News Archive

OLYMPIA — Washington State Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler’s office continues to monitor for impacts and disruptions to healthcare services caused by the recent cybersecurity event involving Change Healthcare. 

Change Healthcare is a subsidiary of United Health Group that also operates Optum Solutions. The February 21, 2024 event compromised systems widely used by providers and insurers to fill prescriptions, approve medical services, and submit costs for reimbursement. The result has been delays for some patients in getting necessary medication, prior…

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington state Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler has fined First Premier Home Warranty Corp $100,000 and ordered the New York-based home warranty company to stop conducting insurance business in Washington.

The cease-and-desist order (fortress.wa.gov) — issued March 5, 2024 — noted that First Premier submitted a service contract provider application to the OIC in August of 2022, but never included the documents required to complete the process. Companies must be authorized by the Office of the Insurance Commissioner to transact or solicit insurance business in…

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington state Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler fined Molina Healthcare of Washington $100,000 on Tuesday (fortress.wa.gov) for errors in the company’s enrollment and billing system. 

“Consumers in Washington should be able to rely on their health insurer providing accurate, reliable information,” Kreidler said. “In this situation, the system in place did not provide that assurance for thousands of people, adding confusion and stress to the process of simply obtaining health care.” 

Kreidler’s office opened a review of Molina’s enrollment…

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington state Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler on Wednesday sent a letter to insurers (PDF 173.91KB) urging them to consider loosening personal property claim filing requirements for victims of last summer’s Spokane County wildfires.

Insurance companies typically require policyholders to provide a full, itemized list of all personal property lost in the inciting incident to settle a claim. 

In the letter, Kreidler asked insurers to adjust those requirements and allow for the grouping of like items for consideration — for example, listing “…