and know that if you are
determined eligible for coverage, follow
required steps and finalize your plan selec-
tion and payment by Jan. 15, your services
will be reimbursed according to your plan
benefits.”
alert to receive notifications from Washing-
ton Healthplanfinder. Customers will
receive notifications outlining important
steps to bypass or fix errors affecting their
application. Customers will need to select
and purchase their health plan by Jan. 15
and notify Healthplanfinder they are
interested in Jan. 1 coverage.
As of Dec. 23, more than 65,000
Washington residents selected and
purchased a private health plan. Near-
ly 70,000 were determined eligible
and must take the final step of sub-
mitting payment to receive health
coverage.
Washington Apple Health (Medic-
aid) does not have an open enrollment
period. Individuals and families will be
able to apply and complete their renewals
via www.wahealthplanfinder.org through-
out the year. Questions about Healthplan-
finder should be directed to the toll-free
Customer Support Center at 1-855-
WAFINDER; Apple Health questions can
be directed to the toll-free hot line at 1-800-
562-3022
or
emailed
to
AskMedicaid@hca.wa.gov.
Residents will have additional
time through Jan. 15 to enroll in
retroactive coverage that
begins Jan. 1
The retroactive option applies to applica-
tions started or submitted by 11:59 p.m. on
Monday, Dec. 23. Individuals will have
their insurance benefits retroactively con-
figured to the start of the year if they are
determined eligible, indicate their interest in
Jan. 1 coverage and select and purchase a
health plan by Jan. 15.
Affected customers waiting for comple-
tion of their applications should be on high
Glaucoma Awareness: Half of Sufferers Don’t Know They Have It
I
t may be easy to see that beauty is deeply rooted in your
family tree. But some things that are passed down from
generation to generation are not as easily seen—like
glaucoma, an eye disease that runs in families and often has
no warning signs.
Glaucoma is a group of diseases that damages the eye’s
optic nerve, which carries visual signals to the brain. It can
lead to vision loss or blindness if left untreated. Primary
open-angle glaucoma is the most common form of this dis-
ease. Quite often, by the time people are diagnosed with
glaucoma they have already begun to notice changes in
their side, or peripheral, vision. It’s important not to wait
until you notice vision problems to see your eye care pro-
fessional.
“Studies show that at least half of all persons with glau-
coma don’t know they have this potentially blinding eye
disease,” said National Eye Institute (NEI) director Dr. Paul
Page 6 The Seattle Skanner January 8, 2014
Sieving. “The good news is that glaucoma can be detected
in its early stages through a comprehensive dilated eye
exam.”
People with a family history of glaucoma and everybody
at higher risk—especially African Americans age 40 and
older—should get a comprehensive dilated eye exam every
1 to 2 years.
A comprehensive dilated eye exam is a procedure in
which an eye care professional places drops in your eyes to
dilate (or widen) the pupil to examine the back of your eyes
and your optic nerve for signs of disease. This exam may
help save your sight because when glaucoma is detected
early, it can be controlled through medications or surgery.
Keep the vision of your beautiful family in your future. To
learn more about glaucoma, visit www.nei.nih.gov/glauco-
ma or call NEI at 301–496–5248. A low-cost exam may be
available to you through Medicare. For more information,
call 1–800–MEDICARE or visit www.medicare.gov.