The Washington Benefit Kitchen is a free screener that all Washington residents can use to determine eligibility for several tax credits and many federal, state, and local public benefits – and to access the application sites to apply for those for which they qualify. Takes about 10 minutes to complete. Checks eligibility for tax credits, food stamps, cash assistance, WIC (Women, Infants, and Children), Head Start, school meals, childcare assistance, Medicaid,  Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), county medical services, Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP), lifeline, and subsidized internet.

Benefits Kitchen Screening Program offered at Spokane County United Way

Free screener that all Washington residents can use to determine eligibility for several tax credits and many federal, state, and local public benefits – and to access the application sites to apply for those for which they qualify.

Programs that focus broadly on helping individuals who are having difficulty understanding, accessing, and/or are unaware of grants, payments, services or other benefits for which they are eligible rather than offering more specialized services relating to a particular type of benefit or service.

General Benefits and Services Assistance

Programs that provide information about provisions in the federal tax code that may benefit individuals and employers who purchase health insurance through the ACA health insurance marketplace. Individuals may be eligible for premium tax credits that will help to lower their monthly premiums; and employers who buy insurance through the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) may be eligible for a Small Business Health Care Tax Credit to help cover the cost of coverage for their employees.

Affordable Care Act Federal Tax Credit Information

Programs that offer information and guidance for people who may qualify for Medicaid with the objective of empowering them to make informed choices. Included may be information about the eligibility requirements for Medicaid and how to apply; Medicaid Managed Care options, benefits covered (and not covered) by the program including long-term care and home and community-based services; the payment process for co-payments; Medicaid "spend-down" (the process of reducing income and/or assets an individual possesses in order to qualify for Medicaid); and information about Medicare and the linkages between the two programs. The program may also answer questions about Medicaid services available to individuals with disabilities; and some programs may help people who qualify with enrollment and provide referrals to providers who accept State Medicaid health insurance.

Medicaid Information/Counseling

Programs that provide information and guidance for employers of and/or employees who earn less than a specified amount during the year, regardless of whether it is taxable, and qualify for a credit which allows them to subtract up to $4,008 from their tax liability at the end of the year or obtain a refund. The minimum income amount varies depending on whether the individual has qualifying children (sons, daughters, adopted children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, stepchildren, or eligible foster children who meet age criteria and have lived with individual in the U.S. for a specified period of time) and their number. Eligible foster children may include brothers, sisters, step brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews or children placed by an authorizing placement agency. Also included are organizations that issue the tax credits.

Earned Income Credit Information

Organizations that help families obtain health insurance for their children under the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), a program that is jointly financed by the federal and state governments and administered by the states. In some states, CHIP is an expansion of the Medicaid program and allows children of parents with higher incomes than were allowable in the past to participate and receive health insurance through Medicaid. In other states, CHIP is a separate program from Medicaid and covers children whose parents have incomes that are higher than the state's Medicaid eligibility levels. Within broad Federal guidelines, each state determines the design of its program, eligibility groups, benefit packages, payment levels for coverage, and administrative and operating procedures. The insurance pays for doctor visits, immunizations, hospitalizations and emergency room visits, but additional services may be available depending on the benefits defined by the state. Depending on the family's income, insurance premiums and co-pays may apply.

CHIP Programs

A public health nutrition program administered by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service that provides nutrition education, nutritious foods, breastfeeding support and health care referrals for income-eligible pregnant or postpartum individuals, infants and children up to age five. Foster parents, grandparents, guardians and single fathers who have custody of their children may also be eligible to receive food assistance for children up to age five if they meet income guidelines. WIC provides specific foods to supplement the dietary needs of participants to ensure good health and development. Food packages typically include iron-fortified infant cereal, milk, cheese, eggs, whole grains, peanut butter, beans, fruits, vegetables and juice. Families can shop for WIC foods at most grocery stores using a WIC electronic transfer benefit (EBT) card or vouchers.

Programs that provide benefits screening services which help individuals determine whether they are eligible for benefits through any of a wide variety of public and private federal, state and local programs. In addition to identifying the programs that a person may be eligible to receive, the service generally also provides a detailed description of the programs, local contacts for additional information (typically the addresses and phone numbers of where to apply for the programs), and materials to help successfully apply for each program. Included are programs that provide this service online and those that do benefits screening via the telephone or in-person. Some benefits screening programs may focus on specific populations such as older adults and people with disabilities; or specific aspects of benefits eligibility such as the impact that working will have on their benefits as an aid to helping people make informed decisions regarding whether to work. Also included are programs that help people complete the benefits screening form.

Benefits Screening

A federally-funded child development and family support program that provides early education, health, mental health, nutrition and social services for low-income pregnant individuals and families with children from birth to age three. Services provided directly or through referral may include prenatal education and parenting classes for pregnant individuals; child development information; parent/child activities; a home visiting program for families with newborns; early education services in a variety of settings; comprehensive health and mental health services including smoking cessation and substance abuse treatment; coordination with organizations providing early intervention for infants and toddlers with disabilities; assistance in obtaining income support, housing or emergency cash; and transportation to program services.

Early Head Start

Programs that provide health insurance for people who do not qualify for Medicaid, do not have access to insurance provided by an employer or cannot afford privately purchased health insurance. Services covered by these programs vary by state but generally include hospitalization, physician services, emergency room visits, family planning, immunizations, laboratory and x-ray services, outpatient surgery, chiropractic care, prescriptions, eye exams, eye glasses and dental care. Other services may include alcohol and drug treatment, mental health services, medical and equipment and supplies and rehabilitative therapy. Eligibility requirements also vary. Included are state and/or local government health insurance programs which may be administered by the state or at the local level, and public/private partnerships between state and/or local government entities and health insurance companies or other private organizations. Health care is generally provided through participating managed care plans in the area.

State/Local Health Insurance Programs

Provides free enrollment assistance in health insurance plans, including dental and Medicare. Assists with all plans available on the Healthplanfinder.  January 1 2024 was the first policies in Washington State for health insurance regardless of immigration status. Assists with initial enrollment, education, and selection of Medicare Supplements, Medicare Advantage, and Medicare Drug Plans. Also assists clients with questions throughout the year.

Health Insurance Enrollment offered at Wenatchee Insurance

Provides free enrollment assistance in health insurance plans, including dental and Medicare. Assists with all plans available on the Healthplanfinder.

Social Security offices that accept applications for enrollment in and determine eligibility for the Medicare program. People who have signed up for early retirement benefits with the Social Security Administration or the Railroad Retirement Board receive their Medicare card in the mail automatically prior to their 65th birthday. Their application for retirement benefits serves as an application for Medicare Part A. Individuals who wait for full retirement age to sign up for SSA cash benefits will need to apply for Medicare approximately three months prior to their 65th birthday month at the Social Security office where they will do the paperwork and designate if they want Part A and/or B. They will get their Medicare card in the mail showing their enrollment (Part A and/or B) with an effective date, the first of their birthday month. These people are now enrolled in Original Medicare and can sign up with a supplement or Medicare Prescription Drug Plan (Part D), or have the option of receiving their Medicare benefits through a Medicare Advantage plan (HMOs, PPOs, special needs plans, private fee for service plans, Medicare savings account plans). If they choose to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan, they will have to determine availability and which plan is best for them, and then will need to enroll directly with the plan of their choice. Information about Medicare Advantage plans is available in the Welcome to Medicare handbook people receive when they enroll, by calling 1-800-MEDICARE or by using the Plan Finder on the Medicare website.

Medicare Enrollment

Social Security offices and state Medicaid agencies that accept applications and determine eligibility for the subsidies that are available to low income beneficiaries enrolled in the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Benefit. Beneficiaries may also apply for the subsidy through the online application available on the Social Security Administration website.

Medicare Part D Low Income Subsidy (Extra Help) Applications

Private Prescription Drug Plans that are approved by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to offer prescription drug coverage for Medicare beneficiaries and accept applications for enrollment. Beneficiaries may also select a plan using the online enrollment application available on the CMS website. The application provides a tool for comparing different plans which vary in costs and specific drugs covered.

Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan Enrollment

Programs that cover all or a portion of Medicare costs for low income Medicare beneficiaries with limited resources/assets. Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs) are administered by Medicaid medical assistance offices, pay all or a portion of Medicare premiums and may pay Medicare deductibles and co-insurance. Included are the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) program that pays Medicare premiums, deductibles and co-payments for people with combined incomes that do not exceed 100 percent of the federal poverty level; the Specified Low-Income Beneficiary (SLMB) program that pays Medicare Part B premiums for people with combined incomes between 100 and 120 percent of the federal poverty level; the Qualifying Individuals (QI) program that pays Medicare Part B premiums for people with combined incomes 120 and 135 percent of the federal poverty level; and the Qualified Disabled and Working Individuals (QDWI) program that helps pay the Part A premium for individuals under age 65 who have a disability and are working, have lost their premium-free Part A when they returned to work, are not receiving medical assistance from their state and meet income and resource limits required by their state. The QI program is a limited program (block grant to states), and is available on a first come, first serve basis. Asset/resource limits for these programs are adjusted each year and may vary by state.

Medicare Savings Programs

Programs that help people in need of health insurance evaluate the full range of alternatives available to them and select the coverage that best meets their needs.

General Health Insurance Information/Counseling

Programs that make health insurance payments for individuals who are at risk for losing their health, dental and/or vision care coverage and who meet age, income, disability, need or other requirements. Some programs may also provide assistance with deductibles and co-pays.

Health Insurance Premium Assistance

Organized marketplaces (also called "exchanges") for the purchase of health insurance that are established by states, the federal government (federally-facilitated marketplaces) or states and the federal government in partnership; and set up as a governmental or quasi-government entity. The marketplaces enable individuals and small employers to compare available private health insurance options on the basis of price, benefits and services, quality and other factors; and are required to provide for the operation of a toll-free call center and an Internet website as consumer assistance tools. They help enhance competition in the health insurance market, provide a range of affordable health insurance choices and give small businesses the same purchasing power as large businesses. They serve as a one-stop shop where individuals can get information about their options; be assessed for premium assistance subsidies (tax credits) which are determined on a sliding scale and cost sharing assistance subsidies; and be assessed for or enrolled in the plan of their choice. The marketplaces are not insurers, so they do not bear risk themselves, but determine the insurance companies that are allowed to participate in them. Health plans provided through the marketplaces are made available to qualified employers and their employees in the small group market through a small business health options program (SHOP).

Health Insurance Marketplaces

County or state offices that accept applications and determine eligibility for the Medicaid program; and reinstate individuals who have lost their Medicaid benefits due to incarceration, institutionalization, noncompliance or other reasons. Also included are other programs that help people prepare and file Medicaid applications and/or are authorized to do eligibility determinations for the program.

Filters

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Age Group

Benefits Kitchen Screening Program offered at Spokane County United Way

Health Insurance Enrollment offered at Wenatchee Insurance