Helping people afford health insurance and stay connected to care
Having access to health insurance only matters if you can afford to keep it. Project Access Northwest works with healthcare and community partners to help eligible Washington residents pay their health insurance premiums and maintain coverage.
1,000+ households supported to date
Program Overview
What is Premium Assistance?
Health insurance premiums can still be unaffordable, even when someone qualifies for coverage and financial assistance through Washington Healthplanfinder.
Project Access Northwest's Premium Assistance program helps eligible Washington residents pay the monthly premiums necessary to maintain health insurance coverage.
The program is funded through partnerships with healthcare systems and other community partners. The number of people we can support each year depends upon available funding.
The goal is simple: keep people covered so they can stay connected to care.
Why is Premium Assistance Important?
Coverage creates continuity
For someone living on a limited income, even a reduced health insurance premium can compete with rent, food, utilities and other essential expenses.
Losing coverage can mean losing connection to:
- Primary care
- Specialists
- Behavioral health services
- Prescription medications
- Preventive care
- Ongoing treatment for chronic or serious conditions
Premium Assistance helps eligible participants maintain insurance so they can continue receiving care when they need it.
Because healthcare isn't one appointment. It's continuity.
Who is Eligible for Premium Assistance?
Premium Assistance is available to eligible Washington residents who are referred through participating funding partners.
Program requirements currently include:
- Washington state residency
- Household income at or below 300% of the Federal Poverty Level
- Eligibility to purchase a Qualified Health Plan through Washington Healthplanfinder
- Eligibility for applicable premium tax credits
- Referral by a participating Project Access Northwest Premium Assistance partner
- Agreement to keep household and eligibility information current with Washington Healthplanfinder
- Agreement to share necessary coverage information with Project Access Northwest
- Filing federal income taxes as required to receive applicable tax credits
Participants generally cannot be eligible for Apple Health (Medicaid), Medicare or affordable employer-sponsored coverage. Project Access Northwest's current program materials also specify enrollment in a Silver-level or Vital-Gold plan.
Not sure whether you qualify?
Premium Assistance is not an open-enrollment program. Participants must be referred by one of our participating funding partners.
How Does Premium Assistance Work?
- A participating partner refers you: Eligible participants are referred to Project Access Northwest through one of our Premium Assistance funding partners.
- We review eligibility: Our team works with you to verify program requirements and available funding.
- We help you navigate enrollment: Project Access Northwest staff help eligible participants navigate Washington Healthplanfinder and select an eligible health plan. Washington Healthplanfinder is Washington's official marketplace for individual health and dental insurance and provides access to tax credits and other savings for eligible residents.
- We help pay the premium: For approved participants, Project Access Northwest pays the eligible monthly health insurance premium for the specified period of time.
- You stay connected to coverage: Participants keep their household and eligibility information current and notify Project Access Northwest of applicable changes during the coverage year.
Premium Assistance helps turn insurance eligibility into insurance people can actually afford to keep.
What does Premium Assistance pay for?
Premium Assistance helps with monthly premiums
For approved participants, Project Access Northwest provides financial assistance toward eligible monthly health insurance premiums.
Participants remain responsible for other health plan costs, which may include deductibles, copayments, prescriptions and other out-of-pocket expenses.
Help more Washingtonians stay covered
The number of people Project Access Northwest can support through Premium Assistance depends on funding from healthcare and community partners. If your organization is interested in helping Washington residents maintain affordable health coverage, we'd welcome a conversation.
What staying covered makes possible
Meet people whose lives and healthcare were changed because financial hardship didn't force them to give up their health insurance.