We are hiring for our consumer hotline

The Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) is hiring an Insurance Technician 1 and building a register of qualified candidates who may be considered for other permanent or non-permanent Insurance Technician 1 positions in the Consumer Advocacy Program in the Consumer Protection Division that occur within the next six months.

This position provides clerical support to the Consumer Advocacy Program and answers and triages consumer hotline calls. Hotline responsibilities include assessing issues, providing routine departmental information, and routing calls to the appropriate unit, staff person or agency. This position assists insurance producers with the website and answers basic licensing questions.

Duties of this position include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Triaging calls and assisting consumer with Consumer Advocacy, Statewide Health Insurance Benefit Advisor (SHIBA) program, and Licensing inquiries on the hotline. 
• Explaining basic insurance rules and procedures, answering questions and resolving problems involving insurance matters.
• Providing information regarding actions insurance producers/brokers and applicants need to take to comply with licensing requirements.
• Helping consumers and companies troubleshoot online application issues. 

Find more information or apply at careers.wa.gov.

Are insurers allowed to cancel homeowner policies?

Unfortunately, yes, an insurer can cancel or choose not to renew your homeowner policy at any time. Insurers are required to send you a written notice 45 days in advance, clearly listing the reason(s) for their actions. They are only required to give 10 days’ notice if the reason is nonpayment. Insurers are not prohibited from making a decision to cancel or not renew a homeowner policy due to claims history, the condition of your property, or failure to respond to their requests for underwriting data from you. Last summer, a few homeowners reported their insurers wanted to cancel their policies for homes located in the wildfire region in Eastern Washington. Insurers can also ask you to make changes to your property to remain insured, such as removing vegetation to create a fire break around your house, cleaning or repairing your roof, or making repairs to worn siding, etc.

Your insurance agent may be able to work with the insurer to retain coverage, possibly with a higher deductible or some other provision, such as a home inspection report that would provide the insurer with more information about the overall condition and care of the home and property. There’s no guarantee the insurer will continue the coverage, but it’s worth asking the question.

If you are unable to find coverage, you can get a quote from Washington Fair Access to Insurance Requirements (FAIR) Plan. It provides basic property insurance up to $1.5 million to people who can't get coverage. All Washington property insurers must participate and consumers must get a quote from a licensed insurance agent. Find a licensed insurance agent or broker.



Read more about what to do if your policy is canceled. Questions? You can contact our consumer advocates online or at 1-800-562-6900.

Share your story as Medicare and Medicaid turn 50 this year

This July, Medicare and Medicaid will celebrate their 50th anniversary. You’re invited to share your story on how these programs have positively impacted your life or that of a loved one.

In the coming months, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) plans to share stories in a number of ways. Some stories will be used to help bring life to speeches and content on its websites. Some beneficiaries will be invited to share their stories at events or be interviewed for videos. In addition, as part of CMS’ efforts to celebrate the 50th anniversary, it plans to display stories in a gallery exhibit at the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C. Before CMS uses your story, staff will contact you to get your permission and to make sure you’re comfortable with how they’ll use it.

• Share your story here. 
• If you have questions about the story collection process or to find out more about the 50th anniversary celebration, contact CMS' Shannon Ingram.

Do you know what preventive services are free?

Health care reform - otherwise known as the Affordable Care Act - gives you the right to access certain preventive medical services with no cost-sharing, including co-pays or coinsurance even if you haven't met your deductible.

The list of free services includes immunizations, cancer screenings, depression screening and much, much more. See the full list at Healthcare.gov. There's also specific services covered for women and even for children.

If you've been charged for a preventive service that you believe should've been free, give our health insurance experts a call at 1-800-562-6900 or email us at askmike@oic.wa.gov

We've heard from some consumers who have had their free colonoscopy, but were later charged for the removal and testing of a polyp. Recent guidelines from the federal government should protect you from these charges, but if you have concerns, please contact us. We'll help you understand your rights to these services and others.

Are you ready for a megaquake?

Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) ran a series of stories earlier this month about how prepared Northwesterners are for a massive earthquake (or not, in many cases). Some experts say a magnitude 9.0 quake off our coast could hit at anytime. OPB profiled a series of families who tried living off their earthquake supplies for a weekend to as a trial run. The Red Cross recommends storing 14 gallons of water and 42 meals per person in the event of a megaquake. That’s a lot of supplies. 

Photo courtesy of FEMA. A sports car lies crushed by earthquake debris in a Seattle parking lot in Seattle on March 4, 2001.

In addition to being prepared for the disaster itself, homeowners should be prepared for the aftermath. Step one is talking to your insurance agent about what your policies will cover. Earthquakes are not automatically covered by a standard homeowner’s policy, most insurers require an endorsement or a separate policy. And you likely won’t be able to buy it after the fact, most insurers don’t sell it for a period of time after an earthquake hits. Additionally, it typically doesn’t cover tidal waves or tsunamis that are a direct result of an earthquake, but be sure to read your policy and talk to your insurance agent.

While you are preparing for an earthquake—or wildfire or any other natural disaster—make sure you include insurance in your planning.

• Take a look at the OPB series, Unprepared: Will we be ready for the Megaquake?
• Read about earthquake insurance. 
• Find resources for natural disasters. 

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

Help the OIC improve health insurance webpages

We need your help refining the information we provide on the individuals and families section of our health insurance webpages. 

You can help by taking a short survey by May 28. It takes less than 15 minutes to complete and your responses are anonymous.

We will use your feedback to improve the way the information on the pages is organized, so it is more user-friendly and easy to navigate.

Thanks for your participation!

OIC hiring two entry-level insurance positions in Tumwater

The Office of the Insurance Commissioner is hiring two entry-level positions atour Tumwater headquarters to help consumers with insurance.

• Insurance Technician 1: This is in our Consumer Protection Division and answers calls on our consumer hotline. This position triages calls to consumer advocacy, producer licensing and Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors (SHIBA), explains basic insurance rules and helps consumers and industry users troubleshoot problems with our online applications. 
• Health Insurance Advisor 1: This is in our Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors (SHIBA) program and is a temporary job through December 2015. This position counsels consumers in person and on the phone about health insurance, Medicare and Medicaid, including screening them for eligibility and enrolling them in subsidized programs. The person in this position delivers presentations to community groups, trains volunteers and attends monthly meetings around the state. 

Find more information about these jobs and other openings at http://bit.ly/OICjobs