Starting in 2027, most adults on Apple Health renew every six months instead of once a year. Renewal dates are different for everyone. Cut these out and keep one where you will see it.
Renewing twice a year instead of once means twice as many chances to miss a notice. Most people who lose Apple Health do not lose it because they stopped qualifying — they lose it because a letter went to an old address, or a deadline passed before they saw it.
Let our office know your renewal month and any change to your coverage. We check insurance for our clients every month, and knowing your renewal date helps us catch a problem before it affects your appointments or your bill.
Getting mail from Apple Health does not mean you have lost your coverage. Most letters are asking you to confirm something. Here is what to do.
Do not assume the worst, and do not set it aside. A request for information usually means something could not be confirmed automatically. Answering is often quick. Ignoring it is what ends coverage.
Sign in at wahealthplanfinder.org to renew, upload documents, or update your information.
Call 1-800-562-3022. Have the letter with you — it has a reference number.
A Navigator can sit down with you and help, free of charge. Find one through Healthplanfinder.
Free interpretation is available. Ask for it when you call — there is no charge to you.
Some people do not have to meet the new work, school, or volunteer requirement — among them people who are pregnant, caring for a child under 14, American Indian or Alaska Native, in treatment for substance use, or living with a qualifying health condition. Tell Apple Health at your renewal. They will not know unless you say so.
Please tell our office too. If you get a notice that your insurance is changing or ending, let us know as soon as you can. We can often help sort it out before it affects your appointments.
A place to keep a record of your work, school, training, or volunteer hours. Print one for each month you want to track. This is your record to use however you find useful.
| Date | What I did | Where / organization | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
Paid or unpaid work · school or training · a work program · volunteering or community service. If your household has at least $580 in monthly income, that is counted a different way and you may not need to track hours at all.
If you have pay stubs, a class schedule, an enrollment letter, or a note from a volunteer supervisor, keep them with this page. Writing things down as they happen is much easier than trying to remember six months later.
This log is a personal record only. It is not required by Apple Health, and filling it in does not by itself qualify or disqualify anyone for coverage. Washington State is still finalizing what documentation will be requested and when. For current rules, visit hca.wa.gov/ah-work-req.
If you need to reach 80 hours in a month, you can combine activities — thirty hours of paid work plus fifty hours of volunteering adds up to eighty. These are common starting points.
Washington State has not yet published a list of approved activities. The categories below come from the State's own description of what counts. The specific organizations are examples to help you start looking — not an approved list. Before you count on any activity, check with Apple Health.
Any job, including part-time, seasonal, gig, or self-employment. Unpaid work counts too.
Community and technical colleges, GED and high school completion, ESL classes, certificate programs.
WorkSource programs, apprenticeships, job readiness and vocational training, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation services.
Structured service through an organization that can confirm your hours.
Call 211 or visit wa211.org to be connected with opportunities near you — tell them roughly how many hours a month you are looking for. Ask any organization whether they can confirm your hours before you start, and keep your own record as you go.
Reflects our understanding of Washington State guidance as of September 2026. The State has not published an approved activity list, and requirements may change. For current information, visit hca.wa.gov/ah-work-req or call 1-800-562-3022.
Losing Apple Health does not mean you have no options. Many people qualify for another kind of coverage right away. Do not wait to find out.
Apple Health for Pregnant Individuals, and After-Pregnancy Coverage for twelve months after a pregnancy ends.
Apple Health Emergency Medical (AEM) can cover emergency treatment.
Family Planning Only covers birth control and related services.
Medical Care Services may be available through DSHS. Call 1-877-501-2233.
Report a pregnancy, a change in income or household size, or a new health condition — any of these can change what you qualify for.
Apply or compare plans at wahealthplanfinder.org or call 1-855-923-4633.
Starting January 1, 2027, Apple Health can only cover bills from a shorter period before you apply — one month for adults, two months for other programs. Waiting to apply can mean paying for care yourself that would otherwise have been covered.
If your coverage ends, tell your therapist's office right away.
Reflects our understanding of Washington State and federal guidance as of September 2026. This is not a guarantee of eligibility for any program — Apple Health and Washington Healthplanfinder make those decisions. For current information visit hca.wa.gov/hr1-changes or call 1-800-562-3022.
You can ask for a hearing, where a judge reviews the decision. The deadlines are short, and the shortest one is the one that keeps your coverage running while you wait.
1-800-562-3022. You can ask for a hearing over the phone — it does not have to be in writing, and you do not need to have figured anything out first.
There are two deadlines, and the shorter is about ten days — it decides whether your coverage keeps running while the appeal is decided. Call early, and ask what keeping your coverage would mean for you.
1-800-562-3022. Request a hearing, ask about keeping your coverage, and ask for a free interpreter if you want one.
Forms and filing steps are published by the Office of Administrative Hearings at oah.wa.gov — look for how to file an appeal.
CLEAR, 1-888-201-1014. In King County call 211. Age 60 or older, 1-888-387-7111.
Plain-language guides for Washington residents at washingtonlawhelp.org.
Losing Apple Health and having your health plan deny a session are two different appeals. For a denied service, appeal to the plan first, following the instructions on that notice.
Starting January 1, 2027, Apple Health covers a shorter period of bills from before you applied — about one month for adults, down from three. Waiting a few weeks can turn covered care into care you pay for yourself.
While your Apple Health is active, you are not billed for covered visits. Once your Apple Health coverage ends, your visits are subject to the private practice rates. Tell us before your next appointment — if coverage is later restored through an appeal or a new application, we can often go back and bill for visits inside the covered period. That only works if we know in time.
Questions about a bill, your coverage, or a notice you received: ask your therapist's office.
Reflects Washington State and federal rules as of September 2026. Deadlines vary by the decision being appealed — the notice you receive governs, so follow the deadline printed on it. This sheet is general information, not legal advice.