OIC Answers on Insurance

• What if it gets windy?

  A bomb cyclone hit the Pacific Northwest in November 2024,knocking out power and blowing trees onto homes. The windstruck had questions about their coverage and our Consumer Advocacy Program provided help. Now, as we near the one-year anniversary of the event, the OIC Answers podcast revisits some of those questions: What you can expect when filing a claim after wind damage, how roof repairs are covered, the difference between asking a question and filing a claim, and, for some reason, how tumbleweed damage is covered.

  --------  

  18:23

  --------

  18:23
• Open enrollment and premium tax credits with HBX

  Open enrollment for the individual health insurance marketstarts November 1, and the federal government shutdown is bringing a little uncertainty to the shopping experience. On this episode of the OIC Answers podcast, Washington Health Benefits Exchange CEO Ingrid Ulery joins Insurance Commissioner Patty Kuderer to talk about whether a podcast host really needs health insurance, what open enrollment is all about, and the benefits of shopping on healthplanfinder.org.Then, the discussion turns to the enhanced premium tax credits, the debate on the national level around keeping them, what losing them means for the 300,000 Washingtonians who buy their plans on the Exchange, and what happens to rates and premiums if the tax credits are extended after the start of open enrollment.

  --------  

  28:51

  --------

  28:51
• What to do during Medicare open enrollment

  Medicare Open Enrollment runs from October 15 to December 7 and people enrolled in Medicare can make changes to their coverage, like joining, switching or dropping Medicare Advantage or Part D plans, that’ll take effect on January 1.On this episode of OIC Answers, the hosts welcome on SHIBA manager Tim Smolen to ask “What’s the deal with Medicare open enrollment?”Get help with Medicare from the SHIBA Program.

  --------  

  19:31

  --------

  19:31
• What if it floods?

  The Office of the Insurance Commissioner is working with theDepartment of Ecology, the Department of Natural Resources and the state Military Department on Flood Awareness Fridays. On this episode of OIC Answers, the OIC’s David Forte and Aaron VanTuyl welcome on Amanda Richardson (Ecology) and Ann-Marie Marshall-Dody (Military) to talk about where to find and how to read flood maps and how to get flood insurance, which isn’t a peril covered under standard home insurance policies in Washington state.Note: The National Flood Insurance Program is notwriting or renewing policies while the federal government is shut down. Our Oct. 1 blog post has more information.

  --------  

  24:27

  --------

  24:27
• How regulators can impact climate policy with Jordan Haedtler

  The insurance industry is regulated at the state level, which puts insurance regulators in a unique position to impact policies that can address climate change. In this episode of OIC Answers Jordan Haedtler, a climate financial policy consultant with Climate Cabinet, explores those options with Washington state Insurance Commissioner Patty Kuderer — including what some states are doing, what’s working, the conversation at the summer NAIC conference, and why being a voice for the consumers matters in these discussions.Check out Jordan’s work at climatecabineteducation.org.

  --------  

  31:45

  --------

  31:45

More Government podcasts

Trending Government podcasts

About OIC Answers on Insurance