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Washington Apple Health (Medicaid)

Medicaid

Our plan offers a range of physical and behavioral health benefits. View the benefits below to see all that it offers. It's for people who meet income and eligibility requirements for Apple Health (Medicaid). We serve pregnant individuals, children and young adults to age 21, families and adults.

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  • Washington Apple Health (Medicaid) Steps to enroll

Value-added benefits

As a member of UnitedHealthcare Community Plan, you get access to many value-added benefits. These benefits are offered statewide and in addition to the required Medicaid services.

You can find details on value-added benefits here.

Benefits & features

When you’re ill or have health questions and can’t get to your primary care doctor, you can talk to one in seconds, 24/7, with UHC Doctor Chat.  Get the answers, treatment and follow-up care you need, when you need it — at no cost to you. 

To download the app, search for “UHC Doctor Chat” on the App Store® or Google Play®, or visit www.uhcdoctorchat.com.

Behavioral Health is as important as physical health. That's why we have coverage for both. You have access to mental health and substance use disorder treatment services, known together as behavioral health services. Behavioral health services can help you with personal problems that may affect you and your family. These problems may be stress, depression, anxiety or using drugs or alcohol.

Talk to your Primary Care Provider (PCP) today about any health or behavioral health problems you have. Your PCP will refer you to a behavioral health provider with UnitedHealthcare Community Plan. They can refer you to specialists, and other facilities, such as hospitals and substance use disorder treatment services.

You don't need a referral from your PCP to see behavioral health specialists in your plan or to access substance use disorder treatment services.

There are some treatments and services that need preapproval before you can get them. To learn more, talk to your doctor.

Search for a Behavioral Health Provider

Required care is 100% covered. If you need behavioral health care, your PCP and UnitedHealthcare Community Plan can help coordinate your care.

We cover:

  • Evaluation and assessment
  • Medication management and monitoring
  • Individual and group counseling
  • Peer support
  • Family counseling
  • Education about mental health, treatments and medications
  • Rehab case management
  • Withdrawal management (detox)
  • Opiate replacement treatment
  • Case management

Additional health resources can be found here. Find the balance, support and care you need to live the healthiest life possible.

You may also be eligible for additional grant funded services such as care coordination, family hardship services and recovery support services. These provide comprehensive community-based services that supplement your current benefits.

Behavioral Health Advocates

A Behavioral Health Advocate (formerly called Ombuds) is a person who provides free and confidential assistance with resolving concerns related to your behavioral health services. They can also help if you have a behavioral health grievance, appeal, or fair hearing. Behavioral Health Advocates are independent of UnitedHealthcare Community Plan. They have also experienced behavioral health services themselves, or someone in their family member has had behavioral health services. 

You can find the phone number of the Behavioral Health Advocate in your county here.  Or you can contact the Office of Behavioral Health Advocacy at 1-800-878-4326 or email info@obhadvocacy.org.

For more information on services available, please refer to your Member Handbook:

Member Handbook (English)
Member Handbook (Español)
Member Handbook (Russian)
Member Handbook (Chinese)
Member Handbook (Vietnamese)
Member Handbook (Korean)
Member Handbook (Ukrainian)

What if I have a mental health crisis?

A mental health crisis is when someone’s behavior can put themselves or others in danger, especially if they do not get help right away, such as:

  • Threatens to or talks about hurting or killing themselves and/or others
  • Feels hopeless
  • Feels rage or uncontrolled anger
  • Feels trapped, like there is no way out
  • Engages in reckless behaviors
  • Feels anxious, agitated, or unable to sleep
  • Increases alcohol or drug use
  • Withdraws from friends and family
  • Encounters dramatic mood changes
  • Sees no reason for living

Help for a mental health crisis:

  • Life-threatening emergency: Call 911
  • Mental health crisis: Contact the WA 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
    • Call, text or chat: Dial 988
    • Videophone: Call 800-273-TALK (8255)
    • TTY: Use your preferred relay service or dial 711 and then 988
    • American Sign Language (ASL): Visit 988lifeline.org, select the “For Deaf & Hard of Hearing” link, and then choose “ASL Now”
    • Go to: wa988.org
  • Not life-threating mental health crisis or substance use disorder crisis: Call the Behavioral Health - Administrative Services Organization (BH-ASO) in your county.
    • Check the list of BH-ASO phone numbers for each county
    • Look for the phone number on the back of your UnitedHealthcare Community Plan member ID card.

Additional resources:

Go to Live and Work Well to find balance, support and care you need to live the healthiest life possible.

Get the assistance you and your family needs to stay healthy, to get better if you are injured or sick or — simply achieve your potential. That includes

  • Virtual Care – UHC Doctor Chat. Chat with a doctor 24/7. 
  • Hospitalization. You pay nothing for care in a hospital.
  • Lab and X-rays. Lab tests, x-rays and diagnostic imaging are covered.
  • Therapy Services. Therapy visits to help you recover or achieve your potential.
  • Nurse Hotline. Speak with a registered nurse 24/7.
  • Well Visits. Annual checkups and screenings (for those under 21) to help keep you or your family healthy.
  • Foot Care. More covered visits to keep your feet healthy.
  • Shots and Vaccines. Routine shots to help protect against illness.
  • No Copays. You pay nothing for doctor visits or prescriptions.

 

Nothing is more important than the health and well-being of you and your baby. That's why our plan benefits include:

  • Choice of Birth Center. Pick from a large network of hospitals across Washington.
  • Choice of Doctor. Find a doctor or OB/GYN you trust in our network.
  • Healthy First Steps®. Get extra support and rewards to keep you and your baby healthy.
  • Prenatal Visits. Care for you before your baby is born.

If you have asthma, diabetes or another health condition, you can depend on us. Our plan makes sure you get the care and services you need. Benefits include:

  • Asthma and COPD Care. Exams, testing and supplies are covered.
  • Diabetes Support. Medicine, needles and more for managing diabetes.
  • Kidney Disease Care. Dialysis, medicine and treatments are covered.
  • Mental Health. Testing, medication and treatments are covered.
  • Personal Care Manager. If you qualify, get personal help managing health conditions.
  • Residential Care. Brief stay at a care facility while you recover from sickness or injury.

Make sure your sight and hearing are at their best. Benefits include:

  • Hearing. Exams and testing are covered, as well as hearing aids for enrollees.
  • Vision. Eye exams every twenty-four months for adults and once every twelve months for children and age 21.  Eyeglasses, contact lenses, and hardware fittings are covered separately under Apple Health (Medicaid) coverage without a managed care plan (also known as  fee-for-service).

Get the medical care and equipment you or a family member needs to recover or live at home. Benefits include:

  • Personal Care. Someone to help with dressing, bathing and dining.
  • Equipment and Supplies. In-home medical and safety equipment is covered.
  • Home Health Care. Medical and personal care at home, if needed.

Do you or a family member have a serious health problem? If your health needs qualify then our care managers are in your corner. They will:

  • Help manage your physical and mental health care needs.
  • Work with your physician, behavioral health specialists and outside agencies.
  • Coordinate your doctor appointments.
  • Provide your care team with your medical records.

Your care manager will stay with you throughout the medical journey. He or she will:

  • Make sure you have support at home.
  • Connect you to the social services you may need.

View Advance Directives in English | Español.

Additional Benefits and Services

Get extra benefits and support. You can rely on:

  • Healthy Rewards. Earn rewards for completing important preventive services.
  • Health Education. Free coaching to help improve your health.
  • Language Help. Connect to a translator through Member Services.
  • Interpreters. Have an interpreter with you at your child's doctor visits.
  • Programs for Kids and Teens. Free Boys & Girls Club memberships.
  • Quitting Tobacco. Coaches and supplies to help you quit using tobacco.
  • Member Services. Your benefit questions are answered 24/7.
  • Dental. Services and annual exams are covered separately.
  • WISe. Wraparound with Intensive Services (WISe)
  • Applied Behavior Analysis. Autism (ABA) dedicated phone number 1-866-456-5376

Asthma and COPD Support

Individual care to help control your child's asthma.

Does your child have trouble managing asthma or COPD symptoms? A nurse who specializes in breathing issues can really help. Your child will get a customized treatment plan and medicine to:

  • Manage flare-ups.
  • Reduce symptoms.
  • Let your child stay active.

Choose a Birth Center

Where you have your baby is an important choice. That's why you can pick from large network of hospitals all across Washington.

We also encourage you to tour the hospital's birthing center. This way you will be familiar with it. And you'll be more relaxed when you have your baby.

Choice of Doctor

You will have a primary care physician (PCP) who will be your main doctor. Your PCP is the person you should see for most of your care. This includes checkups, treatments, vaccinations, minor injuries and health concerns. Talk to your PCP about any behavioral health concerns you may have. Your PCP can help you decide the right options for you.

Your PCP is your main doctor for:

  • Preventive care.
  • Treatment if you are sick or injured.
  • Referrals to specialists for certain conditions.

Use the Doctor Lookup tool to see if your doctor is in our network. If you don’t have a doctor or if your doctor is not in our network, we can help you find a new one close to you.

Diabetes Support

If you have diabetes, we'll help make life a little easier for you. You'll get medicine, supplies and education to help you reach and stay your best. You are also rewarded with gift cards for taking simple steps to manage your diabetes.

Our diabetes program also includes self-care training and classes focused on:

  • Planning healthy meals.
  • Managing stress.
  • Living a healthy lifestyle.

Equipment and Medical Supplies

Your health and safety at home are important.

Our plan covers medical equipment ordered by your doctor or case manager. This can include supplies like:

  • Hospital beds.
  • Oxygen tanks.
  • Wheelchairs or walkers.

Foot Care

If you have diabetes or a circulatory condition, good foot care can help prevent much more serious problems. We provide the needed exams to help keep your feet in great shape.

Our podiatry coverage includes:

  • Routine foot exams.
  • Tips about foot care and choosing the right shoes.
  • Information about nerve damage warning signs.

Health Education

Free coaching to help improve your health or to address a condition.

Our plan includes coaching on diabetes, nutrition and more. You can even get a ride, if needed, to and from the class at no cost to you.

Healthy First Steps®

Build a healthy future for you and your baby and earn great rewards with Healthy First Steps. Our program will help you take the right steps to keep you and your baby healthy. Plus you can earn $20 just for signing up. 

We will help you:

  • Choose a pregnancy provider and a pediatrician (child’s doctor).
  • Schedule visits and exams and arrange rides to your visits.
  • Earn rewards for going to visits throughout your pregnancy and baby’s first 15 months of life.
  • Get supplies, including breast pumps for nursing moms.
  • Connect with community resources such as Women, Infants and Children (WIC) services.

Hearing Care

Trouble hearing can affect your everyday life in many ways. Our plan includes services and support to help protect your hearing.

We cover exams and testing, as well as hearing aids for enrollees.

Home Health Care

After surgery or a serious illness—or if you have a disability—you may need extra help with day-to-day tasks. You may even need an in-home medical visit to check on how well you are healing. With approval, our plan covers:

  • An in-home medical visit.
  • Medical equipment like hospital beds, walkers or wheelchairs.
  • Disposable medical supplies.
  • Help with personal care or housekeeping.

Hospitalization

This plan pays for all expenses related to a hospital stay, so you can rest and heal.

Our plan covers:

  • Nursing care.
  • Room and board.
  • Supplies and equipment.
  • Treatment and therapies.
  • Diagnostic tests and exams.

And after you leave the hospital, you are not alone. We make sure you get follow-up care to continue healing at home.

Interpreters

Your doctor and you need to understand each other. Not speaking English well makes this difficult. We can arrange for a medical interpreter to be at your appointments.

We also have people in member services who speak more than one language. Chances are, we have someone who speaks your language or they can connect you with our interpreter service which covers more than 170 languages.

Kidney Disease Care

Kidney disease is a serious medical condition. After the kidneys stop working, regular treatments, called renal dialysis or an organ transplant are needed to live. Dialysis uses a machine to clean the blood just like healthy kidneys do.

Our plan includes:

  • Dialysis.
  • Medications.
  • Health education and support.
  • Organ transplant if needed.

Lab and X-rays

Knowing what's wrong and finding it early can make all the difference. Our plan covers:

  • Labs and testing.
  • X-rays, scans and other imaging.

We'll help you get the information needed to improve your health or be at your best.

Language Help

You can receive information in your preferred language. Just ask. We also have people at our customer service centers who speak more than one language. Chances are, we have someone who speaks your language or they can connect you with our interpreter service which covers more than 170 languages.

Member Services

Sometimes you might need a little help understanding your health care options. With us, you have someone you can call. We’ll answer your questions simply and completely.

We can also help you find:

  • Home care providers.
  • Dentists and vision providers.
  • Adult Day Health Centers.

Medicines

Our plan includes prescription drugs and refills with no copays. We also cover over-the-counter medicines with a written order from your doctor.

And we make getting your medicine easy. You can fill your prescriptions at:

  • Local pharmacies.
  • Services that deliver routinely right to your door.

Mental Health Services for Children and Youth

Problems such as depression and anxiety can also be challenging for children and teens.

There are no costs for covered services. We have therapists and doctors for youth and teens that can address their specific behavioral health or substance use. Help get them extra support to live a heathier life.

Look for behavioral health providers or call 1-877-542-8997, TTY 711

Additional Resources

Teens can connect with teens during specific hours: 866-833-6546teenlink@crisisclinic.org, www.866teenlink.org

No Cost for Covered Services

Get the quality health care you deserve at no cost for covered services. You get:

  • Care from highly skilled and compassionate doctors.
  • Treatments at respected hospitals and clinics.
  • Home medical equipment and supplies to help you be at your best.

Nurse Hotline

Medical questions and situations sometimes happen at inconvenient times. When you have questions about your health, you can call a nurse 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: 1-877-543-3409 (TTY 711).

Our nurses will:

  • Listen to symptoms.
  • Help with self-care.
  • Advise you about getting care at a doctor visit or an urgent care center.
  • Help you know when to go to the emergency room.

Nurse Visits

Sometimes continued care is needed after leaving the hospital or urgent care. For example, after a serious illness, surgery or injury. In these cases, a nurse will make home visits to:

  • Provide medical care.
  • Answer any questions and concerns.

Personal Care

Sometimes the basics are hard to do yourself after an illness or injury.

If needed, we provide someone to help with:

  • Dressing.
  • Bathing.
  • Feeding.

Personal Care Manager

Do you or a family member have a serious health problem? If your health needs qualify then our care managers are in your corner. They will:

  • Help manage your physical and mental health care needs.
  • Work with your physician, behavioral health specialists and outside agencies.
  • Coordinate your doctor appointments.
  • Provide your care team with your medical records.

Your care manager will stay with you throughout the medical journey. He or she will:

  • Make sure you have support at home.
  • Connect you to the social services you may need.

Programs for Kids and Teens

Kids with positive role models make more healthy choices. That's why we provide free memberships to the Boys & Girls Clubs in your area.

Along with fun and games, these clubs offer help with:

  • Homework.
  • Mentoring.
  • Coaching.

Prenatal Visits

Your pregnancy is a journey you'll want to make with the help of friends, family and a pregnancy doctor, or OB-GYN. With our plan, you will also be rewarded with gift cards for prenatal and postpartum doctor visits.

All recommended prenatal clinical visits and tests are covered by our plan.

At these visits, the clinic will:

  • Make sure both you and your baby are healthy.
  • Explain what to expect at each stage of your pregnancy.
  • Answer your questions.

Residential Care

After a serious illness, surgery or injury you may need extra nursing and therapy.  If needed, our plan covers short stays in a rehabilitation center where you can heal.  Included are:

  • Nursing home services.
  • 24-hour nursing care.
  • Help with activities of daily living.
  • Physical, occupational and speech therapy.

Quitting Tobacco

You know the bad health effects of smoking. You know you need to quit. We support you while you quit with coaches and supplies. The only thing you won't get from us is a lecture. Call 1-866-QUIT-4-LIFE (1-866-784-8454) Or visit www.quitnow.net.

Shots and Vaccines

Routine shots help protect you from illness.

So, our plan covers:

  • Recommended shots and vaccines.
  • Influenza shots.

Therapy Services

Physical, occupational and speech therapy can help you recover from a serious injury or illness, or simply reach your full potential.

Our plan provides:

  • Occupational therapy.
  • Physical therapy.
  • Speech therapy.
  • In-home therapy.

Transportation

Get a ride – at no cost to you - to and from health care locations. That includes trips to:

  • Doctor or therapy visits.
  • Vision clinics.
  • Urgent care centers.

Apple Health (Medicaid) pays for transportation services to and from needed non-emergency health care appointments. If you have a current ProviderOne Services Card, you may be eligible for transportation. Call the transportation provider (broker) in your area to learn about services and limitations. Your regional broker will arrange the most appropriate, least costly transportation for you. See the list of brokers

Vision Care

You'll get the care and treatment that let you see life more clearly. Coverage includes:

  • Eye exams every twenty-four months for adults and once every twelve months for children and age 21. Eyeglasses, contact lenses, and hardware fittings are covered separately under Apple Health (Medicaid) coverage without a managed care plan (also known as fee-for-service).
  • Annual eye exams for members to age 21.

Well Visits

Well visits with your doctor can help you stay healthy. These visits can catch health problems early, so they can be treated. Preventive services include:

  • Checkups children.
  • Screenings for adults.
  • Well-baby care.
  • Care for women expecting a baby.
  • Routine shots and tests.
  • Mammograms.

There are no copayments for preventive care.

Member resources

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