Renowned Washington state consumer program celebrates 45th anniversary

02/15/2024

OLYMPIA, Wash. — A small volunteer effort that started in Mount Vernon and grew into one of the nation’s most popular senior customer assistance programs is celebrating 45 years of work.

The Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors (SHIBA) program, part of the Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC), has spent more than 40 years providing hundreds of thousands of Medicare beneficiaries in Washington state with free, unbiased and confidential counseling services. 

SHIBA helps people in every corner of the state with questions about enrolling in Medicare,…

Former insurance producer pleads guilty to first degree theft and money laundering

01/31/2024

OLYMPIA, Wash. — A Selah man pled guilty to first-degree theft and money laundering after an investigation by Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler’s Criminal Investigation Unit (CIU).

Jason Eaton was sentenced to 60 days of electronic home detention and ordered to pay $100 restitution after his guilty plea, entered on January 18, 2024, in Yakima County Superior Court.

From July to November 2019, Eaton worked as an insurance producer and issued policies to his clients with American Family Insurance. American Family tried, on multiple occasions, to collect $24,162.24 in…

Kreidler fines, orders Zion Health to stop selling insurance in Washington

01/03/2024

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Commissioner Mike Kreidler has ordered Zion Health to stop selling insurance illegally in Washington state and fined the company $50,000.

Kreidler’s office issued an initial cease-and-desist order in February of 2022. The final order was signed on December 19, 2023.

Zion Health, domiciled in Salt Lake City, offered and sold insurance in Washington without being authorized to do so by the Office of the Insurance Commissioner. The company also excluded coverage for pre-existing health conditions for two years and excluded coverage for termination of pregnancy…

Kreidler issues $305,000 in fines for violations in November

12/14/2023

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler issued fines in November totaling $305,694 against insurance companies and insurance producers who violated state insurance laws and regulations. 

Insurance companies

UnitedHealthcare of Oregon, Inc., Lake Oswego, Ore.; fined $35,000 (order 23-0179).

UnitedHealthcare incorrectly processed telemedicine claims during the 2021 plan year, resulting in 602 reprocessed claims from 159 consumers with $31,557 in claim underpayments. Unauthorized insurers

Towers Administrators LLC, Middletown, Del.; fined $50,000 (…