Health Insurance in Washington (Tacoma, Bellingham: flat fee, broker, to buy)

[Ehmomma]

My family is hopefully relocating from Michigan to the Bellingham area within the next year.

We currently have our own health coverage as we are not able to get it though my husbands employer. As he is staying with his same employer after the move, we will need to buy our own coverage in Washington. Our current coverage is not available in WA so I'm hoping someone out there has a recommendation of a broker or insurance company we can contact. Or maybe. Someone/somewhere to avoid??!

We currently have a high-deductible plan as we're all pretty healthy so we'd likely do that again.

Thanks!

[Hemlock140]

I have not seen anything in the state more affordable than Group Health, with family of 4 starting at about $400 up to $1,200/month depending on the plan.

[Ira500]

The major choices for individual coverage around here are Group Health, Premera, and Regence. My wife and I just switched from Group Health to Regence, as our rates w/ Group Health has more than doubled in the last three years, and Regence was less expensive for the same coverage.

[cdelena]

One way to look is use web searches like Health Insurance - Find Affordable Health Insurance Plans and Buy Medical Coverage Online

We have a high deductible plan through Lifewise which unfortunately goes up every year as the law and costs change.

I am sure there are good brokers but the only ones I have dealt with either recommended higher cost plans or coverages that we did not want.

[Ehmomma]

Thanks, everyone for your responses. Now begins the tedious task of comparing plans and deductibles! UGH!

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by Ehmomma

Thanks, everyone for your responses. Now begins the tedious task of comparing plans and deductibles! UGH!

Actually quite EZ for WA residents (especially outlying counties away from metro areas)

All plans stink,
All plans are very expensive,

Decide which 'stink'n plan' you can live with (paying the premiums each month w/o crying.)

[Jake840]

If you are going to keep your high deductible plan you may want to look into some of the new primary care membership offices that have been opening. Qliance is one of them. You pay a flat fee every month and almost everything in-office is included in the charge with no co-pays or deductibles, unlimited doctor visits (1 hour+ visits with the doctor) & free 30 day supply of many common drugs. I am not sure if there are any in Bellingham but might be something to look into. I know DaVita just started a similar office in Downtown Tacoma that is open to the public for enrollment. I have high deductible insurance (pay about $110 per month through LifeWise) and our company worked out a plan with Qliance and I pay $25 per paycheck for it, normally it would have been $64 a month.

[Ehmomma]

Originally Posted by Jake840

If you are going to keep your high deductible plan you may want to look into some of the new primary care membership offices that have been opening. Qliance is one of them. You pay a flat fee every month and almost everything in-office is included in the charge with no co-pays or deductibles, unlimited doctor visits (1 hour+ visits with the doctor) & free 30 day supply of many common drugs. I am not sure if there are any in Bellingham but might be something to look into. I know DaVita just started a similar office in Downtown Tacoma that is open to the public for enrollment. I have high deductible insurance (pay about $110 per month through LifeWise) and our company worked out a plan with Qliance and I pay $25 per paycheck for it, normally it would have been $64 a month.

Thanks. I'll look into that also!