Washington Health Benefit Exchange welcomes Karen Keiser to board
Longtime Washington State Senator, Keiser, appointed by former Gov. Jay Inslee after serving nearly 30 years in state Legislature OLYMPIA, Wash.
Washington Health Benefit Exchange (Exchange) announced today that retired Washington State Senator Karen Keiser has been appointed to its board of directors. Former Gov. Jay Inslee appointed Keiser to the Exchange Board before leaving office in mid-January.
“We are excited to welcome Karen Keiser to the Exchange Board. Throughout her time in the Senate, Karen shaped Washington state’s implementation of the Affordable Care Act and championed numerous policies to improve access to high quality affordable health care,“ Exchange CEO Ingrid Ulrey said. “Her background and expertise will help guide the Exchange into the future.”
“I am so pleased to take on this new role on the Exchange Board,” Keiser said. “When I became Chair of the Senate Health Care Committee, our state’s uninsurance rate was near 16%. With the effective implementation of what was called ‘Obamacare,’ the Exchange successfully reduced our uninsured rate to below 5%. I am thrilled to join the Exchange to protect and expand those gains.”
Last year, prior to the end of her term, Keiser retired from her nearly 30-year tenure as representative of Washington’s 33rd Legislative District, covering Burien, Des Moines, Kent, Normandy Park and SeaTac. Keiser was the most senior member of the state Senate before her resignation, re-elected six times since winning her first election into the House of Representatives in 1996.
Keiser was born and raised in Iowa, moving to California her senior year of high school. She attended the University of California, Berkeley, where she received a bachelor’s in political science before earning a master’s in journalism. She worked as a broadcast journalist in Portland, Denver and Seattle before joining the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO, as its communications director.
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Reminders: Enrollment is offered year-round to individuals and families through Washington Apple Health (Medicaid). Customers enrolled in Apple Health will receive a notice 60 days before the month they enrolled in or renewed their coverage last year.
About Washington HealthplanfinderTM
Washington HealthplanfinderTM is an online marketplace for individuals and families in Washington to compare and enroll in health insurance coverage and gain access to tax credits, reduced cost sharing and public programs such as Medicaid. Next open enrollment for Washington Healthplanfinder is from Nov. 1, 2025, to Jan. 15, 2026. Enrollment reports and data are available from Washington Health Benefit Exchange.
About Washington Apple Health
In Washington, Medicaid is called . Free or low-cost coverage is available year-round for those who qualify. Since the Affordable Care Act launched in October 2013, more people have access to preventive care, like cancer screenings, treatment for diabetes and high blood pressure, and many other health care services they need to stay healthy. Apple Health clients enroll and renew online using Washington Healthplanfinder. Apple Health is administered by the Washington State Health Care Authority, .