HCA to extend Cascade Select carrier contracts

Washington State Health Care Authority sent this bulletin at 03/18/2024 08:20 AM PDT

March 18, 2024

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HCA to extend Cascade Select carrier contracts

The Health Care Authority (HCA) is extending contracts with current Cascade Select plan carriers through the end of 2025. Cascade Select is Washington State’s public option under Cascade Care. Learn more below.

The Cascade Select plan carriers for plan years 2024 and 2025 are:

Community Health Plan of Washington
Coordinated Care Corporation
LifeWise Health Plan of Washington

Although there won’t be any new Cascade Select carriers, we encourage existing carriers to expand Cascade Select into counties where no public option is available. Of Washington’s 39 counties, Cascade Select is not available in Grays Harbor and Lincoln counties.

Cascade Select for plan year 2024

This year:

Average premium increases for Cascade Select plans are nearly 50 percent lowerthan non-Cascade plans. This includes an average rate increase of just 3 percent, instead of 9 percent for other plans.
Public option rates are the lowest-premium silver plans in 31 counties, up from 13 in 2023.
Public option plans are available in 37 counties, up from 34 counties in 2023 and 19 in 2021.
Ninety-nine (99) percent of current Washington Healthplanfinder customers have access to a public option plan.

Learn more on Washington Healthplanfinder

About Cascade Select

In 2019, the Washington State 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 focuses on lower deductibles and provides access to services before customers 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.

More information

Want to sign up for a Cascade Care or Cascade Select plan? Enroll through Washington Healthplanfinder.

Learn more on the HCA or Washington Healthplanfinder websites.

About the Health Care Authority (HCA)

Functioning as both the state's largest health care purchaser and its behavioral health authority, the Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA) is a leader in ensuring Washington residents have the opportunity to be as healthy as possible.

There are three pillars of our work: Apple Health (Medicaid); the Public Employees Benefits Board (PEBB) and School Employees Benefits Board (SEBB) programs; and behavioral health and recovery. Under these pillars, HCA purchases health care, including behavioral health treatment for more than 2.7 million Washington residents and provides behavioral health prevention, crisis, and recovery supports to all Washington residents.

Please do not reply directly to this message. For more information, visit the HCA website, where you'll also find contact information.

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Nondiscrimination

The Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA) complies with all applicable federal and Washington state civil rights laws and is committed to providing equal access to our services. Visit HCA’s website to view complete nondiscrimination statements.

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