Apple Health Expansion

What is Apple Health Expansion?

At the direction of the legislature, Health Care Authority (HCA) will expand health care coverage to more people. In 2022, the Legislature provided funding to HCA to explore what system and procedure changes would be needed to facilitate expansion. HCA is currently developing plans for implementing Apple Health Expansion to adults with certain immigration statuses.

Due to a limited budget, HCA needs to manage the number of people who can enroll into the program to ensure clients receive the highest value care possible. View the enrollment cap announcement to learn more.

Who will be eligible?

Clients may be eligible if they:

• Are a Washington resident age 19 or older,
• Have countable income under 138 percent of the federal poverty level,
• Do not qualify for other Apple Health programs based on immigration status,
  • Immigrants who have not met the five-year waiting period to become eligible for Apple Health are not eligible for Apple Health Expansion.
• Are not pregnant or did not have a pregnancy end in the last 12 months, and
• Are not eligible for qualified health plans with advance premium tax credits (APTC), federally funded medical assistance programs.

What is the most a client can make per month to qualify?

*The income standards listed in these examples are subject to change annually every April.

View eligibility and income charts for other Apple Health programs.

When can individuals apply for Apple Health Expansion?

Individuals may start applying for Apple Health Expansion beginning at 8:00 a.m. on June 20, 2024. This program has limited capacity and is expected to fill quickly!

What services are covered?

Apple Health Expansion will cover the following services:

• Physical and behavioral health services
• Dental services
• Transportation to Apple Health covered appointments
• Interpreter Services
• Pharmacy (Over the counter and prescription drugs on the Apple Health preferred drug list)
• Vision hardware (for clients under 21 years of age)

View a full list of services covered by Apple Health.

What health care coverage is available for immigrants prior to July 1, 2024?

Other Apple Health coverage

If you need to go to the doctor now, you can check to see if you qualify for:

• Apple Health for Kids
• Apple Health for pregnant individuals
• Alien Emergency Medical (AEM)
• Medical Care Services (MCS)
• Family Planning Only

Qualified Health Plans and Cascade Care Savings options for immigrants

All Washingtonians, regardless of immigration status, now have the opportunity to shop for and purchase qualified health and dental plans for 2024. Learn more about immigrant health care and other cost saving options.

Qualified Health Plan with tax credits

Open enrollment is November 1, 2023 - January 15, 2024. Enroll by December 15 for coverage to begin by January 1, 2024, or January 15 for coverage to begin February 1, 2024. Health plans that meet quality, cost, and access standards under the Affordable Care Act. All plans available on Washington Healthplanfinder meet these standards.

Cascade Care Savings

Due to federal restrictions, people without lawful presence will not be eligible for federal subsidies, but may be eligible for Cascade Care Savings, a state-funded subsidy available to all individuals and families in Washington who make 250% of the federal poverty level or less — $33,975 per year for a one-person household and $57,575 for a three-person household.

Special enrollment period

Some life events let you sign up for a health plan outside of open enrollment. This is called a special enrollment period. Life events can include job loss, birth, adoption, marriage and more.

Outreach

HCA is coordinating outreach with stakeholders, community organizations, Health Benefit Exchange (HBE), and Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS). Community education and outreach campaigns will provide linguistically appropriate support to facilitate enrollment for Apple Health Expansion.

Temporary Community Engagement Advisory Committee

The Temporary Community Engagement Advisory Committee is a collaboration between HCA, HBE, and DSHS that will help guide future work around the expansion of health care coverage for undocumented individuals.

Participating organizations and individuals with lived experience

• Pacific Islander Health Alliance NW (PIHA-NW)
• Kitsap Immigrant Assistance Center
• Here We Go!
• Pierce County Project Access
• Pan African Community Services
• Latinos En Spokane
• Asian & Pacific Islander Coalition of Washington
• Northwest Health Law Advocates
• Latino Community Fund (LCF)
• Unidos Nueva Alianza Foundation
• Empower Next Generations
• King County Promotores Network (KCPN)
• Human Rights Protection and Global Peace
• The Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network
• Catholic Charities of Eastern Washington
• Center for MultiCultural Health

Webinars

Upcoming webinars

Accommodations

We want to ensure meetings and webinars are a safe, accessible, and inclusive space for all participants. Accommodations can be provided, including translated meeting materials, sign language interpreters and/or caption writers for committee meetings.

Email the Apple Health Expansion team to request an accommodation.

Past webinars

Date	Time	Webinar topic	Details
Wednesday, November 29, 2023	4-5 p.m.	Overview of Apple Health Expansion eligibility, covered services, and other available programs.	View the webinar Presentation slides Amharic | Arabic | Cambodian | Chinese | Russian | Spanish | Tagalog | Ukrainian | Vietnamese FAQ Amharic | Arabic | Cambodian | Chinese | Russian | Spanish | Tagalog | Ukrainian | Vietnamese
Friday, February 2, 2024	2-3 p.m.	Information for community-based organizations to learn about qualified health plan transitions, applying through Washington Healthplanfinder, and application and enrollment details.	View the webinar Presentation slides Amharic | Arabic | Cambodian | Chinese | Russian | Spanish | Tagalog | Ukrainian | Vietnamese FAQ Amharic | Arabic | Cambodian | Chinese | Russian | Spanish | Tagalog | Ukrainian | Vietnamese
Monday, April 29, 2024	3-4 p.m.	Overview of Apple Health Expansion eligibility requirements and enrollment details (part 1).	View the webinar Presentation slides Amharic | Arabic | Cambodian | Chinese | Russian | Spanish | Tagalog | Ukrainian | Vietnamese

Toolkits

These toolkits are designed for community-based organizations, navigators, and other partners who assist uninsured populations to help spread the word about how to access and understand their services covered under Apple Health Expansion. You can reuse content shared in these toolkits or use it to guide your own.

Communications toolkit

This toolkit provides an overview of key messages, letter examples, and client resources. View the Apple Health Expansion communications toolkit.

Social media toolkit

This toolkit lays out social media messaging to help clients prepare to apply for Apple Health Expansion. View the Apple Health Expansion social media toolkit and download the images from the social media toolkit.

Privacy data

Apple Health Expansion will use existing Apple Health program data privacy and protection standards to ensure clients’ identity and information remain confidential. View HCA's notice of privacy practices for more information.

Next steps

• HCA is preparing the managed care contract and will begin negotiations with all five Apple Health managed care plans in late-2023.
• HCA is requesting supplemental funding for Apple Health Expansion in the 2024 legislative session.