July 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 behalf.
“As the insurance regulator, companies and insurance agents are required to respond to us and explain their actions or decisions,” said Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler. “Our services are free, impartial, and available to everyone in Washington state. You might not need them today, but we’re always here to help when you do.”
We understand how insurance policies work and the laws that protect you. We can’t help in every situation and our authority has its limits, but from April to June we investigated more than 2,400 complaints and recovered $17,125,390 for Washington insurance consumers.
Here are some highlights:
- A Centralia resident’s health insurance company cancelled their policy for non-payment — despite the premium payments going through — which resulted in rejected health claims. But we found an issue with the company’s insurance cards. They corrected the issue, reprocessed those claims, and eventually reprocessed more than 2,000 rejected claims from people who were also impacted, totaling $967,636.
- We helped a La Center resident who lost their home in a fire get more than $500,000 just two days after we contacted the company — after the homeowner had been waiting more than five months to get their claim paid.
- An auto insurance company left a driver in Camas waiting more than four months to determine their vehicle couldn’t be repaired, and then offered a low amount using comparable vehicles from far beyond the local area. After driving rental cars for months while waiting, they contacted us. After we got involved, the company quickly contacted the driver with a higher offer, issued $1,459 in additional rental coverage, and settled the claim with a payment over $100,000.
We can help you understand your rights, answer your questions, explain how to appeal a decision from your insurer and, sometimes, advocate on your behalf. File a complaint online 24/7, send us a message, chat with us or call our Insurance Consumer Hotline at 800-562-6900.
About the OIC
In most cases, insurance is regulated by states and overseen by Insurance Departments. Each department has a division that specializes in helping consumers understand their rights and investigating their complaints. Washington’s Office of the Insurance Commissioner employs 265 people, with 27 staff dedicated to consumer advocacy and education. Find an insurance department in your state (NAIC.org).