OIC web-based applications will be down tonight

Starting at 5 p.m. tonight, OIC’s website applications will be unavailable while the state Department of Consolidated Technology Services—the state’s IT agency—moves our applications to new servers. We expect the applications will be available early tomorrow morning. Our website, www.insurance.wa.gov, will remain live.

The outage will primarily affect insurance companies, insurance agents and brokers, consumers who have complaints and State Health Insurance Benefits Advisors (SHIBA) volunteers.

Most of our online services will be unavailable, including:

• Agent and broker online licensing
• Online consumer complaints
• Agent and company lookup
• Online filing search
• SHIBA online

We appreciate your patience.

Washington receives $192,293 from multistate insurance settlement

Washington state is receiving $192,293 as part of a multistate settlement against Lincoln National Life Insurance Co. and two of its affiliated companies.

Lincoln National Life Insurance Co., Lincoln Life and Annuity Co. of New York, and First Penn Pacific Life Insurance Company—part of the Lincoln Group Companies—agreed to a $12.6 million settlement regarding its policies and procedures for identifying and paying customers and their beneficiaries for life insurance policies, retained asset accounts and annuity contracts.

Six states’ insurance commissioners led the case--California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, New Hampshire, North Dakota and Pennsylvania. The settlement terms require Lincoln to reform some business practices and regulatory oversight for several years, culminating in a final review in five years.

In Washington, fines paid by insurance companies are deposited in the state's general fund to pay for state government operations and public K-12 education. Life insurance pays a predetermined amount of money to beneficiaries upon the death of the policyholder. Read more about life insurance on OIC’s website.

People in federal high-risk insurance pool get extra month of coverage

President Obama’s administration announced yesterday that people who participate in the federal Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan will be covered through Jan. 31, 2014. The extension affects about 443 Washington residents and about 135,000 nationwide. The pool covers people who were previously ineligible for health insurance because of chronic pre-existing health conditions including cancer, heart disease and other serious illnesses. The extension allows people in the pool more time to find coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Approximately 3,675 Washington residents are covered under the Washington State Health Insurance Pool (WSHIP), which is the state’s insurance plan for people with chronic health conditions. People in that plan will keep their coverage through the end of 2017. Both the federal and state high-risk insurance pools are closed to enrolling new members.

WashingtonHealthplanfinder, Washington’s health benefit exchange, has been unavailable for many people this month. Yesterday, Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler advised people who are not eligible for a subsidy and are still tyring to find insurance before Jan. 1 to find health insurance from a private broker or agent. Washington residents with incomes of up to $45,960 for an individual and up to $94,200 for a family of 4 are eligible for subsidized insurance plans through the Washington health benefit exchange. Read the news release.

Are all of the contents of my home covered by my insurance policy?

Maybe, maybe not. Some policies offer limited coverage for items such as jewelry, art, coins, stamp collections, furs, guns or business-related property. If you own these types of items, talk to your agent to determine if you need to buy increased coverage or a separate policy to cover the value of those items.

You will be expected to prove your ownership of the items with receipts or with photos of the damaged or missing items. Don’t wait until you have a loss to find out what your policy covers and requires.

Read more about understanding your homeowners insurance.

Witness smokes out insurance fraud by business owner

A Renton business owner has been sentenced after being found guilty of insurance fraud and first-degree theft, both felonies.

Cassk Thomas, Jr., owner of Sams Pitt II Mobile BBQ, filed a claim in August 2011 with American Family Insurance that the barbecue smoker and trailer he used to operate his mobile barbecue business were stolen. He sought reimbursement for $24,668 in lost business and $32,243 that he said he paid for the smoker and trailer. American Family Insurance paid him a total of nearly $56,000 – $30,474 for the smoker and trailer and the full amount he claimed for lost business. A witness later provided proof that the smoker and trailer were purchased by a former business partner for $9,740.

Mr. Thomas was sentenced to 30 days in jail, 120 hours of community service, and faces restitution to American Family Insurance. The full restitution amount will be determined by May 2014.

The Office of the Insurance Commissioner’s Special Investigations Unit investigates insurance fraud. You can report suspected insurance fraud on our website.

Pipes freeze and break, tree hits your roof – does insurance cover these?

Winter conditions are setting in around the state, so now is a good time to prepare for cold, snow and ice and familiarize yourself with what your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance covers in the event of weather-related damage.

We have a page of frequently asked questions about winter weather and insurance coverage on our website.

You can read more about winter weather preparedness and holiday safety on the Washington Emergency Management Division’s website.

Commissioner Kreidler to testify before U.S. House of Representatives

Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler will testify before the U.S. House of Representatives Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health on Dec. 4  about the Affordable Care Act and how it’s working in Washington state.

The Affordable Care Act is the first major step toward making changes that will improve the lives of millions of Americans. For the first time, people have access to affordable, comprehensive medical insurance that doesn’t penalize them for their gender or for having existing medical conditions. Americans will not be subject to limits on their lifetime or annual medical benefits, which unfairly targets people with chronic medical conditions. 

Commissioner Kreidler, a board member of Washington’s Health Benefit Exchange, will touch on our state’s experience in enrolling more than 100,000 citizens through Washington Healthplanfinder.

The hearing starts at 7 a.m. Pacific time and will stream live online.