Washington Consumer Assistance
Washington no longer operates a federally-funded Consumer Assistance Program under the Affordable Care Act. However, the new consumer protections and benefits of the law still apply to you.
The agencies listed below can help you take advantage of some of these new protections and benefits and they can answer your questions about different types of coverage.
If you need health insurance, be sure to check out HealthCare.gov’s Plan Finder. It will help you find and compare health care coverage options in your area.
If you have questions about insurance you bought for yourself and/or your family or you have insurance provided by an employer who does business only in Washington, contact:
Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner
5000 Capitol Blvd., SE
Tumwater, WA 98501
1-800-562-6900
360-725-7080
TDD:360-586-0241
http://www.insurance.wa.gov/consumers/CAP-contact-us.shtml
cap@oic.wa.gov
If you have a hard time affording health coverage and you have questions about eligibility or current Medicaid benefits, go to:
Washington State Medicaid
Washington State Health Care Authority
626 8th Avenue SE
Olympia, WA 98501
1-800-562-3022
http://www.hca.wa.gov/contact.html
ASKMEDICAID@hca.wa.gov
If you are not eligible for Medicaid, your child may still be eligible for the Children’s Health Insurance Program. For questions about eligibility or benefits, go to:
Washington Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
Washington Apple Health for Kids
Washington State Health Care Authority
626 8th Avenue SE
Olympia, WA 98501
1-877-543-7669
http://hrsa.dshs.wa.gov/applehealth/talk_to_someone.shtml
If you have a question, complaint, or dispute regarding insurance you get through an employer (typically a large company or one with locations in multiple states or countries), go to:
U.S. Department of Labor
Employee Benefits Security Administration
300 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1110
Seattle, WA 98104
1-866-444-EBSA (3272)
TTY:1-877-889-5627
206-757-6781
Fax 206-757-6662
http://www.dol.gov/dol/contact/
If you are on Medicare and have a question, or if you have a disability or end stage renal disease and want to enroll or find out if you are eligible for Medicare, contact:
Washington State Health Insurance Benefits Advisors (SHIBA)
Consumer Advocacy/ SHIBA
Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner
626 8th Avenue SE
Olympia, WA 98501
1-800-562-6900
TDD:360-586-0241
http://www.insurance.wa.gov/consumers/medicare/index.shtml
http://www.insurance.wa.gov/shiba/shiba_contacting.shtml
shibahelpLine@oic.wa.gov
If you have been denied health insurance by private insurance companies because of a pre-existing condition, you may be eligible for Washington’s Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP) or Washington’s high-risk pool (WSHIP). Go to:
Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan
Washington State (PCIP- WA)
PO Box 1090
Great Bend, KS 67530
1-877-505-0514
https://www.wship.org/PCIP-WA/contact_us.htm
Washington State Health Insurance Pool (WSHIP)
Washington High Risk Insurance Pool
Administered by Benefit Management Inc. (BMI)
PO Box 1090
Great Bend, KS 67530
1-800-877-5187
https://www.wship.org/Brochure.pdf (PDF - 606 KB)
www.wship.org
If you are a veteran and have a question or concern about veterans’ health care benefits, go to:
US Department of Veterans Affairs
(877) 222-VETS (8387)
http://www1.va.gov/health/
If you have questions about your health insurance that are not covered by the above resources, call the Health Insurance Assistance Team of the U.S. Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight at (888) 393-2789.