Staff Changes

The faces at Whatcom Project Access are changing.  First, WPA welcomes new medical director Marta Kazymyra, M.D. Dr. Kazymyra is a family practice doctor who, with her husband Dr. David Allan, has been practicing medicine at Bay Medical Clinic in Blaine for over 25 years.  She was born in Canada and graduated from medical school in Saskatchewan in 1977. 

Dr. Kazymyra is a Whatcom County Medical Society Board Member, is on staff at SJH where she enjoys assisting with surgeries, and is active with Blaine School District and the Blaine Community.  She has two sons and two adopted grandchildren. To relax, she enjoys playing tennis, reading, baking, spending time with her family, and traveling and exploring new countries and cultures. As WPA Medical Director, Dr. Kazymyra supports the program by helping with recruitment and retention and providing medical guidance when necessary. 

After 3 years, Felicia Boettger, WPA Administrative Coordinator will be leaving WAHA to spend more time with her growing family. “I would like to thank all of the people have been so willing to give their time and energy to make the program work. It’s been so inspiring to see everyone come together to provide care for these patients. We should be proud to live in such a compassionate community.” 

Program Statistics

Please click here for a summary of Whatcom Project Access program statistics.

In April, Whatcom Project Access surveyed Administrators from the offices of donating physicians.  The survey sought to identify areas where the program have been successful and areas that need to be improvement or development.  We had a 37% response rate, with 23 surveys returned from 63 offices. We would like to thank all of the people who took the time to respond and provide us with this invaluable feedback. Please feel free to contact Whatcom Project Access at 788-6534 with any comments or suggestions. Click here for a summary of the survey. 

Ten Facts about Washington’s Basic Health Plan

As part of the application process, all Whatcom Project Access patients must qualify and apply for Washington’s Basic Health plan.  Under our recommendation, most WPA patients chose to keep their Basic Health coverage for their future healthcare needs. Below are a few facts that explain how Basic Health works.

1. Basic Health is a state-sponsored insurance program for lower-income Washington residents.
2. The state pays an insurance company part of the Basic Health premium and the member pays the rest.
3. Basic Health income limits are $20,800 per year for an individual and $42,400 for a family of four, before taxes.
4. Most children whose families qualify for Basic Health can get DSHS at no cost.
5. Basic Health premiums range from $17 to $226 per month, per member depending on the member’s age, income, household size.
6. Like commercial insurance, Basic Health has “cost sharing” including co-pays, a $150 deductible and a $1500 out-of-pocket maximum.
7. Basic Health has a 9-month waiting period for pre-existing conditions.  Example: If a member has a condition when their coverage begins in January, the insurance will start to pay for treatment in October. This does not apply to preventative care or prescription drugs.
8. In Whatcom County, Basic Health members can chose between two insurance companies: Community Health Plan (CHP) or Molina.
9. Basic Health is a “managed care plan” where patients have an assigned primary care provider who is responsible for all non-emergent care and arranges all specialty referrals.  Members generally need to get care within their network.
10. Basic Health premiums change based on family size and income. For example, if a person´s income exceeds the limit by any amount, they will lose coverage.

For more information or to apply, please contact WAHA at 788-6594.

Featured Resource:

Washington Prescription Drug Program

The WPDP is a prescription drug discount card that saves patients up to 60% on generic prescriptions and 20% on brand name drugs. Since April 2007, this state program has helped over 82,000 Washington residents save over $4 million dollars on their prescription drugs.