News Archive

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Edward J. Chadwick, of Yakima, pleaded guilty to first-degree theft in Spokane County Superior Court involving 24 insurance premium finance loans. Chadwick was ordered by the court to report to the Spokane County Jail by Oct. 1 to serve 30 days of confinement. He must also pay $600 in court fees and $847,795 in restitution to a Spokane premium finance company.

Charges against Chadwick were brought after an investigation by Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler’s Criminal Investigations Unit (CIU).  

Chadwick was an insurance producer and owned an…

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Medicare’s Open Enrollment Period, also called the Annual Election Period, is Oct. 15 to Dec. 7. During this time, people enrolled in Medicare can: 

The Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors (SHIBA) program — part of the Office of the Insurance Commissioner — is ready to help with all of these decisions. Due to the pandemic, your local SHIBA…

OLYMPIA, Wash. – A Thurston County Superior Court judge today granted a narrow ruling in favor of the insurance industry’s argument against Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler’s emergency rule temporarily banning the insurers’ use of credit scoring. Kreidler issued the following statement in response to the ruling: 

“I’m disappointed by today’s ruling. I have authority to take continuing action to protect consumers from the insurance industry’s unjust, secretive and unrealistic method to determine what consumers pay to insure their vehicles and homes. 

It’s…

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler has extended two emergency orders. His order requiring health insurers to waive copays and deductibles for any consumer requiring testing for the coronavirus (COVID-19) and his order protecting consumers from receiving surprise bills for lab fees related to medically necessary diagnostic testing for COVID-19 are both extended until Oct. 31, 2021.

Kreidler's order waiving cost-sharing applies to all state-regulated health insurance plans and short-term, limited-duration medical plans. The order on…