Wenatchee man pleads guilty to theft after filing a fraudulent claim

08/04/2023

OLYMPIA, Wash. — A Wenatchee man pled guilty to third-degree theft in Chelan County Superior Court after an investigation completed by Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler’s Criminal Investigations Unit (CIU).

Steven Frank pled guilty on July 17, 2023, and was ordered to pay $1,324 in restitution and $500 in court fees. 

On October 1, 2020, Frank was involved in a two-vehicle collision. At the time of the crash, he did not have insurance on his Chevy pickup. Later that day, Frank called Progressive and purchased an insurance policy on the truck, failing to disclose he…

Bench warrant issued for Bothell man who filed a falsified insurance claim for scuba gear

07/31/2023

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Santiago G. Rodriguez, of Bothell, Wash., has been added to Washington state Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler’s Most Wanted list after being charged with insurance fraud by the Snohomish County Prosecutor’s Office.

If you have information that may lead to his arrest, please contact your local law enforcement agency or contact Kreidler's Criminal Investigations Unit (CIU).

Rodriguez failed to appear at his arraignment to answer to the charge of false claims or proof. Consequently, a bench warrant was issued for…

Regence corrects medical billing errors on 670 ground ambulance claims

07/25/2023

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Cambia Health Solutions, Inc., and its subsidiaries — including Regence BlueShield — have provided an action plan to Washington state Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler for resolving the issue of its members receiving balance bills from ground ambulance service providers. 

Regence, per the company’s letter to Kreidler’s office on July 7, has changed how it handles balance bills from ground ambulance service providers. It will also: 

Reprocess approximately 670 claims from policyholders who were balance billed by ambulance companies. …

Advocates recover over $17 million for insurance consumers in second quarter of 2023

07/21/2023

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Have you waited around for your insurance company to handle your claim, only to get an offer you find unreasonable? Our team of highly trained insurance experts recovered more than $17 million for Washington insurance consumers between April 1 and June 30, 2023. They may be able to help you, too! 

Thousands of consumers contact our office every year with a question or complaint about all types of insurance coverage. Our Consumer Advocacy team can look at your insurance policy, explain your rights, and in many cases, contact your insurance company on your…