Medicare phone scam reported

The state attorney general's office is warning about a phone scam that attempts to get people to reveal their banking information, supposedly as a way to get a special Medicare card.

From the post:

"Remember, government programs will never make unsolicited calls seeking financial or health information. Anyone who does so is a crook."

Click on the link above for more information about the scam -- as well as a similar one that the Nevada AG is warning about.

Filing a Holocaust-related life insurance claim

This morning's New York Times had a story about the ongoing struggle for Holocaust survivors to collect on life insurance policies.

The International Commission on Holocaust-Era Claims, which helped collect more than $1 million for Washington state claimants, stopped accepting claims in March of 2007. But you may still be able to file a claim. The following companies have agreed to accept post-deadline Holocaust-era claims directly from individuals:

• Generali
• Allianz
• AXA
• Winterthur
• Zurich
• as well as their affiliates and other German companies.

Also: After the closure of the international commission's claims period, Washington state's Holocaust Survivors Assistance Program has continued to help some claimants recover money from the Austrian General Settlement Fund.

For help or questions -- if you're a Washington state resident -- contact our office at 1-800-562-6900. (If you live in another state, here's a list of contact information for other state insurance departments.)

Our 2010 annual report

We've just posted our annual report for calendar year 2010.

It can tell you things like:

• Washington premiums for earthquake insurance last year ($118 million). Claims were almost nonexistent.
• Medical malpractice insurance premiums totaled ($157 million).
• Who the top 40 companies are, for each line of insurance business.
• Accident and health coverage is a $14 billion business in Washington.
• Health insurers pay out an average of nearly 86 cents for every dollar in premiums they collect.
• Mortgage guaranty insurance, due to the housing market turmoil, has seen a big surge in payouts over the past few years, and continues to lose money. Last year, these policies paid out nearly $1.76 for every dollar in premiums they collected.

And if you want to compare data year-to-year, we've posted all our annual reports online since 1998. (Here's an interesting one: Take a look at mortgage insurance claims in 2005, for example, compared to the last couple of years.)

New report: Fixed-payment insurance policies decreasing in Washington state

Fixed payment insurance plans pay a specific amount -- $25 per doctors visit, say, or $200 a day for a hospital stay -- regardless of the bill. The patient pays the rest.

Plans like this allow employers a way to buy minimal coverage for employees. But it's not comprehensive health insurance. The medical bills may be much more than what the plan pays out.

Each year, we survey fixed-payment companies doing business in Washington state, and compile the results into a report on fixed payment insurance plans.

Here's what we're seeing:

• Sales for group policies have decreased significantly, as has the number of group enrollees. (Group enrollees decreased by 88 percent.)
• Among individual plans, the number of policies and enrollees both decreased.

The full report -- click on the link above -- includes a breakdown in the number of policies sold by each company.

Have a serious medical condition and need health insurance?

Do you have pre-existing condition and need health insurance? Here’s how the new federally-funded Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan helped a local Olympia man:

Dusty of Olympia, is a 28 year-old with lymphoma. When he was 25 he started his own business. In order to save money he chose not to purchase health care insurance - like others of his age, he felt he could take the risk. Six months later he was diagnosed with stage 4a lymphoma. He received treatment and owes over $200,000 in medical bills. He hadn’t been to the doctor in months because he could not afford any treatment that may be recommended and didn’t want to add to his debt.

Dusty learned about the new Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP-WA) from one of our employees who met his girlfriend. Today, he’s enrolled in PCIP-WA and finally receiving the care he needs. Here’s what he had to say about the plan:

“As of this July this year, I’ll have been in remission for three years. The
Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan lets me get all of my tests and everything
is showing that I’m still clear. Life is going really well! My partner and I are
expecting a baby in August and we’re excited.”

If you have a pre-existing condition medical condition and need health insurance – or know of a family member or friend in need, tell them about PCIP-WA today.

Who can apply?
How much does it cost?
How does the plan work?

Apply today!

How to look up info on your agent or broker (plus the answer to the quiz)

Last week we posted a quiz question: How many agents and brokers are licensed in Washington state?

Out of three choices, about half picked the right answer: 118,415.

If you want to check your agent's credentials, find a broker in your area, look for past disciplinary cases, etc., take a look at our new online lookup for agents and brokers.

If you want to also look at company cases, check our insurance disciplinary orders search engine.

Quiz: How many agents and brokers are licensed in Washington?

We've posted a one-question quiz: How many agents and brokers are licensed in Washington state?

You can pick an answer in the poll box, which on the lower right-hand side of this web page.

Check back --we'll post the correct answer in a few days.