We have a long line of supporting our local community. From volunteering with nonprofits to serving in the military. There is an ongoing debate to file to become a Special Benefits Corporation.
We have been dealing with COVID for a couple of years. From Masks to working through the first of the Covid Pandemic, and even mandates. It looks like the 2024 Enrollment Season will be no different this year.
The Annual Enrollment Period for Medicare runs from October 15th through December 7th. We have hundreds of people that enroll, get educated or change their Medicare Plan.
We see folks with various degrees of health. We want them to live long and prosperous lives. Currently Washington state is tracking three respiratory illnesses including COVID, If you suspect that you have an illness then let us work over the phone or with a video chat.
On Day 6 we test and test a couple more times and if nothing shows up we can end our masks.
We are stocking KN95 Masks in our office. You want a N95 or KN95 level mask. They run $19 per 50 and if you see us wearing them then we are in the middle of our testing cycle as we have been exposed.
If we are sick and lose our ability to work for two weeks then we can not see at least 86 families. Yes, our appointment spaces fill up and we work seven days a week taking care of people. Not only does that take away our household income for the year, it has the potential of taking away health insurance for families for the year.
Triple Point NCW provides free services for LGBTQ+ youth, their families and communities in Chelan, Douglas, Grant and Okanogan Counties. The National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health paints a rough picture with 45% of LGBTQ+ youth seriously considering suicide and fewer than 1 in 3 transgender and nonbinary youth finding their homes being gender-affirming. A positive person can reduce the risk of children not making it to adulthood.
Triple Point is part of the Children’s Home Society of Washington. They have been around since 1896. They have seven locations around Washington State. Each with different support programs with Wenatchee identified as a Future Hub for a streamlined and cohesive support system for children and families.
If you would like to lend a hand contact Dylan Sprodling directly at dylan.spradling@chs-wa.org or call 509-802-1136.
With The Suzie @ Wenatchee Insurance, we created an outreach page called OUTNCW.ORG where people can find healthcare including mental health professionals. We have been committed to all of our neighbors living their lives and getting clear access to healthcare is part of it.
We received our first harassing calls by an unlisted number for the first time. We have been running an insurance office in the Wenatchee Valley for years. As we saw the increase in outrage against the LGBTQIA+ community by extremists, we were waiting for the terrorism to start.
As a Veteran, Matt grew up defending American Values. While there may be debates and differences of opinion on specific human rights issues within the United States, the general commitment to human rights as a core value remains a significant aspect of American society and its national identity. The recognition and protection of individual freedoms and human dignity are considered essential components of American values.
Matt supported Gay marriage because of the difference that was occurring with annuities. Without marriage, gay couples were being discriminated against by being forced to cash out annuities instead of married couples that were allowed to transfer to another partner if one died early. It wasn’t until the Washington State voters passed Referendum 74 in November of 2012 that discrimination end in Washington State. Suzie & Matt even have the pleasure of meeting the first Wenatchee Couple that was married under that update a few years later thanks to Rotary.
Enter the ACA.
I have been a part of the ACA rollout since the beginning in Washington state. First as a producer then supporting the Enrollment Center in Washington. The ACA contains Section 1557 which granted protection nationwide for the first time for the LGBTQIA+ community for the first time.
Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) aimed to protect the LGBTQ community, among other groups, from discrimination in healthcare. The section prohibited discrimination based on various factors, including sex, in any health program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a rule in 2016 interpreting Section 1557 to include protections for transgender individuals and other LGBTQ individuals. The rule explicitly prohibited discrimination based on gender identity and sex stereotyping, which provided important protections for transgender and gender non-conforming individuals.
The rule required healthcare providers and insurers to treat individuals consistent with their gender identity and prohibited the denial of healthcare services or coverage based on a person’s transgender status. It also protected individuals from being subjected to discriminatory practices, such as the denial of care or coverage, harassment, or being treated less favorably due to their gender identity or transgender status.
This was the moment that we realized that we were not doing enough in the community. By being quiet, hate was festering in North Central Washington.
We became the first in-person assisters within 50 miles to train with Out2Enroll for specialized training with the LBBTQIA+ community.
We set down money to be a vendor at the 2021 Pride Festival which was moved to 2022. In 2022, we added our voice by contributing our outreach marketing to let everyone know that we were going to be at Wenatchee Pride. We handed out 800 bags and got in some great conversations about insurance.
We participated in the Inclusive Banners for 2022 and 2023 for the Elvis Foundation.
We saw that we could do more. When we did outreach for the American Rescue Plan Act, it was identified that LGBTQIA households were twice as likely to be uninsured than CIS households.
We saw that more work needed to be done locally across insurance lines. Our vision for Wenatchee Insurance is to create a safe space so that everyone can understand and select needed coverage free from judgment. Shayla, Suzie, and Matt have spent years building an Insurance Agency from the ground up. Shayla had been doing account management with a crop insurance company, working with Progressive Devilry to update the region with human rights concerns, and was a member of the Wenatchee Pride board.
We became the first business in Wenatchee to join the GSBA. GSBA is Washington State’s LGBTQ+ and allied chamber of commerce, and the largest in North America. As we saw a means to recruit additional resources into Eastern Washington.
June and July of 2022, we began our Pride Tour. We are working with Pride Festivals in Washington State. We wanted to make sure that they had funds while we did our outreach to drive down the uninsured rates. Sometimes we tabled and sometimes we were able to do a sponsorship as funds allowed.
It shows us that we are needed and that our support of LGBTQIA+ and allies is more important than ever. If you want insurance then let us know and if you want to take potshots from unlisted numbers well, we are still standing tall after 30+ years of supporting the Great Melting Pot that is America.
WE return calls & are here for appointments..OR you can start your free online quote now!
For nearly a decade we have assisted with Health & Medicare Solutions. We are proud to be selected by the Washington Healthplanfinder to be one of ten Enrollment Centers located in Washington State.
