Cascade Care Savings

Cascade Care Savings for new customers is no longer available for plan year 2025. Customers who enroll after Dec. 18, 2024, will not receive Cascade Care Savings. Learn more about Cascade Care Savings in 2025.

This does not apply to customers currently receiving Cascade Care Savings. Funding is secure for households already awarded state premium assistance for plan year 2025 and they will receive that assistance throughout the year.

Since open enrollment launched on Nov.1, Washingtonians have been enthusiastically using Cascade Care Savings to help with their premium costs. 

While this is good news that the demand is high and many people are able to use this state subsidy, the current expenditures for Cascade Care Savings are at risk of exceeding available funds that were appropriated by the state legislature.

Under state law, the Exchange cannot exceed these funds, and the biennium ends on June 30, 2025. Guided by stakeholder feedback and actuarial modeling, the Exchange decided to expend the full 2023-25 state appropriation for plan year 2025.

This decision and risk were communicated this fall to internal and external stakeholders and there was strong consensus to take this approach. Therefore, the Exchange made the decision to activate the Cascade Care Savings low-funds contingency on Thursday, Dec. 19 for plan year 2025 state subsidies. 

This record demand for Cascade Care Savings demonstrates the need to maintain and increase the expenditures for this program. This is the highest legislative priority for the Exchange in the 2025 Session.

Cascade Care Savings is a state-funded premium subsidy program lowering monthly premium payments for eligible customers as of 2023. These savings are available exclusively through Washington Healthplanfinder.

Cascade Care Savings is part of the broader Cascade Care program, the Exchange’s primary affordability initiative. The Cascade Care program has been developed at the direction of the Washington Legislature over the past several years. 

Cascade Care Savings is available to qualifying Exchange customers who:

• Are not eligible for minimum essential coverage through Medicaid or Medicare;

• Have a household income at or below 250% of the federal poverty level — check out the Exchange’s FPL calculator; and

• Enroll in a Cascade Care Silver or Gold qualified health plan through Washington Healthplanfinder.

  • These plans cover more health care services at lower costs and before the deductible, making it easier to access and afford care like regular check-ups and preventive care.

  • American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) individuals may enroll in any plan that allows them to take advantage of their $0 cost-sharing reduction benefit.

The Cascade Care Savings program helps both customers who are receiving federal tax credits and those who are not. Customers must apply for and take all federal premium tax credits they are eligible for before they can qualify for any state subsidies. 

Customers can sign up for Cascade Care Savings through Washington Healthplanfinder, or by calling the Customer Support Center at 1-855-923-4633. Eligibility is determined by Washington Healthplanfinder. The new savings will be applied when a customer’s 2023 coverage begins.

• Customers who are already enrolled in a Cascade Care Silver or Gold plan will have the new savings automatically applied to their coverage when it is renewed for 2023.
• Customers not already in enrolled in a Cascade Care Silver or Gold will need to newly sign up for, or switch to, a Cascade Care Silver or Gold plan during open-enrollment (Nov. 1 – Jan. 15) or outside open-enrollment using the Cascade Care Savings special enrollment period (SEP). The SEP is automatically opened when customers not already in enrolled in a Cascade Care Silver or Gold plan are determined eligible for the Cascade Care Savings program. 

A customer is not eligible to receive Cascade Care Savings if they have other minimum essential coverage — such as coverage through Washington Apple Health/Medicaid or Medicare. Or if the customer is already receiving fully subsidized state coverage through the Compact of Free Association (COFA) Islander Premium Assistance Program and Health Care Premium Assistance for Employees of Child Care Facilities.

Yes. All insurance carriers who offer plans through Washington Healthplanfinder offer Cascade Care Silver and Gold plans. Cascade Care plans consist of Cascade and Cascade Select (public option) plans. Cascade Care plans have “Cascade” in the plan name and the Cascade Care logo displayed next to them in Washington Healthplanfinder.

To qualify for Cascade Care Savings, a customer must buy a Cascade Care Silver or Gold plan through Washington Healthplanfinder. 

This new SEP allows customers who qualify for Cascade Care Savings — who are not already enrolled in a Cascade Care Silver or Gold plan — to sign up for a Cascade Care Silver or Gold Plan outside of open-enrollment, so they can benefit from Cascade Care Savings. For customers who qualify, this special enrollment period will automatically open.

• Note: If existing customers use this SEP to switch to a Cascade Care Silver or Gold plan during the plan year, all amounts they have already spent toward out-of-pocket limits will carry over if they stay with their current insurance carrier. 

Under the Inflation Reduction Act, current enhanced federal premium tax credits are extended through 2025. The Cascade Care Savings program builds on existing federal subsidies to maximize available state resources. Customers need to use the full amount of their approved federal tax credits to be eligible for Cascade Care Savings.

The extended federal subsidies, in combination with Cascade Care Savings, will create an unprecedented opportunity for uninsured, low-income Washington residents get covered, especially individuals and families working in lower-wage jobs. 

No. Unlike premium tax credits, Cascade Care Savings is state-funded and does not need federal tax filing reconciliation. Customers may be asked to submit documents to verify income or other coverage eligibility requirements prior to receiving Cascade Care Savings.

If you are interested in following Cascade Care implementation, please subscribe to receive emails with information about updates, upcoming meetings, stakeholder input opportunities, and other relevant announcements.

Any remaining questions about Cascade Care and/or Cascade Care Savings can be emailed to [email protected].