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Before you celebrate the Fourth of July holiday, here are a few things to consider: Some cities in Washington state have banned fireworks. If you live in one of those cities and cause a fire with fireworks, your homeowner or renter policy may not cover the loss. Talk to your agent or broker, or read your policy to be sure.  Washington State Patrol has a list of cities that have banned fireworks for personal use, and a list of public fireworks displays.  More fires are reported on the Fourth of July than any other day, according to the National Fire Protection Association. On average, 250 people go to the emergency room every day with fireworks-related injuries in the month around July 4, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The CPSC reports that in 2016, 11,000 people were treated for fireworks-related injuries. Consumers can get help with their insurance or ask insurance-related questions by calling our consumer advocates at 1-800-562-6900

Driving your own vehicle for a ridesharing company —Uber and Lyft are the most well-known—has become a popular side gig. Some drivers are illegally using their personal auto policies to insure their vehicles. Rideshare drivers are not covered by their personal auto insurance policies. They are required to have a commercial or rideshare-specific auto insurance policy to cover them while they are driving for profit. In recent years, insurance companies have created products to cover drivers during the different periods – waiting to be hailed, en route to pick up a passenger, and while driving a passenger. Some of those policies are commercial, some of them are hybrid products that are in addition to your personal auto insurance. In addition, Uber and Lyft offer their own coverage for liability for passengers and third parties in the case of a collision. If you are a rideshare driver and file a claim with your personal, non-rideshare auto insurance company for a collision that happene

Medicare started mailing new cards to beneficiaries in April and will finish mailing them nationwide in a year. In Washington state, beneficiaries will start receiving their replacement cards this July. The cards have a new look but, most importantly, they have unique numbers to replace the Social Security numbers previously used on the cards. Medicare created the new cards to reduce identity theft and fraud. New Medicare card design Ironically, fraudsters are capitalizing on the change to deceive beneficiaries. They may have many details about individuals, often gleaned from social media and other publicly available resources. They sound convincing. The Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) helps beneficiaries fight back. SMP staff work in communities across the country to teach beneficiaries how to prevent, detect, and report Medicare fraud, errors, and abuse. Here are some Medicare card scams that SMP is seeing: The new Medicare cards don’t cost anything! Scams:  Telling Medicare beneficia

It's graduation season and lots of new college graduates are embarking on their career journeys. Many college grads find themselves needing to make important insurance-related decisions. By better understanding insurance policies and your needs at this stage, you can get the most out of the money you spend on insurance. Renter insurance Renter insurance can protect your personal property against damage or loss and also protects you in case someone is injured while in your residence. If you plan to rent an apartment or other residence, here is more information about how renter insurance works . You might be sharing your apartment or house with roommates. In this case, you likely need an individual policy that covers you and your possessions if something should happen. Speaking of your stuff, the best way to make sure you get reimbursed for your contents is to make a home inventory . Health insurance As you sort through job prospects, make sure salary isn't your only considerati

April marks National Volunteer Month and our Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors (SHIBA) program recognizes the more than 400 people statewide who selflessly volunteer their time to help people navigate Medicare. They’re an integral part of the consumer protection work we do here at the Office of the Insurance Commissioner. SHIBA volunteers assist people at a Spokane outreach event  During 2017, SHIBA volunteers: Assisted more than 87,000 Medicare beneficiaries, their families and caregivers with one-on-one counseling in person and over the phone to help them: Evaluate their insurance needs.  Choose a Medicare plan. Choose a Medicare supplement plan.  Review long-term care options. Apply for low-income subsidies (to help pay for prescription drugs) and Medicare Savings Plans (to help pay Medicare Part A and B premiums, copays and deductibles). Educated more than 108,000 people about Medicare. Held more than 3,300 outreach events statewide. Last year, our volunteers donated 95,

Did you know that 2 million workers in Washington state don't have access to a retirement plan at work? Studies show that it's best to save for your retirement as early as possible. Even a few dollars a month can make a big difference 20, 30, or 40 years down the road. Washington state residents at any stage of life can look for a retirement plan at the state’s new retirement marketplace . Small businesses and individuals can find a low-cost plan that will help them save for retirement. Not sure how much you should save each month? The National Retirement Planning Coalition can help you calculate what you need to save based on what stage of life you are in at RetireOnYourTerms.org . The site features life-stage specific resources and tools to assist Americans achieve their long-term financial goals. Other resources from the insurance commissioner: Learn more about annuities  Learn more about Medicare  Locate an old life insurance policy

More than 249 million Americans had dental coverage at the end of 2016, according to the National Association of Dental Plans. Here’s some information about how to get the most out of your dental plan. Types of dental insurance Dental preferred provider organization (DPPO/PPO : These plans are popular because they allow covered consumers to choose from an array of dentists and dental specialists. The flexibility of PPOs trends toward higher costs for that type of coverage. Dental indemnity insurance : Consumers pay dentists directly for services rendered and later receive compensation from the insurance company through a sometimes lengthy claims-submission process. Discount dental/dental savings plans : Dentists agree to perform services for plan owners at a discounted price. Dentists are paid the discounted rate directly by the plan owner. What dental insurance covers Individual policies typically cover the following at 100 percent:: Preventive care : Cleanings, routine office visits 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will start mailing redesigned Medicare cards to beneficiaries in Washington state after June 2018. 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. All replacement cards should be delivered nationwide by April 2019. Here are 10 things to know about your new Medicare card: Mailing takes time: Your card may arrive at a different time than your friend’s or neighbor’s. Destroy your old Medicare card: Once you get your new Medicare card, destroy your old Medicare card and start using your new card right away. Guard your card: Only give your new Medicare number to doctors, pharmacists, other health care providers, your insurers, or people you trust to work with Medicare on your behalf. Your Medicare number is unique: Your card has a new number instead of your Social Security Number. This new

Our office regulates insurance, but not every kind of insurance. One of the types of insurance we don’t regulate are military health plans, such as TRICARE, which is regulated by the U.S. Department of Defense . However, we occasionally receive complaints, calls, and email inquiries from military members and retirees about those plans. On Jan. 1, TRICARE’s contracted insurance provider changed from UnitedHealthcare Military & Veterans to Health Net Federal Services . We have heard from some consumers and the TRICARE West Region that their call center is experiencing higher volume of calls with long wait times, enrollment backlogs, referral and authorization processing backlogs, and limited network provider directory & delivery issues. While we are unable to assist in resolving military health plan complaints, we do have information that may help some people: TRICARE West customer service number: 1-844-866-9378 Inquiries regarding West Region claims with dates of service prior

The Office of the Insurance Commissioner investigates criminal insurance fraud, receiving approximately 2,000 referrals each year. While insurance fraud may seem like a “victimless” crime – insurance companies carry large reserves of money in part to help pay claims – it actually harms consumers. Insurance fraud costs the average family $400 to $700 per year in increased premiums. The OIC’s Criminal Investigations Unit (CIU) is staffed by law enforcement and criminal analysts who work with state and local prosecutors to bring charges against the people who are suspected of committing insurance fraud. In 2017, our fraud investigators: Analyzed and prioritized 1,896 fraud referrals. Opened 102 criminal investigations and closed 93 criminal cases. Submitted 33 complex criminal cases to county, state, and federal prosecutors. Our work resulted in 33 criminal guilty pleas or convictions from 28 defendants. Here are some examples of insurance fraud: Buying insurance afte

Consumers can file complaints against insurance companies or against an agent or broker (they are called producers). Sometimes those complaints spur broader investigations where we identify a bigger issue. That’s where our regulatory investigations unit comes in. We have nine investigators who come from military and civilian law enforcement, and one former insurance producer. The team investigates insurance producers in Washington who violate state insurance laws and rules. If the producer is from another state, we refer the case to that state’s insurance department. We also work closely with our own Criminal Investigations Unit and local law enforcement agencies. In 2017, our regulatory investigators closed 188 cases, ranging from producers illegally selling insurance without a license to complex cases like annuity scams that target older consumers. Here are some examples: A simple complaint about a car rental company selling personal accident insurance resulted in an investigation

The Office of the Insurance Commissioner oversees Washington’s Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors (SHIBA). SHIBA offers free, unbiased and confidential assistance with Medicare and other health care choices. SHIBA can help you: Understand your Medicare coverage benefits, options and rights. Determine your general eligibility for programs that can help you pay for your Medicare. Evaluate and compare health insurance plans. In 2017, our 400 SHIBA volunteer advisors helped more than 108,000 people understand Medicare. Advisors are available in communities throughout the state; find one near you . For people who are about to turn or recently turned 65, we host Medicare events around the state .  You can also find information about Medicare on our website. Are you interested in becoming a SHIBA volunteer? Find out more .  Need more help? Call our Insurance Consumer Hotline at 800-562-6900 or find help online .

National Consumer Protection Week is March 4-10 and the Office of the Insurance Commissioner is one of many state agencies that help Washington consumers. This week, we’ll highlight some of the ways our agency helps consumers. Follow along on social media ; you can also  subscribe to our blog  by email or text. Most people have at least one type of insurance , whether it be health, home, auto, renter, business or another policy. Our consumer advocates are available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to answer questions about insurance, help you find information and resources about insurance, or help resolve disputes with your insurance company. Here are some examples of ways we’ve helped consumers recently: An insurance company delayed a total loss claim for a consumer whose vehicle was damaged in a collision. A consumer was airlifted to a hospital and the health insurance company denied the bill for the air ambulance. We helped the consumer get the insurance company to pay th

If you run a business out of your home, your homeowner insurance policy may not cover you adequately. Homeowner insurance policies typically do not cover any losses or liability related to a business. In other words, if something were to happen related to your business, you would be on the hook for all damage to your property and any ensuing liability (your responsibility for damage to other people’s property or injury to other people). Here are some questions to ask yourself if you run a business out of your home: Do you keep business related stock or inventory in your home? Do you have specialized or difficult-to-replace equipment that requires special consideration? Many renters or homeowners policies limit office equipment replacement to $2,500. Would this cover the equipment you need to keep your business running? Do clients or customers visit your home office? If so, are you protected against possible lawsuits if a visitor were to injure themselves? If your home office were dest

Most people know that we regulate insurance in Washington state, but many aren’t aware that we also help consumers when they have questions about insurance or have trouble with their insurance company. In fact, we have an entire division dedicated to protecting consumers from financial harm. An OIC consumer advocate attends an outreach event  In 2017, our consumer advocates: Received and processed 7,705 consumer complaints , resulting in recovery of $18.9 million related to insurance billings, refunds and various claim-handling issues to consumers.  Answered 63,823 calls to our consumer hotline regarding insurance issues, rights and responsibilities. Responded to 5,801 written   inquiries . Mailed 1,904 insurance-related publications to consumers upon their request. Helped consumers resolve various policy issues, including claims, billing, and underwriting problems, and offered referral services to other state agencies and organizations, including the Washington Health Benefit Exc

The announcement by Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JP Morgan Chase to form a company to contain health care costs for their employees has generated considerable attention – and for good reason. The leaders of these companies are renowned for their ability to innovate. We certainly agree with them that health care costs are unsustainable and need to be lower. We’ve been saying that for years. How they plan to accomplish such a monumental task remains to be seen. Warren Buffett, the chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, said the companies don’t “come to this problem with answers. But we also do not accept it as inevitable.” It’s an admirable goal and one that comes with a lot of work ahead. Jeff Bezos, the head of Amazon, acknowledges the truth by saying “the health care system is complex.” How the companies go about cutting costs and improving results is something that many will watch. Companies like Amazon self-insure for their employees’ health care and

Starting this year, health insurance companies in Washington state are required to cover a 12-month supply of birth control pills, rather than 12 separate 30-day refills. The prescriptions are also provided to consumers at no cost, thanks to the Affordable Care Act. That means women can get a 12-month supply of birth control pills in one visit to the pharmacy without paying out of pocket. Before this year, women had to get refills once every 30 to 90 days. Washington state Rep. June Robinson, D-Everett, sponsored the bill the passed the Legislature in 2017. She told KNKX that the bill was a way to remove barriers for women. Need more information? Read more about insurance coverage for prescription contraceptives on our website. Questions? Contact our consumer advocates online by phone at 1-800-562-6900.