SWACH Builds Regional Response to Apple Health Changes

As Apple Health changes begin to roll out, SWACH is working across Clark, Klickitat and Skamania counties to make sure people have clear information and know where to turn for help.

Changes to eligibility for some noncitizen adults took effect Oct. 1. Beginning Jan. 1, 2027, people enrolled in Apple Health for Adults may also face new work or community engagement requirements, six-month renewals and shorter retroactive coverage periods. Some people are exempt from the new work requirements, and the changes do not affect every Apple Health program in the same way. Washington State Health Care Authority

For SWACH, responding to those changes means building on one of the organization’s longstanding roles in Southwest Washington: bringing people and organizations together.

“I would say that SWACH is leveraging a lot of our existing infrastructure to support this response,” said Mercedes Zahler, SWACH’s HealthConnect Community Engagement Manager. “Probably the biggest role that we have is doing what we do by being the connector and convener of partners in these different spaces.”

Rather than creating entirely new systems, SWACH is looking at where resources already exist, where gaps remain and where stronger connections between organizations could make it easier for people to maintain or regain coverage.

Helping people understand what is coming

One of the most immediate concerns SWACH is hearing from partners is that many community members may not yet understand how the changes could affect them.

“A lot of folks are really concerned that community members don’t know what’s coming, and they’re not preparing for how they themselves or their families will be impacted,” Zahler said.

Partners have also raised concerns about the practical realities of the new work requirements. Beginning in January, some people enrolled in Apple Health for Adults will need to meet an exemption or satisfy the requirement through options that can include employment, education, a work program or community service.

That creates questions beyond simply explaining the new policy. Communities will need accessible information about qualifying opportunities, help understanding exemptions and places to turn when someone needs assistance with their coverage.

SWACH is exploring how its existing partnerships can help connect people with workforce, volunteer and other community resources without duplicating work already happening elsewhere.

Strengthening navigation and support

Another major concern is whether there will be enough enrollment and navigation assistance available as more people need help understanding their eligibility, completing renewals or getting back onto coverage.

Zahler said regional navigator capacity is already limited, making it especially important to look at how existing organizations and agreements can be used to expand access to assistance.

“We know a lot of people are going to drop coverage, so being able to get back on and keep coverage is going to be really essential,” she said.

SWACH is also working to connect Community-Based Workers, health care providers and other frontline partners with training and reliable information so they are better prepared when community members come to them with questions.

A trusted source for current information

Because state and federal guidance continues to evolve, providing timely and accurate information is another central part of SWACH’s response.

SWACH has launched an Apple Health changes webpage with current information, steps community members can take and links to official resources. Additional materials and resources for partners are also being developed and shared as information becomes available.

“We’re a trusted source of information,” Zahler said. “People know that they can come to our website, they can come to our staff and they can get accurate guidance, or as accurate as it is to date.”

Maintaining that trust comes with responsibility.

“People are looking to us already as the experts,” she said. “We have a lot of trust in the community, and that’s something important we continue to uphold.”

Part of that responsibility, Zahler said, is helping reduce uncertainty by sharing what is known while being clear when information is still developing.

“A lot of people are concerned right now, rightfully so, and are feeling a lot of strain,” she said. “I think we’re trying to reduce that burden by providing as real information and up-to-date information as possible.”

A regional response will take regional partners

The scope of the changes means no single organization can address every need.

“One of the things I think we learned really quickly [convening a taskforce] is that there are a lot of arms to these changes,” Zahler said. “Even as an organization with broad reach and broad scope, we don’t have arms in all of the areas that we would need to have a really large impact.”

That makes coordination across the region particularly important. SWACH’s role will include creating opportunities for partners to understand what others are doing, identify gaps and connect their individual efforts into a broader response.

Zahler described the goal as helping organizations see where they fit into the larger picture rather than having individual efforts operating separately from one another.

What would a successful response look like?

SWACH recognizes that it will not be possible to prevent every coverage loss associated with the changes.

For Zahler, success means reducing that impact wherever possible.

“We know that we aren’t going to prevent every single person from losing coverage,” she said. “But if we can impact the number or the percentage of people that would lose coverage at all, that would be a really successful response.”

The work will continue to evolve as the changes take effect and SWACH learns more from community members and partners about where additional support is needed.

Zahler said the strength of the response will ultimately depend on people and organizations working together.

“It’s going to take the whole village here to make it happen.”

Learn more about upcoming Apple Health changes and find current resources at southwestach.org/apple-health.