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We are pleased to share that Cascade Select plans will be available in more Washington counties in plan year 2024. Cascade Select will expand to include three additional counties. This expansion will bring Cascade Select’s high-quality and more affordable health care plans to 37 of 39 Washington counties, now including Clallam, Columbia, and Garfield counties.
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For the 2024 plan year, we encouraged health insurance carriers with existing public option contracts to renew their current contracts and propose expansion in counties where no public option plan was available. The Cascade Select plan carriers are:
- Community Health Plan of Washington
- Coordinated Care Corporation
- LifeWise Health Plan of Washington
In 2024:
- Cascade Select plans have average premium increases that are nearly 50 percent lower than non-Cascade plans, with an average rate increase of just 3 percent instead of 9 percent for other plans.
- Public option rates will be the lowest-premium silver plans in 31 counties, up from 13 in 2023.
- Public option plans will be available in 37 counties, up from 34 counties in 2023, and 19 in 2021.
- 99 percent of current Washington Healthplanfinder customers will have access to a public option plan.
- Only Grays Harbor and Lincoln counties will be without a public option plan for plan year 2024.
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In 2019, the Legislature established Cascade Care and created the first-ever public option, known as Cascade Select. The goals of Cascade Care are to increase the availability of quality, affordable health coverage in the individual market.
Cascade Care plans have a standard benefit design that emphasizes lower deductibles and provides access to services before having to pay a deductible. Customers can make apples-to-apples comparisons across different insurance carriers because the benefits are the same. Cascade Select plans have the same standard benefit design, along with additional quality and value requirements.
Cascade Select is a multi-agency effort involving the Washington Health Benefit Exchange (HBE), Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC), and Health Care Authority (HCA).
- HBE is the lead agency for the Cascade Care program and responsible for developing the Cascade Care standard plan design. The HBE Board certifies Cascade Care plans and makes Cascade Select plans available through Washington Healthplanfinder.
- HCA is responsible for procuring and contracting with Cascade Select plans.
- OIC is responsible for reviewing and approving the health plan filings, including rates, essential health benefits, and network access standards.
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