Medicare open enrollment started this week and ends Dec. 7

Medicare's open enrollment period for prescription drug plans (Part D) and Medicare Advantage plans is Oct. 15 - Dec. 7. This is the time when you can enroll in a new plan or sign up for coverage.

If you need assistance understanding your options, we have trained volunteers in your community. Our Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors (SHIBA) program offers free help to people with Medicare questions and can help you search for plans online. We even have free Medicare workshops across the state.

Remember, if you want to enroll in  new plan, you must contact Medicare. You cannot sign up through the state's new health benefit exchange, www.wahealthplanfinder.org.

If you have limited income and need help paying prescription drugs, check out Medicare's "Extra Help" program. To see if you qualify, contact the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213 or go to www.socialsecurity.gov.

For more help, contact a local SHIBA office in your area.

Job seekers - We're looking for a legislative liaison and a policy/rules manager

Two jobs at the Insurance Commissioner's office just posted this week - a Legislative Liaison and a Policy and Rules Manager. Both positions are exempt, open until filled and salary depends on experience.

The Legislative Liaison is responsible for developing and managing our legislative and policy strategy, including developing our legislative agenda, legislative testimony, bill analysis, and stakeholder management. They're also the principal policy advisor to the executive management team on legislative and budget proposals impacting the agency.

The Policy and Rules Manager supervises staff in our Policy and Legislative Affairs division, prepares position briefs, decision memos, reports, coordinates rule-making for the agency, and drafts and adopts rules on behalf of the agency.

If you're interested or know someone who might be, encourage them to apply soon!


 

See most recent earthquakes in our area - are you ready for the big one?

 

We're getting ready for tomorrow's Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drill by cleaning out all the stuff under our desk - how about you? It's been a long time since the Nisqually Quake, but if you lived in Washington state then, you probably remember where you were and what it felt like. 

 

Some of us here in Olympia - only miles from the epicenter - heard what sounded like a freight train. Others saw the ground move like water. Are you ready for the next one? 

 

Check out the earthquake tracker on KIRO's mynorthwest.com. It'll show you the most recent quake, how big it was and where it occurred.  

And don't forget about earthquake insurance - here's what you need to know.

How to report insurance fraud in Washington state

Our agency -- Washington state's insurance regulator -- handles a wide variety of complaints about insurance fraud by individuals and by businesses.

To report insurance fraud or scams, please see our online reporting form.

We also offer tips to avoid insurance scams, starting with the old-but-true advice that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

We also have some tips on how to identify and report Medicare fraud and abuse, such as being billed for services you didn't receive.

I know the new health subsidies are based on your household income, but how do they define 'household'?

“Household” only includes you, your spouse, and anyone you can legally claim as a dependent on your tax return.

 It generally wouldn’t include a non-marital relationship (such as a boyfriend or girlfriend), except under very limited circumstances.

To get more details, see page 16 of the IRS instructions for filling out Form 1040 or call the IRS (after the government shutdown ends) at 1-800-829-1040.

When your insurance renews, remember to look at the statement

When you get a new insurance policy or your current policy renews, be sure to review the statement. You need to be sure that you're getting the type and level of coverage you asked for. 

Most people simply file away the information -- or toss it. But take a few minutes to look it over first. You really don't want to find out after the fact that a) you were paying for coverage you didn't want or need, or b) worse, that you didn't have coverage for something important.

If you see something that doesn't look correct, contact your agent or insurer immediately, before a loss occurs. If you wait until afterward, you'll likely be stuck with whatever coverage was in force at the time of the loss.

It's also a good idea to periodically review your coverage with your agent or insurer. You may want to add or eliminate coverage as changes occur in your life situation.

Hole-in-one insurer pleads guilty to three felonies

Kevin Kolenda, a Connecticut businessman who insurers golf tournament hole-in-one prizes but has a history of not paying, pleaded guilty today in King County Superior Court to two counts of selling insurance without a license and one count of first-degree theft.

Kolenda started Golf Marketing in 1995 and sold hole-in-one insurance coverage to charity golf tournaments across the country including in Washington state. He repeatedly failed to pay winning golfers, leaving charities to come up with the prize money. To skirt prosecution, he also changed the name of his business several times.

Other states where Kolenda sold bogus insurance including: Montana, Ohio, Georgia, California, New York, Hawaii, Alabama, Massachusetts, Florida, Connecticut and North Carolina.

Kolenda paid $10,000 in restitution today. He will pay another $5,000 in four months, when he returns to Seattle for sentencing.