News Archive

OLYMPIA, Wash. - As the coronavirus pandemic continues, Medicare enrollees need to stay vigilant against possible scams, including perpetrators emailing or calling seniors and offering coronavirus vaccines. 

“Currently, there’s no FDA-approved coronavirus vaccine,” said Washington state Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler. “Beware of anyone who tries to scare you into giving up your Medicare number or bank account information. If you get one of these calls or emails, hang up or delete the email.”

Kreidler’s Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors (SHIBA) program…

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler polled Washington state insurers to get a thorough picture of business interruption insurance. He found that only two insurers offer coverage for a pandemic event through their base policy. An additional 15 offered limited coverage through endorsements to standard policies.

“There’s no doubt that our business owners and their employees are suffering during this pandemic,” Kreidler said. “I have heard from countless business owners asking if their policies cover economic loss due to the coronavirus pandemic and the…

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler is urging Congress to reinstate a federal reinsurance program to reduce the rise of health insurance premiums. 

In a letter to Washington state’s congressional representatives, Kreidler said reinsurance that was part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) from 2014 through 2016 resulted in premiums that were 10% to 15% lower than they would have been without the program. 

The program reduced rate increases for individuals who bought plans through the individual health insurance markets in the United States, including…

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler is encouraging all health insurers to work with employers who want to keep their employees on their health plans and is expediting review of any changes to eligibility requirements. Many employers have had to temporarily furlough employees during the Stay Home, Stay Healthy order in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

“These are uncertain times for everyone,” said Kreidler. “We’ve heard from many employers who want to keep their employees on their health plans despite their employment status. We want to make sure this is…