News Archive

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Fourteen health insurers have requested an average rate change of 21.2% for Washington state's 2026 Individual Health Insurance Market. Insurers base their requested rate changes on assumptions they make about the services their policyholders will use and the cost to deliver that care. The health plans and proposed rate changes are currently under review by the Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

Wellpoint Washington, Inc. is new to the market and plans to sell in Grays Harbor, King and Spokane counties. 

A factor impacting the requested increase this…

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington state Insurance Commissioner Patty Kuderer spent May 14 and 15 in Washington, D.C., with her fellow state insurance regulators to discuss insurance regulatory priorities with members of Congress during the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) 2025 Commissioner Fly-In.  

The annual Commissioner Fly-In brings together insurance regulators and their congressional delegations. While on Capitol Hill, regulators brief lawmakers on insurance regulatory efforts and advance state and NAIC priorities developed to protect consumers and…

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington state Insurance Commissioner Patty Kuderer urged homeowners to consider fire threats and review their insurance policies with fire season approaching.

May is Wildfire Awareness Month, an opportunity for people, communities and agencies to take simple steps to reduce wildfire risk through mitigation and preparation.

“We’ve seen wildfire threats increasing for years as our summers get hotter and drier as a result of climate change,” Kuderer said. “That’s putting more people and their homes in danger, and May is the perfect time to make sure you’re…

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington state Insurance Commissioner Patty Kuderer issued $510,500 in fines in the first four months of 2025 against insurance companies, agents, brokers and unlicensed entities for violating state insurance laws and regulations.

That included a $250,000 fine against an unlicensed insurer and a $30,000 fine for a company illegally selling pet insurance.

The OIC fined United Benefits Partnership Group (UBPG) $250,000 for acting as an unauthorized insurer by offering unqualified ERISA health plans.

The OIC…