Partial federal government shutdown
HCA does not anticipate any immediate impacts to our services or disruption to provider payments at this time. We will continue to monitor the situation and share updates if anything changes.
HCA does not anticipate any immediate impacts to our services or disruption to provider payments at this time. We will continue to monitor the situation and share updates if anything changes.
On June 20, 2024, HCA began enrolling eligible individuals into Apple Health Expansion, with coverage beginning July 2024. Individuals may be eligible for Apple Health Expansion if they are aged 19 and older with certain immigration statuses.
The Health Care Authority (HCA) is enrolling up to 13,000 people into Apple Health Expansion. Eligible groups (detailed below) were transitioned into the program first, prior to applications opening on June 20 at 8 a.m. The remaining spaces will be filled with new applicants.
QHP customers who paid their health coverage premiums, who are eligible for Apple Health Expansion, were transitioned if they were:
1) Enrolled in QHP coverage in May; and
2) Did not have their QHP coverage cancelled before coverage transitions in June.
HCA is following current eligibility practices to transition eligible individuals to this new program effective July 1, 2024, in partnership with the Washington Health Benefit Exchange.
QHP customers who did not sign up by the end of April, will not be automatically transitioned and will need to apply when Apple Health Expansion.
Clients enrolled in Emergency Medical (AEM) will transition to Apple Health Expansion starting July 1, 2024. AEM only covers qualifying medical emergencies.
Note: New clients applying for Apple Health Expansion are being enrolled until the enrollment cap is met. The enrollment began after the above groups were transitioned.
Applications for enrollment into Apple Health Expansion were processed through one of two application portals.
Paper applications for individuals 65 and older continue to be processed in the order they are received until the cap is met. HCA accounted for differences in the application systems' processing times and paper applications when determining when the cap will be met to prevent over enrollment.
Due to a limited budget, HCA needed to manage the number of people who can enroll into the program to ensure clients receive the highest value care possible.
HCA will enroll up to 13,000 people into Apple Health Expansion. This number may change as HCA ensures we stay under the budget for the program. HCA will provide additional information on the budget cap by mid-July.
Eligible groups were transitioned into the program first, followed by clients applying for Apple Health Expansion until the enrollment cap was met. HCA will work with advocates and stakeholders to develop a long-term technology-based solution to manage enrollment into the program. Until this solution is in place, we will follow a temporary enrollment management plan that was determined in partnership with the Temporary Community Engagement Advisory Committee (TCEAC).
In the event that the agency determines additional individuals can be enrolled in Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) (individuals age 19 - 64) or Classic Apple Health Expansion (individuals age 65 and older), the agency will implement its short-term enrollment management policy. The enrollment management policy requires HCA to randomly select individuals who are ineligible for Apple Health Expansion due to the enrollment cap being met. This includes clients from one of the following three groups. Clients who:
View other health care options currently available to see if you or your family qualify for:
All Washingtonians, regardless of immigration status, may shop for and purchase QHPs.
Learn more about Apple Health Expansion eligibility, benefits, and services and stay up to date on changes.