Originally published on Dec. 5.

That state might give you some cash to buy drugs, check it out!
The state might give you some cash to buy drugs, check it out! skaman306/Getty

Right now is the only time most Americans will be able to buy health insurance for next year, but our president doesn't want you to know that.

The orange and angry man has said that he wants the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) to "explode," he later proclaimed that "Obamacare is now on its last legs, fortunately," meanwhile his administration shortened the time period for people to get insurance and slashed funding for programs that help publicize how to sign up for health care.

Don't let Trump win—if you are uninsured, you only have ONE MORE DAY to change that.

The "open enrollment period," the one time of year most Americans can buy health insurance, ends on December 15—this Saturday. You have until then to log on to the Washington Health Plan Finder and check out your health insurance options. It's actually a very user-friendly website that doesn't make shopping for health insurance fun, but at least makes it less confusing. And if you earn less than $48,240 a year, you can get financial assistance for health insurance. You may even qualify for free health care.

Washington is one of the 37 states that have expanded Medicaid, the free health insurance program. Our state's free health-care program is called Apple Health and depending on your income, you might qualify.

"Today, Apple Health covers adults with incomes up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level. In April 2018, that translated to about $16,753 for a single person or $34,638 for a family of four," said Michael Marchand, a spokesperson for the Washington Health Benefit Exchange.

If you don't qualify for Apple Health, you may still qualify for tax credits that can subsidize your health insurance costs. Back to Marchand with the stats on who qualifies for tax credits:

•$12,060 (100%) up to $48,240 (400%) for one individual
•$16,240 (100%) up to $64,960 (400%) for a family of two
•$24,600 (100%) up to $98,400 (400%) for a family of four

There might be free money lying around out there for you to use on health insurance, but to qualify, you'll need to apply. So what are you waiting for? Go to the health exchange and check it out!

If you need more assistance, you can also use the WAPlanfinder Mobile App, head to one of the 10 full-service enrollment centers, call the toll-free customer support center (1-855-923-4633) or head to one of the more than 70 enrollment events, where professionals can help you with your deepest health insurance questions on a person-to-person level.

Don't thank Trump for all of that outreach. Our own state government is paying for most of those helpful services, according to Stephanie Marquis, a spokesperson for the state's Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

"Our Exchange and its partners are doing their own publicity—we have a state-run Exchange so we have a budget for publicity and outreach," Marquis explained in an e-mail.

Marquis said that despite Trump's cruel intentions, enrollment actually appears to be up about 3 percent compared to this time last year.

That's good news! Now go get health insurance if you haven't already done so.