I’m confused--do I have health insurance or not?

December was a very busy – and confusing – month for consumers who tried to sign up for health insurance through the Washington Healthplanfinder.

Ultimately, consumers had a deadline of 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 23 to, at a minimum, create an account in the Healtplanfinder. If you are one of those people, you have until Jan. 15 to complete an application, select a plan and pay the first month’s premium for coverage that will back-date to Jan. 1. For more information, refer to the Healthplanfinder’s frequently asked questions about retroactive enrollment.

If you did not meet the Dec. 23 deadline and you still need insurance, you have until Jan. 23 to select a plan and pay for it to have coverage effective Feb. 1.

Open enrollment for 2014 coverage ends on March 31. People eligible for Medicaid will be able to enroll through the Washington Healthplanfinder all year.

You can read more guidance from Washington’s Health Benefit Exchange in its Dec. 30 news release.

I paid my first health insurance premium, but I don’t have an ID card. What do I do?

Yesterday, consumers were able to start using their insurance under the Affordable Care Act. Washington consumers can sign up using Washington Healthplanfinder.

While the Insurance Commissioner doesn’t administer the Washington Healthplanfinder, our consumer advocates are hearing from a lot of people who have completed their application and paid their first month’s insurance premium, but haven’t yet received their new insurance card or plan information. People want to know what will happen if they need to use their insurance before they get their insurance card.

Medical providers need your insurance ID number to bill them for your care; they don’t need the actual card. If you paid but do not yet have an ID number, you should contact your insurance plan and ask for that information. Your plan can also tell you when your card will likely arrive. If you feel more comfortable having a card, you can ask your company to tell you how to print a temporary ID card.

If you are not sure how to contact your plan, our website has contact information for each of the insurance companies that sells plans through Washington Healthplanfinder.

If you pay out-of-pocket for medical care because you don’t have ID number, you can submit a reimbursement request to your insurance company.

New car? Call your insurance agent

If you take advantage of a good end-of-the-year deal on a new vehicle, be sure to report it to your insurance company right away, and don’t forget to ask them for a quote for Debt Payoff Coverage. This coverage will pay off the outstanding loan balance if your vehicle is destroyed in a covered claim and its current market value is less than your outstanding loan. Your agent and insurer can answer your questions and provide more detail on how the coverage works.

Learn more about auto insurance in Washington state.

Did a furry new family member join you this holiday season?

If Santa brought you or someone in your household a puppy or kitten, you may be thinking about purchasing pet insurance.

Pet insurance is relatively new in the insurance world. It helps pay veterinary bills for preventive care or if your pet is ill or gets hurt. Most plans limit coverage to dogs and cats, so you can stop reading now if you got a new bearded dragon or bunny. Most also require a health screening to make sure your dog or cat is healthy; if you have an older pet, it likely won’t qualify for coverage.

Be a smart shopper – make sure the insurer is licensed in Washington, compare plans’ coverage, deductibles, copayments, coverage limits and exclusions.

Read more of our tips on pet insurance.

OIC hiring program analysts to work with insurers, consumers

The Office of the Insurance Commissioner is hiring two Functional Program Analyst 3 positions, one in Rates and Forms and the other in Consumer Protection.

OIC’s Rates and Forms Division regulates insurance companies that do business in Washington. The person in that position is responsible for reviewing insurance policy forms to ensure they comply with state and federal laws and rules and working with insurance companies. It requires customer service experience, good communication skills and ability to work timely and accurately. This position is open until filled. Read more about the position and salary.

Our Consumer Protection Division helps consumers who have complaints about insurance companies. The person in this position will staff our consumer hotline and enter calls into our consumer protection database. They also research and resolve consumer complaints, including analyzing whether insurance companies’ solutions to consumer complaints comply with insurance rules. This position closes Jan. 12. Read more about the responsibilities and salary.

Did you miss the deadline for health insurance coverage in January? You still have time to get covered by February.

The deadline for applying for medical insurance under the Affordable Care Act for coverage that starts in January was Dec. 23. If you did start your application, you have until Jan. 15 to select a plan and pay your premium for coverage that back-dates to Jan. 1.

If you were unable to do that, open enrollment closes March 31. You can still obtain coverage starting in February or March, depending on when you sign up. For February coverage, the deadline to enroll is Jan. 23.

If you qualify for a subsidy or Medicaid, you should obtain medical insurance through the Washington Healthplanfinder, our state’s health benefit exchange. If you do not qualify for a subsidy, you can buy a health plan directly from an insurance company. Here’s a list of the plans that are available in Washington.

Before you rent a car or loan out yours, consider a few things

Will you need to rent a car during your holiday travels? Does your brother want to borrow your car while he’s home from college? Here are a few things to consider.

What should I know about rental car insurance?

If you are renting a car while you travel, you will likely be offered insurance by the rental car company. Before you decide, check with your agent to find out if your personal auto insurance policy covers damage to cars you rent. Many policies do not cover costs that aren’t directly related to damage, such as the daily fee charged by the rental agency for each day the car is out of service being repaired. In that case, you may want to consider buying coverage from the rental agency.

Read more about rental car insurance.

If I loan my car to someone and they cause a wreck, can my auto insurance increase even if I wasn’t driving?

It’s likely, since your insurer will have to pay a claim under your policy. We recommend you contact your agent to find out for sure. Unless you have a restricted policy that only covers you as a listed driver, a standard auto policy will typically cover people whom you allow to drive your vehicle. If the wreck involves a crime—fleeing the scene, driving under the influence or using the car to commit a crime – then your coverage would not extend to their use.

In general, unless you have a restricted policy or you didn’t authorize the use of your car, when you loan your car, you loan your insurance.

Read more about what most auto insurance policies cover.