Do You Need A Less Expensive Group Health Insurance, Level Funded or Self Funded Plan?

Are You Satisfied that Your Health Insurance Agent Is Working Hard Enough and Knows Enough to Keep Up with Health Care Reform in Washington State?

If Not Then Contact NASRO & Discover New Affordable Washington State Options - 800-216-2505

NASRO of Washington State is a non-profit with 20 years of service to the community and a solution to achieving affordable health care. We lead the way for small businesses to join the vibrant coalition of health care providers and religious activists who broke through the resistance of the health insurance industry to require universal health care access in Massachusetts. As everyone knows from Massachusetts this spread to be national legislation called the Affordable Care Act or ObamaCare.

Big changes in health insurance are coming, that we have been fighting for going on 19 years. We expect to be part of that change going forward with new plans that will be implemented in 2014 protecting everyone with a pre-existing medical condition, providing subsidies based on income and offering more affordable plans.

NASRO is also a non-profit association, founded by health care consultant and activist Robert Gaw, that is your advocate and a humanitarian organization for the common good. NASRO is also a trusted independent organization that provides accurate information on the strengths and weaknesses of the health insurance carriers and their plans. We are an organization that supports Washington State and Oregon citizen efforts to make affordable health care available to all state residents and to move to providing universal health coverage.

Washington State Individual Health Insurance

Washington State Health Insurance for Non Profits, Small Businesses and Public Sector Groups

Veteran Health Care Consultant & Consumer Advocate, Robert Gaw, NASRO Managing Director & Founder, is Keeping the Pressure on for Affordable Washington Health Insurance with Support for Universal Coverage

NASRO is able to assist any state resident with their Washington State health insurance problems in part because we are a non profit, but also because we work with Washington State health insurance staff that is very dedicated and experienced.

Our local health insurance and health care professionals are not just working for a living, but our also offering their leadership and have the skill sets to really assist any state resident or employer group with direct straight answers to questions about benefits choices, cost and which health plan provider network is best for you or your employees. There are no complicated telephone matrixes, waits or impersonal service from out of state telemarketing centers when you call NASRO . Every person and every company is important and our answers to your questions are accurate and consistent. The people who answer our phones know the most about the plans, the regulations and the enrollment process of anyone associated with our organization. That is just the opposite from for profit companies where individuals and small group service are staffed with entry level personnel.

Please consider the large number of plan choices from all of Washington's and Oregon's health insurance carriers that NASRO has available.

Regence

Group Health Cooperative HMO & POS

LifeWise

Kaiser Permanente of the Northwest

Premera Blue Cross

Assuris

PacifiCare/United HealthCare

CIGNA

Health Net

Aetna

The Impact of Health Insurance Reform

Every day that goes by that Washington State health insurance is allowed to continue individual medical underwriting and deny people affordable Washington health insurance coverage is a major waste of resources. It ruins more families and makes Washington weaker in the global marketplace, as this practice contributes to the annual rise in health insurance prices. Hopefully government regulation will soon do away with this practice.

Now that health insurance reform has passed their will be many opportunities to simply call us up regardless of your pre existing conditions and explore your health insurance options as we have always done with private sector administration of health insurance.

That still leaves employer groups with the major problem of controlling costs and preventing the health insurance & health care companies from shifting costs from individuals to employer groups. From our 28 years in the industry we know that the health insurance carrier profits are squeezed in one sector, they move like the air in a balloon over to another area. NASRO can stop this practice from happening.

For more information please call 800-216-2505 or e-mail NASRO and request a proposal.

Case Studies

A self employed business owner and spouse from Seattle in their 40's with two children, all in good health, with no chronic medical conditions has just received a major rate increase from their insurance company. NASRO is able to take the time to review the situation and make recommendations on some of the newest plans available from well respected Washington State carriers that can lower the monthly premium increase. NASRO is fighting for health care reform that will outlaw the practice of individual medical underwriting as part of a new federal law. Although we have said this before over the past decades, we now believe this type of basic reform will become law very soon.

A small non-profit in Spokane is seeing its budget cut due to the ongoing recession and is receiving continued rate increases from its health insurance carrier. We know the private health insurance industry unfairly rates up small employer groups compared to larger employer groups. NASRO offers a total review of the benefit options that provide access to outpatient care, prescription drug coverage and inpatient care with some cost sharing.

Capabilities

• designed for single people and individuals looking for good coverage, but not a second car payment

• for small businesses that want to cover the workforce with a plan they can afford
• for families with young children looking for low out of pocket costs for doctors visits
• for the self employed & freelancers who want coverage that can travel with them
• for people moving to Washington State
• for people moving to the U.S. from other countries
•  for companies moving to the U.S. who are used to National Health Insurance and are having trouble adjusting to U.S. health care
•  For U.S. firms opening offices in WA
• for graduating students ready to get off those weak college benefit plans
• for people who have just been layed off

Types of Coverage

• Traditional Health Insurance for Washington
•  Preferred Provider Organization Plans for Washington
•  Health Maintenance Organizations for Washington
•  Catastrophic Health Insurance for Washington
•  Health Savings Account Plans for Washington
•  Dental Insurance Plans
•  Vision Insurance Plans
•  Long Term Disability Plans
•  Short Term Disability Plans
•  Life Insurance Plans
•  Medicare Supplement Plans
•  Medicare Advantage Plans
•  Long Term Care Insurance Plans
•  Flexible Spending Accounts
•  Retirement Plans

Washington State and Oregon Health Insurance Plans

Individuals, Self Employed Persons, and Small Business, Cooperatives and Non-Profits from 1 to 500 Employees

Please call NASRO for Washington State and Oregon Health Insurance Options at 800-216-2505 to discuss the rates, benefits and providers of the NASRO recommended Washington health insurance plans underwritten by leading Washington health insurance carriers that we have available to our members.

•  Benefits ranging from HMO plans with excellent coverage to the high deductible PPO plans.
•  Choice of providers ranging from physicians and hospitals participating in excellent quality networks to unlimited choice of providers.
•  Coverage for the whole state, from Seattle to Spokane, from Clark County to the islands.
•  Coverage that travels with you when you travel outside of Washington.
•  Ongoing administrative support from NASRO's health care administrative team.

Carrier Options

Lifewise

Regence Blue Shield

About Regence Blue Shield

Regence now has coverage available for people and businesses in Clark County

Premera Blue Cross

Group Health Cooperative

New plans for individuals and families, freelancers, sole proprietors and the self employed

Group Health Balance Plans

Group Health Welcome Plans

Group Health Health Savings Account Plan

CIGNA

KPS

Kaiser Permanente of the Northwest

Kaiser has good coverage options available for people and businesses in Clark County

Asuris Northwest Health

PacifiCare

Additional NASRO Services Coming Soon

Dental Plans

Smart Smile Plan

Life Insurance and Long Term Disability

UNUM

West Coast Life

NASRO Service

What people are saying about NASRO!

I have nothing but praise for the good folks at NASRO ( National Association of Socially Responsible Organizations ).

If you have ever dealt with insurance providers, you know that the usual goal of the person who answers the phone is to say " no " and hang up as quickly as possible. My experience with NASRO could not have been more different.

They actually did the math on whether it would be better for me to stick with COBRA for 18 months before switching to the NASRO plan. The one time I actually had a problem with coverage for a medical condition, they not only straightened it out, but also remembered to ask me if I was feeling better after the procedure.

Deborah Elizabeth Finn

P.S. Full disclosure. NASRO does not compensate me in any way for praising it immoderately. I am just a fan.

NASRO's Members Include

• Community Builders Worker Cooperative
• Green Restaurant Association
• Jobs with Justice
• Brighter Days Dog Walking Collective
• International HIV/AIDS Alliance
• Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War
• Women In Film & Video
• Act Blue
• Alliance to Defend Health Care
• National Pancreas Foundation

Read the Site in Spanish or Chinese

For new Americans whose first language is Spanish or Chinese, the site is also available in those languages by clicking the link at the top left hand conner of the page. NASRO warmly welcomes the participation of everyone. .

Washington Medical Quality Assurance Commission

Information on physician profiles for consumers

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A Guide To Federal Health Care Reform

The Affordable Care Act passed in March of 2010 is about to have a major impact on individuals, self employed people and employer groups in Washington State. Beginning in October NASRO Administrators will begin processing new enrollment forms for the new level of benefits that will go into effect on January 1, 2014.

NASRO has been providing health insurance products to consumers and businesses for the past 20 years. For the past five years we have been doing so in the first state to adopt comprehensive health insurance reform, Massachusetts. So, we have a great deal of experience with what is involved with transcending to a new health insurance system.

The changes that are about to take place are complex and many of the specifics are still being worked out. Some are awaiting procedural guidelines from various government agencies at both the federal and state level. Whatever your questions are about how the new law will affect you or your business we can answer your questions. On the page below you will find a a breakdown of how the new law will be working and how it will impact you.

QUESTION : Will I be required to buy my health insurance from the state Health Insurance Exchange?

No. The requirement is that everyone have health insurance. Federal health care reform does not dictate where you must purchase it. The state health insurance exchange is simply a new place to buy insurance that will be available to individuals and small businesses. For small employers it will allow you to offer health benefits to permanent, full-time employees, while temporary or part-time employees can Purchase health insurance on their own at the state exchange.

You can continue to utilize NASRO Administrators to make sure you're getting the best benefits for your employees and to help you find the best rates. Keep in mind that depending on plan participation, the state health insurance exchange may not offer you the same number of choices and benefit plan designs that allow you to choose what works best for your business.

Q. Will I pay less for my health insurance covreage - or more?

A. This issue will not be completely resolved until after health insurance exchanges are implemented in 2014. Health reform legislation raises the floor on benefit levels and eliminates plans that are not really health insurance plans and this could increase the cost of health insurance in the near future.

However, since more businesses and individuals will be entering the health insurance buying pool, it is hoped more buyers will help lower premiums for everyone.

Q. Where can individuals and businesses find good rates on health insurance?

A. An administrator like NASRO is well positioned to provide the flexibility and the quality of service expected by the private sector, while enjoying the benefits of the government forcing the insurance companies to make necessary reforms.

We have online quoting right from our site so you or your employees or dependents can just enter basic information and receive an instant quote and comparisonsof available plans.

Q. What is the difference between a Public Exchange and a Private Exchange?

A. Private health exchanges, such as NASRO's Washington State Health Exchange invovles our very experienced licensed brokers and we give employers and self employed people another way to shop for a variety of medical plans as well as supplemental insurance products like disability, dental and vision plans. Our online portal makes it easy to compare plans, shop for the best rates and even enroll.

NASRO's Washington State health exchange includes benefit support services from our brokers to help with the administrative tasks of enrollment and renewal.

NASRO's private health exchange for Washington State also makes it easy for businesses to expand employee benefits.

WHAT'S COMING UP FOR HEALTH CARE REFORM

Wellness Incentives

Employers can offer rewards of 30-50% of premiums to employees who take part in wellness and meet health standards.

Pre-exisiting Conditions

Employees and individuals will now have the freedom to change jobs without having to worry if they will lose their health insurance coverage or face major penalties for having a family member with a pre-existing medical condition. This is clearly an important and very needed part of health care reform. It will open up the marketplace and make it easier for people to join through NASRO and easier for NASRO to offer self insured options to more employer groups.

Individual Mandate

Everyone must have health coverage or pay a penalty.

Employer Mandate

Employers with 50 or more full-time employees must provide provide affordable coverage or pay a penalty if any full-time employee receives a subsidy.

Large Employer Auto Enrollment

Employers with more than 200 full-time employees that offer coverage must auto-enroll employees. Employees can opt out.

Health Insurance Exchanges Operating

States must have exchanges up and running by 2014 or the federal government will come in and set it up themselves.

FCC: Health Data Exchanges To Need More Broadband Support

At the Health Information and Management Systems Society annual conference on Tuesday, the Federal Communications Commission announced multiple recommendations involving new funding and regulations for broadband Internet connections that support health IT exchange, Government Health IT reports.

The recommendations stem from an FCC survey that found the U.S. lacks sufficient broadband connections to meet criteria for "meaningful use" of electronic health records that will determine whether health care providers are eligible for incentive payments under the 2009 federal economic stimulus package. 

The survey found that as many as 3,600 small practices do not have even basic broadband services, while thousands of other locations face price disparities of as much as $45,000 each year for the same services available in better connected areas.

Recommendations

To address such access problems, FCC proposes:

• Changing its Rural Health Care Program to use the initiative's annual $400 million budget to establish a health care broadband access fund to assist health care providers and other institutions in purchasing broadband services;
• Establishing a health care broadband infrastructure fund to aid providers in expanding broadband networks where the existing infrastructure is lacking; and
• Changing the way providers are reimbursed for handling "e-care" distributed over broadband links, which providers have said is one of the biggest barriers to health IT adoption.

FCC wants to link funding as closely as possible to meaningful use to ensure that the money goes to locations following the guidance of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT.

The recommendations are part of FCC's upcoming National Broadband Plan that it is expected to deliver to Congress by March 17  (Robinson, Government Health IT, 3/2).