Around the PIA Western Alliance States – Week of May 18, 2026

California — California Residential Mitigation Program: The California Residential Mitigation Program (CRMP) contacted the PIA Western Alliance and asked us to share their information with you so you can share it with your clients.

It is a statewide program that provides grants to help California homeowners strengthen their homes against earthquake damage. CRMP is a joint powers authority from the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and the California Earthquake Authority.

We regularly work with stakeholders across the housing and risk management ecosystem to help them better understand how these programs can reduce seismic risk exposure—particularly for older homes that are more vulnerable to damage. Grants (typically around $3,000, and higher for income-qualified homeowners) help offset the cost of retrofits, creating a practical pathway for policyholders to strengthen their homes before a disaster occurs.

For insurance agents, awareness of the program can provide added value to clients by helping them reduce earthquake risk, better protect their homes, and potentially qualify for up to a 25% premium discount on California Earthquake Authority earthquake insurance policies after completing a qualifying retrofit. It is also a helpful resource for conversations around mitigation, resilience, and preparedness, particularly for owners of pre-1980 homes.

Here’s more detail:

California Residential Mitigation Program’s Earthquake Brace + Bolt (EBB) program (in addition to the grants of up to $10,000 to help eligible homeowners strengthen older homes against earthquake damage by bracing and bolting them to their foundations).

Other benefits:

•  Eligibility tools that allow homeowners to determine whether their ZIP code and home qualify for retrofit funding.

•  Educational materials explaining which homes are vulnerable to earthquake damage, especially older wood-frame homes with raised foundations or cripple walls.

•  Retrofit guidance that explains how bracing cripple walls and bolting a home to its foundation can reduce the risk of a home sliding or collapsing during an earthquake.

•  Standard retrofit plans and permitting guidance that simplify the process for homeowners and contractors.

•  Contractor resources and directories to help homeowners locate qualified retrofit professionals.

•  Retrofit FAQs and preparedness resources that help homeowners understand earthquake risk, emergency preparedness, and mitigation options.

•  Information about potential California Earthquake Authority premium discounts of up to 25% for eligible homeowners who complete qualifying retrofits. This is particularly valuable for insurance agents advising clients about mitigation and resilience.

•  Resources explaining how retrofits may help reduce property damage, improve insurability, and support community resilience in high-risk earthquake areas.

•  For insurance agents specifically, CEA Chief Mitigation Officer Janiele Maffei could frame the webinar around how agents can:

•  educate clients about practical mitigation steps,

•  help homeowners understand retrofit-related insurance benefits,

•  discuss earthquake preparedness during policy reviews,

•  and position themselves as trusted resilience advisors rather than only policy sellers.

Idaho — Idaho Department of Insurance Issues Data Call to Assess Wildfire Impacts on Property Insurance Market: The Idaho Department of Insurance (DOI) has released Bulletin 26-02, initiating a data call to all insurers writing homeowners and dwelling fire property insurance in Idaho. This is the second such data call; the Department issued a similar request in 2025 as part of its ongoing effort to monitor Idaho’s evolving property insurance landscape.

The Department is collecting detailed policy and claims data to deepen its analysis of Idaho’s property insurance market, with a particular focus on wildfire‑related impacts. Insurers have increasingly adjusted premiums, modified coverages, and in some cases paused or stopped writing new business in higher‑risk regions of the state. The data call applies to every insurance company authorized to write homeowners and fire property insurance coverages in Idaho.

The information collected will strengthen the Department’s understanding of market affordability, availability, emerging risk trends, and insurer exposure. These insights will help the DOI meet its statutory responsibilities to regulate the market effectively and safeguard Idaho consumers.

"Wildfire risk continues to reshape the property insurance landscape in Idaho,” said Dean L. Cameron, Director of the Idaho Department of Insurance. “Some insurers have scaled back or exited certain areas, and Idahoans are feeling those impacts. This data call will give us the comprehensive information we need to better understand the pressures in the market and work collaboratively toward long term stability for both consumers and carriers.”

The Department remains committed to its mission of consumer protection and supporting a stable, competitive insurance marketplace. Findings from this data call will guide the DOI’s efforts to help ensure Idaho homeowners can access reliable, affordable coverage to protect their homes and financial well-being, while continuing to promote a strong and sustainable insurance market.

Idaho — Third annual post-award public forum for Section 1332 Waiver: The Idaho Department of Insurance (DOI) will hold a public forum and accept public comments regarding Idaho’s Section 1332 State Innovation Waiver on May 26, 2026, from 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM MDT.

Background

On May 6, 2022, The State of Idaho applied for and received a State Innovation Waiver under Section 1332 of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) to facilitate the operation of Idaho’s state reinsurance program as authorized by 41-5504(5), Idaho Code. The current waiver’s effective date was January 1, 2023. Pursuant to the Standard Terms and Conditions (STCs) applicable to the 1332 Waiver, 31 CFR §33.120(c), and 45 CFR §155.1320(c), an annual post-award forum regarding the Section 1332 Waiver must be held, with the first such annual meeting being held within six months of the waiver’s effective date. Additionally, the State of Idaho has applied for an extension and amendment to the current waiver, as required by H345, which was signed into effect by Governor Little in March of 2025.

 Public Forum

The purpose of the annual post-award forum is to allow the public an opportunity to provide meaningful comments on the progress of the waiver. Notice of the public forum was posted on Idaho’s public website, Townhall Idaho, on April 29, 2026. Public comments will be accepted at the public forum and will also be accepted through May 26, 2026, by email to DOI.Reform@doi.idaho.gov.

The May 26th public forum will be held at 10:30 AM MDT at 700 W. State St, JRW East Conference Room. The forum will also be accessible via Microsoft Teams as shown below:

Microsoft Teams: https://bit.ly/43kdKvw

Meeting ID: 268 058 391 573 04

Passcode: 2s62U9Xh

More detailed information regarding the Section 1332 Waiver may be viewed at the DOI website at https://bit.ly/4dzRUcf

Washington — How does the Wildfire Prepared Home designation work: The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety is now offering its Wildfire Prepared Home designation in Washington, which will help homeowners in areas with a high wildfire risk make their homes more insurable.

On this episode of OIC Answers, recurring guest David Forte (OIC Senior Policy Analyst) and IBHS’ Senior Director for Wildfire Steve Hawks talk about IBHS’ research facility, how the Wildfire Prepared Home designations work, how it helps homeowners protect their property, the steps involved in earning a designation and the OIC’s work on wildfire mitigation.

Listen to the latest episode — https://bit.ly/4nBdv8G

Washington — Commissioner Kuderer to chair NAIC’s Child Care Insurance Working Group: Washington state Insurance Commissioner Patty Kuderer has been selected to chair the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ new Child Care Insurance Working Group.

The group, which met for the first time on Monday, was established to address the insurance issues facing childcare services providers — like child-placing agencies and group foster homes — and how those issues impact consumers. 

“Child-placing agencies and group family homes across the country are facing an insurance affordability and availability crisis,” Kuderer said. “We’ve read the research and the reports on what’s impacting these crucial organizations and it’s time to work on solutions.”

Washington — Kuderer fines unauthorized insurer $80,000, issues two cease-and-desist orders: A Yakima insurance agent and an unauthorized insurance company are barred from doing business in Washington after Insurance Commissioner Patty Kuderer issued cease-and-desist orders in April.

Kuderer’s office investigated Carol E. Perez, the licensee for Perez Insurance Inc. in Yakima, for accepting premiums from a consumer but not forwarding those payments to an insurer for a policy. The Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) revoked her license and the agency’s license after a pair of complaints and her failure to respond to a notification of a financial examination.

Kuderer’s office also issued a cease-and-desist order to Kangaroo Security LLC, along with an $80,000 fine, for selling unauthorized insurance plans as part of an app and home security camera system.

During the first quarter of 2026, Kuderer issued fines totaling $167,000 for insurance law violations.

Agent taking payment without providing a policy

The OIC opened an investigation after a consumer alleged Perez wouldn’t provide them with proof of insurance or policy information after the consumer filed a claim on their business liability policy in 2023. The consumer called the insurance company, which said they hadn’t had an active policy since 2021 — despite making premium payments to Perez each month.

The company also told investigators that it had no agreement with Perez’s agency, which had no authority to issue insurance on its behalf.

A second complaint against Perez’s agency stated that a consumer paid their full six-month premium for an auto insurance policy, but received a notice of cancellation shortly after the policy was supposed to go into effect. The agency told the consumer there were no issues, but they received a collection notice and learned their payment was returned for insufficient funds.

The OIC opened a financial examination into the company in November of 2025, but notices of the examination were returned undeliverable. Any consumers in the Yakima area who were impacted by Perez’s agency should file a complaint with the OIC.

Unauthorized insurer offering theft reimbursement

Kuderer’s office fined Roo, Inc. — doing business as Kangaroo Security LLC — $80,000 and ordered the company to stop selling unlicensed insurance products in Washington.

Kangaroo Security offered two plans that featured theft reimbursement, with losses eligible for coverage if they were in sight of an installed smart camera device. The company told the OIC’s investigators that it does not sell insurance and claimed its plans are premium features that unlock in its app that accompanies its camera products, with the coverage being a second benefit.

The company’s website, however, featured a “Kangaroo Insurance Coverage Claim Form,” and its plan offerings meet the state’s definition of insurance.

Kangaroo Security collected $58,061.24 from consumers with Washington area codes between 2019, when it started selling subscriptions, and 2025. The company had 573 users and 674 accounts in Washington, which reported 17 total claims; two were approved for a total payout of $294.47, one was denied, and the remaining 14 were incomplete for a variety of reasons.

The company sold camera devices to at least 220 Washington consumers with a total of 293 protection plans.

In addition to the fine, the company is ordered to pay outstanding premium taxes, interest, and a 20% penalty on the total amount of past-due taxes.

The company has 90 days from the day the order was filed — April 16 — to request a hearing to appeal the order before it becomes final, and 30 days beyond that to pay the fine.

First-quarter fines

Kuderer’s office issued $167,000 in fines during the first quarter of 2026, bringing the total amount collected since 2001 to more than $46 million. That included:

Guideone Elite Insurance Co., West Des Moines, Iowa; fined $55,000 (order 25-0183).

Guideone used incorrect protection classes, applied incorrect grading credits, used incorrect construction years, used an incorrect number of stories, and attached superseded forms to policies. Between 2023 and 2026, the company charged incorrect amounts on 585 policies in Washington.

Integon National Insurance Co., Winston-Salem, N.C.; fined $50,000 (order 26-0037).

The OIC opened a continuum action on Integon in 2024 due to a high volume of complaints from consumers related to claims handling. The OIC requested a log of all the company’s Washington claims closed between Jan. 1 and July 31, 2024. The agency examined 108 randomly selected claims and found claims handling violations on 14 of them.

The violations included not issuing payments for months after the obligation to pay and the loss amount had been established; failing to affirm or deny coverage in a reasonable amount of time; delaying the investigation of claims by months; failing to respond to pertinent communication from a policyholder with a claim within the required 10-day window; and not including licensing fees or taxes in settlement amounts for total loss vehicle claims.

Foremost Insurance Co., Grand Rapids, Mich.; fined $20,000 (order 26-0035).

The company incorrectly used depreciated labor costs in claims settlements and failed to adopt and implement reasonable standards for processing and paying claims.

Cincinnati Insurance Co., Fairfield, Ohio; fined $25,000 (order 26-0033).

The company issued 1,088 policies using incorrect coverage amount factors.

Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington, Renton, Wash.; fined $4,000 (order 26-0030).

Kaiser failed to timely file large group negotiated rates.

Metromile Insurance Co., Wilmington, Del.; fined $5,000 (order 26-0028).

Metromile failed to include required adverse notification language in its personal auto adverse action cancellation and nonrenewal notices.

Dental Health Services, Inc., Seattle, Wash.; fined $3,500 (order 26-0007).

Dental Health Services filed large group negotiated rates more than 30 working days after negotiations were complete.

VSP Vision Care, Inc., Rancho Cordova, Calif.; fined $3,000 (order 26-0042).

VSP Vision failed to timely file its large group negotiated rates.

Jackie McFarlin, Othello, Wash.; fined $1,000 (order 26-0002).

Michael Lawson, Dallas, Texas; fined $250 (order 26-0046).

Kristi Moran, Tacoma, Wash.; fined $250 (order 26-0041).

Washington — Balance billing data set update: The Balance Billing Protection Act (BBPA) requires the OIC to prepare a medical billing data set through a contract with Onpoint Health Data. The data set serves as a source of objective information for insurers, providers, and arbitrators to use for BBPA compliance. The data set includes the following information, by geographic area, for services covered by the BBPA:

The median in-network allowed amount;

The median out-of-network allowed amount;

The median billed charge.

An updated data set is attached and is available at Arbitration and using the balance billing data set — https://bit.ly/4wJGprC