Help us improve our Medicare webpages!

We are in the process of conducting a usability study on the Insurance Commissioner's Medicare webpages. We want to hear from consumers how we can organize the pages and content in a way that makes sense to you. All it takes is 10-15 minutes to take a simple online survey. The survey is open through May 1. 

Your feedback is very important, so please take a few minutes to help us improve our site!

Online services unavailable Saturday, April 25

The Insurance Commissioner's online services will be unavailable Saturday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Our website, www.insurance.wa.gov, will be available, but people will not be able to access the following applications accessed through our site:

• Licensing services
• Complaints
• SHIBA online
• Insurance company and agent lookup
• Rate transparency

The city is relocating the underground fiber network cables as part of a road construction project, which will disrupt our computer networks. 

Insurance needs are a factor in retirement planning

This week is National Retirement Planning Week, organized by the National Retirement Planning Coalition. The group aims to help people create a comprehensive plan for retirement, which can seem daunting or, for some, too far away to contemplate. Its website, www.retireonyourterms.org, offers tools based on your age, retirement and saving calculators and plenty of information about ways you can be prepared for retirement.

Insurance needs also should be factored into your retirement plans. Medicare plans carry a cost for premiums, doctor visits, prescription drugs and hospitalizations. However, Medicare typically does not cover long-term care, so some people opt for long-term care insurance to pay for home health care, adult day care, nursing home care or group-living facility care.

If you are considering annuities as part of your retirement planning, we have information about the benefits, the types of annuities and payouts.

Questions? You can contact our consumer advocates online or at 1-800-562-6900.

Thank you to our SHIBA volunteers!

Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler meets SHIBA volunteers from South Sound Outreach in October 2014

In honor of National Volunteer Month, we’re recognizing the more than 400 people who volunteer their time to our Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors (SHIBA) program. SHIBA's outstanding volunteers are an integral part of the consumer protection work we do at the Office of the Insurance Commissioner. In 2014, they helped nearly 65,000 Washington consumers understand Medicare in plain English, resolve Medicare disputes and choose a plan that best fits their needs in a timely manner.

Our volunteers donated nearly 90,000 hours in 2014 to helping their fellow citizens. We honor and celebrate our volunteers for their dedication and kindness. Thank you SHIBA volunteers for your time, dedication, commitment and service.

Read more about SHIBA services and where to find help in your area.