OLYMPIA, Wash. – Effective Jan. 1, 2020, certain medical providers are prohibited from sending surprise bills to consumers in Washington state under a new law that Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler championed. 

Patients in Washington who receive emergency services or certain services at an in-network hospital or surgical facility cannot be surprise or ‘balance’ billed from an out-of-network provider. 

“For more than a decade, we’ve heard from many people hit with a balance or surprise medical bill,” said Kreidler. “They shared their stories (www.columbian.com)…

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Health Plan Intermediaries Holdings, LLC, doing business in Washington state as Health Insurance Innovations (HII), has paid a $1.5 million fine for more than 50,000 violations of Washington state insurance laws and rules. It’s the largest single penalty against an insurance producer in the state’s history. 

The record fine follows a lengthy investigation by Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler. 

“This was an egregious case of flouting state laws around what types of companies are allowed to sell insurance and what products are legal to…