SEATTLE —
If you're hoping to get health insurance through the state, you have less than two weeks left before open enrollment ends on December 15.
Open enrollment refers to the time period in which you can register for a health insurance plan for 2020. Missing this deadline will mean waiting until next year’s open enrollment period to seek coverage.
Navigating insurance plans can be cumbersome and confusing, so the Washington Health Plan Finder is offering assistance in dozens of different languages for those in need of clarification.
Qualified customers should take advantage of the resources available to them, including bilingual services provided throughout Washington state, sooner than later.
Lawrence Pang, a health insurance broker in King County, is one of the navigators helping people find insurance through the Washington Health Plan Finder. Fluent in Cantonese, Pang pointed out that insurance can be complicated even if English is your first language.
“Insurance is quite complicated and not easy to understand. Unlike buying a car where you have something to touch on and see what you like, insurance is just something you are promised. You have to know exactly what the plan is,” said Pang.
Pang is very involved in the local Chinese community and utilizes his bilingual background to help other Cantonese-speakers through the application and enrollment process from start to finish. Similar translation services are available for over 40 different languages.
RELATED: Washington attorney general warns consumers about fake health insurance sites during open enrollment
Customers can visit Plan4HowULive.org to shop and enroll for a plan online, search for in-person assistance near them, connect with help over the phone, or they can utilize the WA Planfinder mobile app.