Washington state brands adult Medicaid to reach more people

Washington Health Care Authority

The new name and logo for the state Medicaid program.

Washington state is giving its adult Medicaid program a new brand name in preparation for the hundreds of thousands of people who are expected to enroll in the program next year.

Washington Apple Health is a spinoff of the children?s medical brand the state uses, Apple Health for Kids.

?We?ve found that the designation of Apple Health for Kids has been a reassuring brand name, one that remains very popular with parents,? Dorothy Teeter, director of the state Health Care Authority (HCA), said in a statement. ?We are counting on the same result with Washington Apple Health.?

HCA officials want to create an accessible image for the program before Medicaid eligibility is expanded to accept an estimated 380,000 people across the state.

Under federal health reform, the eligibility ceiling for adult enrollment changes from about 50 percent of the federal poverty level to 138 percent ? a jump of about $500 a month to $1,322.

The new brand name is also supposed to differentiate between Medicaid recipients and those who are eligible for federal health care subsidies.

Valerie Bauman covers health care, nonprofits and the marijuana industry for the Puget Sound Business Journal.

Source: http://feeds.bizjournals.com/~r/bizj_seattle/~3/3-VYYvuDWuQ/washington-state-brands-adult-medicaid.html

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