Insurers and regulated entities

Property and casualty insurers are often referred to as P&C companies within the industry. Property and casualty insurance is a broad label for various types of insurance products, such as homeowner and auto insurance, that are generally purchased to protect property and cover liability for injuries and damages caused to others.

A multi-employer welfare association, or MEWA, is a group of independent private employers who combine their employee health plans into one self-funded plan. Typically, a MEWA hires a claims administrator to make claim payments from a common fund financed by employer contributions. MEWAs are designed to give small employers access to low-cost health coverage similar to what’s available to large employers.

Companies that sell long-term care insurance usually sell it as part of an insurance policy, contract or rider that provides coverage to the policy holder. It covers an insured person when they can no longer do certain activities of daily living without help, such as bathe, eat, dress or use the restroom.

Life and disability insurers are often referred to as L&D companies in the industry. They offer a broad range of health care services and products such as life insurance. Here, you can find what they’re required to file with us, compliance information and admissions criteria to do business in Washington.

Health maintenance organizations are groups of medical providers and facilities contracted to provide health care services to their members. They usually require a patient to receive a referral to see a doctor that is not a member of the HMO.

Health care service contractors are typically corporations, cooperative groups or associations affiliated with a group of hospitals or medical providers who provide health care services.

A health care benefit manager is a person or organization that provides services to or acts on behalf of a health carrier or employee benefits program. They can include specialized benefits, such as pharmacy, radiology, laboratory and mental health benefits.

Health care benefit managers offer services such as:

Discount plan organizations provide access to discounted services, such as medical services, in exchange for fees or dues. A health care discount plan is not the same thing as health insurance.

Direct primary care practices provide primary care to patients in exchange for a monthly membership fee. Under Chapter 48.150 RCW, direct primary care practices must register with us and renew their registration annually if they: 

Some non-profit educational, religious, charitable and scientific organizations choose to issue charitable gift annuities to donors. Donors agree to make a gift to the charity they want to support, and the charity pays a fixed amount of income, usually tax-incentivized, for the remainder of the donor’s life. When the donor passes away, the charity keeps the remainder of the donor’s gift of money or property.