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The start of a new year is a natural time to re-evaluate your insurance coverage needs. Changing circumstances may require updated policies. Did you have a baby? Get married? Purchase a new home or car? If so, you'll want to check whether you have the right protection. Your agent or company can help determine whether your coverage is adequate or if you might need to make adjustments. Even if you haven't experienced a life-changing event, you could be eligible for discounts or new insurance products that may better serve your needs. 1. Life insurance Changes–such as a birth, divorce, remarriage or even a new mortgage or new job–are indicators that you might need to make changes to your life insurance policy. Read your policy carefully and answer these questions: Do premiums or benefits vary from year to year? Do the total benefits grow over time? Are there benefits that are not guaranteed? Do premiums change over time? What happens if I quit paying premiums – do I maintain some

If you have Medicare, you can protect your identity and help prevent health care fraud by guarding your Medicare card just like you would a credit card. New Medicare cards will be mailed starting in April 2018. Identity theft from stolen Medicare numbers is becoming more common. To help combat fraud, Medicare is removing Social Security Numbers from cards and replacing them with a new, unique number for each person. The new cards will be mailed starting in April 2018 and should be fully distributed by April 2019. In the meantime, here are some important steps you can take to protect yourself from the identity theft that can lead to health care fraud: Don’t share your Medicare number with anyone who contacts you by phone, email or in person, unless you’ve given them permission in advance. Medicare will NEVER contact you (unless you ask us to) for your Medicare number or other personal information. Never let anyone borrow or pay to use your Medicare number. Review your Me

The OIC is participating along with 1.2 million others in the Great Washington Shakeout statewide earthquake drill on Oct. 19. Washington state is no stranger to earthquakes, and the preparedness of our region has been a topic of much discussion in the media as of late. Did you know? In most cases, earthquake insurance has to be purchased separately. Check your policy to see if you are covered. Earthquake insurance is not covered by most homeowner policies and most insurers will suspend selling policies after a quake.  Nonstructural failures have accounted for the majority of earthquake damage. This includes windows, partitions, veneers, piping, false ceilings, HVAC, elevators, computers, file cabinets, plumbing fixtures, etc. Here are some tips to prepare for an earthquake: Check your work area and home. Are bookshelves, dressers, china cabinets secured? If they fall over, they could block your only way out, leaving you trapped until someone can find you and rescue you. Do you know w

Today is National  IT Professionals Day, and we want to take a moment to recognize the people here at the OIC who keep our systems running so we can accomplish our mission of protecting consumers and regulating insurers. Some of the OIC's stellar IT staff  Here are some the ways our IT staff help us protect consumers and regulate the insurance industry: Consumers can file online complaints against insurance companies, agents and brokers, and get help from our consumer advocates.  Insurance agents and brokers can apply for or renew their licenses online.  Insurance companies can pay their premium taxes online, which goes to the state's general fund to pay for state government operations.  Insurance companies file their rates electronically to use for review.  And, of course, our IT folks keep our computers up and running so we can do our work every day.  You can find all of those online services on our website, www.insurance.wa.gov . 

Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a first look at the new Medicare card design. The new card contains a unique, randomly assigned number that replaces consumers' Social Security numbers. The purpose is to prevent fraud, combat identity theft and safeguard taxpayer dollars. CMS will stagger the mailings of the new card to people with Medicare benefits, starting April 2018 through April 2019.  In addition to today’s announcement, people with Medicare will also see the new design of the Medicare card in the 2018 Medicare & You Handbook, which will arrive throughout the month of September.   Learn more about the new Medicare card initiative and how to protect yourself from Medicare scams.

Some property insurers have temporarily stopped selling insurance in areas affected by the Eagle Creek, Norse Peak and Jolly Mountain fires in Washington state. Photo courtesy Washington state Department of Natural Resources  What does that mean?  If you are in the process of buying real estate or if your homeowner insurance policy is up for renewal, you may have a hard time finding a policy. What should I do?  Contact your agent or broker and ask what your options are. If you need a policy and don’t have one, shop around. Consumers also have access to the property insurer of last resort in our state, called the Washington Fair Plan. The plan offers basic property insurance to consumer who are unable to obtain insurance in the standard insurance market. Consumers have to obtain coverage through a licensed insurance agent or broker, and you can work with whomever you choose. If your company won’t offer you coverage, your agent can help you get coverage through the Fair Plan. Find a lice

Today, is National Report Medicare Fraud Day. We all pay the price for Medicare fraud, abuse and waste, which contributes significantly to rising health care costs. In fact, Medicare fraud costs taxpayers $60 billion every year. What you can do to help stop Medicare fraud Protect your Medicare number, located on your Medicare card. Treat it like a credit card and don’t carry it with you unless you need to use it. Don’t give out your Medicare, Social Security or bank account numbers over the phone or in person, unless you made contact – and you trust the person. Remember, nothing is ever free. Don’t accept offers of money or gifts for "free" medical care. Ask questions. You have a right to know everything about your medical care, including the costs billed to Medicare. Check your Medicare statements to make sure they are accurate and match the services you actually received. Be wary of medical providers who tell you the item or service isn’t usually covered, but they “know h

We've learned about a phone scam that started in Snohomish County in which consumers are getting cold-calls from someone who says they are with SHIBA , the Insurance Commissioner’s Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors. SHIBA representatives never cold-call people.  If you or someone you know gets a call like this, hang up -- do not provide any personal information. Report the incident and, if you have caller ID, the phone number to us at 1-800-562-6900 .  About SHIBA Washington state's SHIBA provides free, unbiased and confidential help with Medicare and health care choices to people of all ages and backgrounds. Our volunteer advisors are located around the state. SHIBA is also Washington state’s Senior Medicare Patrol project that helps consumers prevent, detect and report Medicare and Medicaid fraud and abuse. Contact SHIBA by email or at 1-800-562-6900.