Talk to your agent or broker about coverage for college students

Many college students are heading back to college or starting their college careers this time of year. In addition to outfitting students with laptops and dorm room supplies, parents may want to think about whether their students are covered by the right insurance policies. 

Insuring possessions

For students who live in a dorm, typically the parents’ homeowner policy will cover the student’s personal belongings while they are away. The same is true for college students who live at home. Some policies may have a dollar limit for off-premises personal property, so check with your agent or broker to find out what your policy covers.

If the student is renting an apartment or house, it’s worth looking into renter’s insurance. If you have a roommate, read our blog post, Living with someone? You may need your own policy to protect your belongings.

Auto insurance

Auto insurance policies typically don’t change once a driver goes to college, but it can’t hurt to check with your agent or broker if the car will be driven in another state for an extended period of time or, conversely, if the car will stay home while the student is in school and isn’t likely to be driven. You can also ask about any discounts they may have available for good grades or good driving records.

Health insurance

Under the Affordable Care Act, parents can keep children on their health insurance policies until age 26. Read more about health insurance for families.

OIC seeks Senior Financial Analyst to monitor companies

We are hiring a Senior Financial Analyst (Financial Examiner 4) in our Tumwater office to help us monitor the financial health of insurance companies. This position is in our Company Supervision divison and is responsible for monitoring the financial condition of insurers and other entities and taking timely action to help these organizations' financial health so they can fulfill their obligations to consumers. This position also supervises three financial examiners and fills in as acting Chief Financial Analyst, when necessary.

This position is open until filled. Read more or apply at careers.wa.gov.

Cost of raising children may factor into life insurance decisions

This week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that a child born in 2013 will cost $245,340 to raise to the age of 18. That does not include the cost of a college education, or any other expenses if the child lives at home after age 17. The largest expense of raising a child is housing, followed by child care, education and food.

What, you ask, does the cost of raising children have to do with insurance? If you have children under the age of 18 and you are considering purchasing or modifying a life insurance policy for yourself or your spouse, the cost of raising and educating children is one factor you may want to weigh. When you purchase life insurance, you should consider expenses your family will need to pay for when you are gone and how the loss of your salary will affect their ability to do that. We recommend you talk to your financial planner, insurance agent or broker when you are making decisions about life insurance. You can also read more about life insurance on our website.

Are you curious about how much you may spend on raising your child? The USDA has a Cost of Raising a Child Calculator.

Kids' vision screening is an essential benefit under ACA

August is National Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month, which is a good reminder for parents and caregivers to schedule a vision screening before or near the start of the school year.

“Vision screening is vitally important for children,” said Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler, who is a doctor of optometry and practiced in Olympia for 20 years. “Undiagnosed vision problems can disrupt a child’s learning for years and set them back academically and socially.” 

Very young children and children with special needs often have difficulty participating in an eye exam, and often those involved in a child’s care are the first to notice warning signs of an eye problem. 

Insurance plans may require a referral from your child’s primary care provider or pediatrician prior to scheduling a visit with an eye care provider. However, pediatric vision services are among the essential health benefits under the Affordable Care Act, which are the services that all individual and small employer health plans must include.

If your child does not have insurance for eye exams or for prescription eyeglasses, assistance programs such as EyeCare America, InfantSEE and Prevent Blindness may be able to help.

Washington consumers who don’t have health insurance for their children should contact Washington Healthplanfinder to find out if they qualify for Apple Health, our state’s Medicaid program.

If you are the parent of a special needs child ages birth to age 3, contact Early Support for Infants and Toddlers through the state Department of Early Learning.

Read more about how health insurance has changed for individuals and families. If you have questions about insurance in Washington state, contact our consumer advocates online or by phone at 1-800-562-6900.

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Premera, Seattle Children’s Hospital reach agreement; Regence is in the works

Seattle Children’s Hospital and Premera Blue Cross today reached an agreement to include the hospital in its medical networks, effective Sept. 1. Seattle Children’s Hospital initiated legal proceedings about a year ago when Premera, Regence Blue Shield and Coordinated Care decided against including the hospital and research facility in their medical networks because of cost concerns. Regence is working with the hospital on its own agreement, which could be done this week. The company and hospital representatives will have another conference with the hearings officer presiding over the case at 11 a.m. on Aug. 21.

Coordinated Care earlier this year made a deal to include the hospital in its network and was removed from the case. 

“This is good news for consumers,” Kreidler said. “It represents the innovation that can occur when the marketplace is allowed to work. All parties deserve congratulations for the effort they have made and are making to ensure ready and affordable access to health care.

“This also furthers the discussion about how we balance the need of affordable care with the need to continue medical research without policyholders paying for it through premiums.”

The Premera deal was made in the late hours before the OIC’s hearings officer was scheduled to hear the case starting at 10 a.m. today. Kreidler’s office is currently reviewing proposed 2015 health care plans and is expected to start announcing the approved plans this week via the OIC’s online rate tool http://bit.ly/WAhealthrates.

Living with someone? You may need your own policy to protect your belongings

If you are sharing a residence with someone who isn’t a spouse or parent, you may not be covered if your belongings are stolen or damaged in a fire or other destructive event. When a homeowner or renter purchases insurance, the policy typically includes the named insured and the spouse, relatives and dependents under age 21 who live in the residence.

If you live with a partner, a roommate or even a distant relative, you should consider a policy of your own. Talk to an agent or broker about the type of coverage you need to cover your belongings in the event of a break-in, fire, flood, landslide, or other event that could cause you to incur a loss. Find a licensed agent or broker.

Some insurance companies might be willing to add two unrelated people to a renter policy, so check with your insurance agent of insurance company to see if this is an option for you.

Read more about homeowner and renter insurance.

Beware of 'jury duty' phone scam

Here's an alert from our Statewide Health Insurance Benefit Advisors (SHIBA) about a recent phone scam:

People claiming to be law enforcement officials have been calling residents in the Spokane area recently, demanding money to stay out of jail for missing jury duty. Spokane police say the scam involves callers telling people they missed jury duty and have a bench warrant for their arrest. The scammer then asks for money over the phone.

Police advise the public that police officers never call people, whether they have an arrest warrant or not, to request payment. If you receive such a call, hang up and call your local police department to report the incident.

SHIBA provides free, unbiased and confidential assistance with Medicare and health care choices. Read more at http://bit.ly/SHIBA