And, there's more...2017 Medical Plans – Lifewise Individual Plans

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​Washington State changes include pulling out of counties, excluding providers and limiting where members can purchase coverage.

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Lifewise​ will have some of the same changes happening as its sister company, Premera Blue Cross.  This will include where members will be able to purchase coverage, pulling out of entire counties, and excluding most of Swedish, Providence, and Franciscan from their Lifewise Connection provider network.  

They’ll only sell products inside the Washington State Exchange. If members are currently on a Lifewise plan outside of the Exchange, they will be offered the chance to remain a direct client of Lifewise. 
Currently Lifewise offers coverage in all counties with the exception of Clark.  As of January 1st, the list of excluded counties will become much larger, including Chelan, Douglas, Ferry, Kittitas, Lewis, Lincoln, Mason, Pend Oreille, San Juan, Skagit, Stevens, and Yakima.  (Note that Lifewise will continue to offer coverage in Klickitat and Skamania, unlike Premera Blue Cross.)   

There will be provider network changes, too, with most of Swedish, Providence, and CHI Franciscan being excluded.  Below is a listing of the only Swedish, Providence, and Franciscan locations that will remain in-network in 2017:

• Providence Regional Everett Medical Center, Colby and Pacific locations, Everett
• Providence Hospital, Centralia
• Providence St. Joseph's Hospital, Chewelah
• Providence Mt. Carmel Hospital, Colville
• Providence St. Mary Medical Center, Walla Walla
• Providence St. Peter Hospital, Olympia
• Inland NW Health Services (dba St. Luke's Rehabilitation Institute), Spokane
• Providence Hospice & Home Care of Snohomish, Everett
• Providence Hospice of Seattle, Seattle
• Swedish Edmonds Hospital, Edmonds
• Harrison Medical Center (hospital and professionals affiliated with CHI Franciscan Health), Bremerton