Health insurers abandon Grays Harbor and Klickitat counties

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — The state insurance commissioner's office says that residents in two counties — Klickitat and Grays Harbor — may have limited health insurance options next year because no insurers have filed to sell plans there.

Commissioner Mike Kreidler's office said Thursday that under state law, if no health insurer is available in a particular county, the only option for residents is coverage through the state's high-risk pool, known as WSHIP. Because WSHIP is not a qualified insurer for the state's health exchange, subsidies are not available.

The commissioner's office said that as of Thursday, 11 health insurers have filed 71 plans for the state's 2018 individual health insurance market. Six of those insurers filed within the state's health exchange, eight filed outside the exchange, and two insurers are selling insurance both inside and outside the exchange.