Submitted by Unity Care NW
Have you or someone you know lost a job and health insurance? As local unemployment rates have risen, so have uninsured rates. In a few short months, the rate of those now without health insurance has grown from 6.3 percent before the onset of COVID-19 to 12.6 percent as of May 23.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought much hardship to our community, but the loss of health insurance may be one of the things we can do something about. Unity Care NW’s Outreach and Enrollment team offers free health insurance enrollment assistance to any Whatcom County residents. Our Enrollment Specialists have been trained and certified as In-Person Assistors by the Washington State Health Benefit Exchange, and the information they provide about the various health plan options is unbiased. They can help you find a health insurance plan that is affordable and meets your needs. Enrollment assistance can generally be provided over the phone.
Enrollment in a new health insurance plan is usually restricted to a certain time of year in the Fall. But if you have recently experienced a “life event,” such as becoming unemployed, you may be eligible to apply for health insurance coverage outside of the Open Enrollment period. Depending on your income, you may also be eligible to enroll in Apple Health, or Medicaid. Applications for Apple Health can be submitted throughout the year.
For more information, call (360) 788-2669 or visit https://unitycarenw.org/insurance-resources-and-enrollment/.
