After launching their daughter, Julie Gonzales Corbin and her husband embarked on midlife career transitions.

In 2013, they counted their lucky stars and squeaked by without health insurance. When they learned about the new affordable insurance options, they quickly selected a bronze Group Health plan because, as longtime Seattleites, they'd had positive experiences there in the past.

Still, Julie wasn't sure her new insurance card would do much for her.

Then she heard the scary news of this year's flu outbreak – 10 deaths already in our state- and decided it was time to find out. On January 14, she pulled into a Group Health parking garage, went upstairs and stood in a short line of patients at the check-in desk.

It was the moment of truth. Will my card work? Will they know who I am? Will they ask me to pay out-of-pocket? Julie wondered.

The receptionist whisked her through, directing her around the corner to the injection room. What? No rigmarole? Julie thought, and sure enough, before she could even glance through a Sunset magazine, a nurse ushered her in, drew up a syringe and gave Julie a flu shot, free of charge.

"The experience couldn't have been more seamless. I was in and out of there in 15 minutes."