Or the least?
Washington's state insurance commissioner's office has built an online tool that allows you to easily compare complaint rates by insurer.
The results include a "complaint index," which compares the number of complaints to the company's market share. You can also compare the complaint rate based on the total premiums charged here in Washington. The data's broken down by insurance type: auto, homeowners and health. We've got four years' worth of data built into the site (calendar years 2005-2008), so you can also look at who's improving or getting worse.
Inevitably, of course, there's a caveat: Be sure to also look at the total number of complaints. For insurers with a very small number of policies here, even a single can push the complaint index quite high.
Click here to go to the "Complaint Comparison Tool."
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
Insurance mandates: Would relaxing the number of required health-insurance benefits make coverage dramatically cheaper?
Probably not, according to Washington state's top insurance official. A Q&A published this weekend by The (Vancouver) Columbian includes this exchange:
Some Republican legislators argue that the mandates the state imposes on insurance companies drive many companies away. Does Washington impose an unusually high number of mandates compared with other states?
Kreidler: That depends on how you define mandates. If you look at the ones that cover specific benefits such as cancer screenings, I think our number is fairly consistent with what you see in most states.
We don't allow insurance companies to effectively determine your premium by your health status. Medical underwriting is prohibited for insurers in the small-group market and the individual market. My guess is, the insurance companies consider that a mandate.
If Washington eliminated all the mandates, how much would it save?
Kreidler: The best estimates are about 3 percent.
Washington state mandates 14 health benefits (like diabetes coverage, colorectal cancer exams, mental health parity and mammograms), 10 mandates related to access for specific types of providers (chiropractic care, podiatrists, psychological services) and several coverage requirements (like coverage for dependent children). Insurers must also offer -- although employers don't have to buy -- coverage for things like hospice care and temporomandibular joint disorder.
There are also 11 federal mandates, some of which overlap with Washington's state requirements.
Click here for a detailed description of these mandates and what they mean.
Some Republican legislators argue that the mandates the state imposes on insurance companies drive many companies away. Does Washington impose an unusually high number of mandates compared with other states?
Kreidler: That depends on how you define mandates. If you look at the ones that cover specific benefits such as cancer screenings, I think our number is fairly consistent with what you see in most states.
We don't allow insurance companies to effectively determine your premium by your health status. Medical underwriting is prohibited for insurers in the small-group market and the individual market. My guess is, the insurance companies consider that a mandate.
If Washington eliminated all the mandates, how much would it save?
Kreidler: The best estimates are about 3 percent.
Washington state mandates 14 health benefits (like diabetes coverage, colorectal cancer exams, mental health parity and mammograms), 10 mandates related to access for specific types of providers (chiropractic care, podiatrists, psychological services) and several coverage requirements (like coverage for dependent children). Insurers must also offer -- although employers don't have to buy -- coverage for things like hospice care and temporomandibular joint disorder.
There are also 11 federal mandates, some of which overlap with Washington's state requirements.
Click here for a detailed description of these mandates and what they mean.
Kreidler on health-insurance reform: "We cannot afford to fail again"
Washington state Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler, in an op-ed piece in today's Seattle Times, writes:
Every day, desperate people seek help from my office.
One woman lost her job and health coverage, only to discover her husband needed a critical operation. Another couple, both 62, struggle to pay $1,400 a month. And a retired couple is trying to help their uninsured son — a heart-transplant recipient — pay $2,000 a month for medication.
Good, affordable health insurance eludes more and more of us. Many people are only one accident or serious illness away from bankruptcy. And even many of those with good coverage know it may not be there tomorrow. Across the country, this anxiety hangs over workers' and families' heads.
I had a front-row seat during the last major attempt at reform. Sixteen years ago, I was a congressman on a key House health subcommittee. We failed then. We cannot afford to fail again.
Every day, desperate people seek help from my office.
One woman lost her job and health coverage, only to discover her husband needed a critical operation. Another couple, both 62, struggle to pay $1,400 a month. And a retired couple is trying to help their uninsured son — a heart-transplant recipient — pay $2,000 a month for medication.
Good, affordable health insurance eludes more and more of us. Many people are only one accident or serious illness away from bankruptcy. And even many of those with good coverage know it may not be there tomorrow. Across the country, this anxiety hangs over workers' and families' heads.
I had a front-row seat during the last major attempt at reform. Sixteen years ago, I was a congressman on a key House health subcommittee. We failed then. We cannot afford to fail again.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Insurance for Your Retirement
If you are like me, it’s easy to get fed up with constantly paying insurance premiums. Writing a monthly check for car insurance alone will drive you crazy. Not to mention the direct withdrawals from your paycheck for health insurance and the hit to your mortgage for home owners insurance and you have a lot of money going out the window to pay for disasters that might not even happen.
But if those disasters do happen, you will be very glad you had insurance. But there is one big life event that is coming that you want to do all you can to prepare for financially and that is old age and retirement. While there is no “old age insurance”, you will find as you do your retirement planning that there are some very valuable insurance policies that are absolutely critical to a retirement life that is enjoyable, safe and prepared for.
We may or may not think of life insurance as part of retirement planning. After all, the benefits of life insurance, at least on the surface are for those who survive you after your death which doesn’t do you a lot of good when you are living and breathing. But you can invest in life insurance that also serves as a long term investment as well. These policies which are sometimes called “whole life” allow the funds you put in to be invested and to build a cash value that you can cash in on when you retire.
So you may want to carry $100,000 insurance when you are in the working world, paying a mortgage and trying to get the kids through college. But if you can then hit retirement, cash in on the investment value of that insurance and spend your golden years with just enough insurance to cover some protection for your spouse and funeral expenses, that is a better way to organize your insurance programs.
Another layer of insurance that a lot of people are taking advantage of is Medicare supplement insurance. Medicare is a great program that benefits a lot of people. But Medicare can only go so far. Those corny commercials for Medicare supplement insurance are goofy but they are on target that you need to have another safety net in the event you find yourself needing more extensive medical coverage than Medicare can provide. If you took the time to set up this kind of insurance early in your retirement planning, it will pay you big time when the need is there during your golden years.
A level of insurance that can be one of the biggest blessings if you become ill in your elderly years is in home health care insurance. Many times illnesses that you endure due to old age are not the kind of thing you would want to get through in an expensive hospital room. You will recover more quickly in your home but you still need someone to make sure you get your medications, take care of the little life details that you cannot tend to when you are poorly and be there if you take a turn for the worst.
This is where the care of an in home nursing service can be so valuable. This insurance can enable you to have care with you right in your home which will give you the care you need and take a lot of worry and work off of your family. And since all senior citizens need medical care at some point in their retirement life, in home health care insurance is a must.
By setting up these different specialized insurance policies early enough in your working life, you can get some value into them when the time comes for you to retire. Then you can you enter retirement with confidence knowing you have policies with reliable insurance providers to take care of the needs that you expect to come up during your golden years.
But if those disasters do happen, you will be very glad you had insurance. But there is one big life event that is coming that you want to do all you can to prepare for financially and that is old age and retirement. While there is no “old age insurance”, you will find as you do your retirement planning that there are some very valuable insurance policies that are absolutely critical to a retirement life that is enjoyable, safe and prepared for.
We may or may not think of life insurance as part of retirement planning. After all, the benefits of life insurance, at least on the surface are for those who survive you after your death which doesn’t do you a lot of good when you are living and breathing. But you can invest in life insurance that also serves as a long term investment as well. These policies which are sometimes called “whole life” allow the funds you put in to be invested and to build a cash value that you can cash in on when you retire.
So you may want to carry $100,000 insurance when you are in the working world, paying a mortgage and trying to get the kids through college. But if you can then hit retirement, cash in on the investment value of that insurance and spend your golden years with just enough insurance to cover some protection for your spouse and funeral expenses, that is a better way to organize your insurance programs.
Another layer of insurance that a lot of people are taking advantage of is Medicare supplement insurance. Medicare is a great program that benefits a lot of people. But Medicare can only go so far. Those corny commercials for Medicare supplement insurance are goofy but they are on target that you need to have another safety net in the event you find yourself needing more extensive medical coverage than Medicare can provide. If you took the time to set up this kind of insurance early in your retirement planning, it will pay you big time when the need is there during your golden years.
A level of insurance that can be one of the biggest blessings if you become ill in your elderly years is in home health care insurance. Many times illnesses that you endure due to old age are not the kind of thing you would want to get through in an expensive hospital room. You will recover more quickly in your home but you still need someone to make sure you get your medications, take care of the little life details that you cannot tend to when you are poorly and be there if you take a turn for the worst.
This is where the care of an in home nursing service can be so valuable. This insurance can enable you to have care with you right in your home which will give you the care you need and take a lot of worry and work off of your family. And since all senior citizens need medical care at some point in their retirement life, in home health care insurance is a must.
By setting up these different specialized insurance policies early enough in your working life, you can get some value into them when the time comes for you to retire. Then you can you enter retirement with confidence knowing you have policies with reliable insurance providers to take care of the needs that you expect to come up during your golden years.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Cease-and-desist order issued in bogus insurance case
The Washington state insurance commissioner's office has ordered a former insurance agent to immediately stop selling what are apparently fake insurance policies.
Brenda L. MacLaren-Beattie and The MacLaren Group have been told to immediately cease and desist from:
-transacting the unauthorized business of insurance in Washington,
-acting or holding herself out to be a Washington insurance agent or broker,
-trying to sell Washingtonians any product requiring an insurance license.
MacLaren-Beattie had an insurance agent’s license in Washington until March 12, 2009. She had been licensed in this state since Aug. 25, 1997. The license has expired and will not be renewed due to MacLaren-Beattie’s admitted acceptance of premium payments without actually obtaining the insurance.
The state's Office of the Insurance Commissioner is investigating eight such complaints against MacLaren-Beattie. All are from dentists or oral surgeons who thought they had purchased business coverage from her.
Our office, which served a search warrant Tuesday on MacLaren-Beattie’s office in Des Moines, is investigating. We are also notifying businesses whom we believe to have been victims.
Note: The company named in the order, The MacLaren Group, is NOT related to companies by the same name in Canada and the United Kingdom. MacLaren-Beattie’s company is headquartered in her home in Des Moines, Wash.
A copy of the order is posted here.
Brenda L. MacLaren-Beattie and The MacLaren Group have been told to immediately cease and desist from:
-transacting the unauthorized business of insurance in Washington,
-acting or holding herself out to be a Washington insurance agent or broker,
-trying to sell Washingtonians any product requiring an insurance license.
MacLaren-Beattie had an insurance agent’s license in Washington until March 12, 2009. She had been licensed in this state since Aug. 25, 1997. The license has expired and will not be renewed due to MacLaren-Beattie’s admitted acceptance of premium payments without actually obtaining the insurance.
The state's Office of the Insurance Commissioner is investigating eight such complaints against MacLaren-Beattie. All are from dentists or oral surgeons who thought they had purchased business coverage from her.
Our office, which served a search warrant Tuesday on MacLaren-Beattie’s office in Des Moines, is investigating. We are also notifying businesses whom we believe to have been victims.
Note: The company named in the order, The MacLaren Group, is NOT related to companies by the same name in Canada and the United Kingdom. MacLaren-Beattie’s company is headquartered in her home in Des Moines, Wash.
A copy of the order is posted here.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Small business insurance tips, from startup in-home daycares to established businesses
Own a small business? Starting one? The Washington state Office of the Insurance Commissioner has come up with a list of tips: what to think about, look for, and beware when shopping for insurance to protect your business.
The advice is geared toward a range of businesses, from someone running a child care business out of their home to larger businesses worried about data theft, vehicle fleets and supplier interruptions. And we start with the basics, like how to choose a good agent or broker. If you've got follow-up questions, we've got a toll-free hotline that doesn't send you to some endless phone tree and recordings. It's staffed, live, by real people who are experts at handling insurance questions.
And remember: We're not trying to sell you anything. We're not insurers, or part of the insurance industry. We're the Washington state government agency that regulates, licenses and disciplines agents, brokers and insurers, as well as those selling insurance illegally.
Click here for the agency's "Small Business Insurance 101" tips.
The advice is geared toward a range of businesses, from someone running a child care business out of their home to larger businesses worried about data theft, vehicle fleets and supplier interruptions. And we start with the basics, like how to choose a good agent or broker. If you've got follow-up questions, we've got a toll-free hotline that doesn't send you to some endless phone tree and recordings. It's staffed, live, by real people who are experts at handling insurance questions.
And remember: We're not trying to sell you anything. We're not insurers, or part of the insurance industry. We're the Washington state government agency that regulates, licenses and disciplines agents, brokers and insurers, as well as those selling insurance illegally.
Click here for the agency's "Small Business Insurance 101" tips.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Group Health Insurance
It seems that one of the hot topics in the news for the past several years is the changing of corporate America. There have been many changes in the economy and with the changes have come cut backs as well as corporate down sizing. Many people are finding themselves in unemployment situations as well as huge changes in life style. For the people in upper level jobs they can fall back on savings, stock investments and their education, however for the laborer this is a time of crisis.
Many people would be able to make ends meet on a lower end salary, except for the cost of health insurance. There are also many people that would be willing to take an early retirement; however they need to continue to work to take advantage of group health insurance. The high cost of medical care adds to the crisis that many people find themselves in financially. Group health insurance is a benefit that people no longer take for granted when looking for employment. There are many talented people that would like to work for small business owners; however they cannot afford the premiums for health care coverage. For small business owners the cost of providing employees with group health insurance is putting them out of business.
There are many countries’s that have socialized medicine. The national coverage does take away some choices from the patient, however having everyone insured does take away the passed on cost of the uninsured or underinsured which adds to the costs in our country. The large insurance companies are dictating the type and amount of coverage the average person has, so this does not seem that different than a nationalized system. Many Americans are becoming more and more angry with the insurance companies making huge profits every year as they watch their pay checks dwindle from the premiums that they have to pay for group health insurance or individual coverage. This also affects seniors that need to have a supplemental policy to cover the costs that medicare does not cover. This crisis of lack of medical coverage in the most powerful nation in the world is ridicules. Our nation needs to address the high cost of group health insurance in the very near future. Having people go with out medical attention and having to utilize emergency room medical services only add to the cost of the medical care in our country. People should not have to go without medical services because they cannot afford them.
Many people would be able to make ends meet on a lower end salary, except for the cost of health insurance. There are also many people that would be willing to take an early retirement; however they need to continue to work to take advantage of group health insurance. The high cost of medical care adds to the crisis that many people find themselves in financially. Group health insurance is a benefit that people no longer take for granted when looking for employment. There are many talented people that would like to work for small business owners; however they cannot afford the premiums for health care coverage. For small business owners the cost of providing employees with group health insurance is putting them out of business.
There are many countries’s that have socialized medicine. The national coverage does take away some choices from the patient, however having everyone insured does take away the passed on cost of the uninsured or underinsured which adds to the costs in our country. The large insurance companies are dictating the type and amount of coverage the average person has, so this does not seem that different than a nationalized system. Many Americans are becoming more and more angry with the insurance companies making huge profits every year as they watch their pay checks dwindle from the premiums that they have to pay for group health insurance or individual coverage. This also affects seniors that need to have a supplemental policy to cover the costs that medicare does not cover. This crisis of lack of medical coverage in the most powerful nation in the world is ridicules. Our nation needs to address the high cost of group health insurance in the very near future. Having people go with out medical attention and having to utilize emergency room medical services only add to the cost of the medical care in our country. People should not have to go without medical services because they cannot afford them.
State officials urge insurers to prepare for swine flu
Washington state insurance and health officials are urging health insurers to ensure that as many state residents as possible have access to H1N1 (swine flu) vaccine and treatment.
"So far, this flu has proven less virulent than initially feared," said Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler. "But we want insurers to be fully prepared for what looks to be a challenging flu season."
The H1N1 vaccine is expected to be available in October, with children and pregnant women among the first to recieve it, Washington Secretary of Health Mary Selecky said.
H1N1 influenza A first hit Washington state last spring. About 160 people in the state have been hospitalized so far, and 14 have died from the virus.
In a letter sent out to insurers this week, Kreidler and Selecky ask insurers to do several things:
-optimize coverage for both the swine flu and regular seasonal flu vaccine, including quickly paying health-care providers and reimbursing claims.
-tell people they cover where and how to get vaccinated.
-augment drug coverage to ensure access to the flu-fighting drugs Tamiflu and Relenza.
The Washington state letter is similar to one sent out recently by Kansas insurance and health officials, who urged similar steps.
"So far, this flu has proven less virulent than initially feared," said Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler. "But we want insurers to be fully prepared for what looks to be a challenging flu season."
The H1N1 vaccine is expected to be available in October, with children and pregnant women among the first to recieve it, Washington Secretary of Health Mary Selecky said.
H1N1 influenza A first hit Washington state last spring. About 160 people in the state have been hospitalized so far, and 14 have died from the virus.
In a letter sent out to insurers this week, Kreidler and Selecky ask insurers to do several things:
-optimize coverage for both the swine flu and regular seasonal flu vaccine, including quickly paying health-care providers and reimbursing claims.
-tell people they cover where and how to get vaccinated.
-augment drug coverage to ensure access to the flu-fighting drugs Tamiflu and Relenza.
The Washington state letter is similar to one sent out recently by Kansas insurance and health officials, who urged similar steps.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Health care rally in Seattle reportedly draws thousands...
Washington state political blogger David Goldstein reports that 3,000 people showed up Thursday in Seattle's Westlake Park to call for "strong pro-health care reform."
Goldstein's post also links to this YouTube video with excerpts from the event.
Goldstein's post also links to this YouTube video with excerpts from the event.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Insurance tips for small business
Almost anyone starting a business quickly discovers that they're adrift in a sea of paperwork. You have to register the company, perhaps form an LLC, keep the books, pay taxes, handle employee documents, and much more.
Like it or not, insurance is an important part of that list. To get started, here are some business insurance tips, from the Washington State insurance commissioner's office:
Whomever you pick, it's very important that he or she act as your representative to the insurance company. They should understand your business as well as insurers' claims- and rating processes.
Also:
-Here's a look at buying and coverage options. If you have a daycare, do you need commercial coverage, or can you add coverage to your homeowners' policy? Click here for more on topics like that.
-And here's a small-business-oriented site set up by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, which represents the state officials who regulate insurance companies.
Like it or not, insurance is an important part of that list. To get started, here are some business insurance tips, from the Washington State insurance commissioner's office:
- Understand the risks to your business. How would a severe storm affect you? Records theft? An accident involving a delivery truck? Supplier disruptions? Insurance lets you transfer risk to an insurer in exchange for paying a premium.
- Choose an agent or broker. What's the difference? Agents represent one or more insurers. The companies pay them a sales commission. Brokers, on the other hand, typically charge a fee to represent you in the marketplace.
Whomever you pick, it's very important that he or she act as your representative to the insurance company. They should understand your business as well as insurers' claims- and rating processes.
Also:
- If you offer health coverage to workers, take advantage of the tax benefits to your company. Businesses can generally deduct 100 percent of the premiums they pay to qualifying health plans. Also, consider joining an association to get a group rate on coverage for your employees.
-Here's a look at buying and coverage options. If you have a daycare, do you need commercial coverage, or can you add coverage to your homeowners' policy? Click here for more on topics like that.
-And here's a small-business-oriented site set up by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, which represents the state officials who regulate insurance companies.
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