Court denies industry challenge to Kreidler’s emergency rule on credit

04/23/2021

OLYMPIA, Wash. – A Thurston County Superior Court judge today denied an insurance industry request to halt an emergency rule that temporarily bans the use of insurance credit scoring in Washington. 

The ruling that rejected a request for a preliminary injunction maintains Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler’s emergency rule issued March 23.  Judge Mary Sue Wilson found that industry associations challenging the rule were unlikely to succeed with their arguments.

The judge ruled that Kreidler demonstrated good cause for the emergency rule and did not exceed his…

Kreidler extends emergency order on coronavirus testing and surprise billing to May 16

04/16/2021

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler has extended two emergency orders. His order requiring health insurers to waive copays and deductibles for any consumer requiring testing for coronavirus (COVID-19) and his order protecting consumers from receiving surprise bills for lab fees related to medically necessary diagnostic testing for COVID-19 are both extended until May  16, 2021. 

Kreidler's order waiving cost-sharing applies to all state-regulated health insurance plans and short-term, limited-duration medical plans. The order on surprise billing applies…

Kreidler fines Shared Health Alliance, orders it to cease operations in state

04/15/2021

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler ordered Christian Discount Alliance LLC, doing business as Shared Health Alliance, to immediately stop selling insurance illegally and issued a fine of $7,500. 

Shared Health Alliance was acting as an insurance producer for Alliance for Shared Health, which markets itself as a health care sharing ministry. Kreidler asserts that Alliance for Shared Health fails to meet the legal definition of a health care sharing ministry. In April 2020, he ordered it to stop doing business in Washington state and issued a fine of…

Kreidler: Industry favors profits over people in challenge to credit score rule

04/13/2021

UPDATE: On April 15, 2021, Thurston County rescheduled the hearing for 11 a.m. on April 23, 2020.

The Zoom meeting ID is: 821 9697 0976

Passcode: 1234

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Insurance companies hiding behind their industry associations contend no financial emergency exists during the current pandemic and that lower-income consumers in Washington deserve no protection from the discriminatory use of credit scores. 

In a lawsuit filed last week, the American Property Casualty Insurance Association challenged Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler’s…