2015 Leaders in Health Care Awards: Achievement in Community Outreach

WINNER

Washington Health Benefit Exchange

Olympia

The Washington Health Benefit Exchange was created in 2011 as a public-private partnership to facilitate expanded statewide health care insurance coverage as part of the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA). Washington was among the first states to move ahead with a state-run health insurance marketplace plan as outlined by the ACA.

The exchange was responsible for the creation of WAhealthplanfinder.org, an online marketplace to help individuals, families and small businesses find, compare and enroll in qualified health plans. Since October 2013, more than 1.25 million Washington residents have used the website to buy health insurance, including nearly 600,000 who gained coverage through Washington Apple Health for the first time in their lives. Since the launch of Healthplanfinder, hospitals across the state have seen their charity care drop by 30 percent, or nearly $154 million.

The exchange works in coordination with state agency partners, including the Health Care Authority (Medicaid), the Office of the Insurance Commissioner and the Department of Social and Health Services. Washington Health Benefit Exchange CEO Richard Onizuka, reporting to an 11-member board of directors, led the effort to build a customer support network to provide assistance to Washington residents. Healthplanfinder worked with 10 organizations, including public health agencies, coalitions, regional health networks and other community organizations across the state, to build and oversee the network.

SILVER AWARD

Project Access Northwest

Seattle

Project Access Northwest links underserved residents in King, Snohomish and Kitsap counties with medical and dental care in their local communities. It does this by providing intensive case management and by developing and nurturing strong community partnerships with health care systems and sustained relationships with individual health care providers.

More than 95 percent of Project Access patients keep their appointments, compared to fewer than 70 percent in typical uninsured populations. As founder and executive director of Project Access Northwest, Sallie Neillie has sought out and addressed the greatest weaknesses in the health care system as they relate to vulnerable populations.