OLYMPIA, Wash. – Christopher Michalke, of Seattle, was charged in King County Superior Court with one felony count of filing a false insurance claim for a $14,753 Rolex watch after an investigation by Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler’s Criminal Investigations Unit (CIU). Michalke is scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 25 for a hearing.

According to the investigation, Michalke bought a “valuable personal property” insurance rider from USAA in August 2019 to cover his Rolex Submariner watch that he bought in 2018 for $14,753. On…

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: 

Switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan and vice versa. Join, drop or switch a Part D prescription drug plan, if you’re on original Medicare. Switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan.

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…