Idaho — Idaho’s individual health insurance rates decrease for 2024: Final 2024 premium rates for individual and small group health insurance plans were published by the Idaho Department of Insurance on the Department website at doi.idaho.gov/consumers/health-insurance/idaho-rate-review/
Next year, individual market premium rates will decrease 1% on average, with one carrier decreasing rates by 13%. The Department publishes each insurer’s justification of their overall rate changes as well as county-specific tables showing the final age-40 rates for each of the plans that will be available for purchase starting October 15 for 2024 coverage.
“Idaho’s individual health insurance market premium rates for 2024 are decreasing while many other states are seeing increases,” said Director Dean L. Cameron. “This is thanks to Governor Brad Little and the Legislature’s support for our 1332 Waiver Application in 2022.” The 1332 State Innovation “Reinsurance Waiver” reduces the cost of individual market health insurance by offsetting the premium impact of high-cost health conditions.
In addition to lower rates for most individual health insurance plans, Idaho consumers will continue to have choices from 8 carriers when shopping for individual coverage. In 2024 SelectHealth, PacificSource Health Plans, Blue Cross of Idaho, Regence Blue Shield of Idaho, Mountain Health CO-OP, Molina Healthcare, Moda Health Plan, and St. Luke’s Health Plan, will offer health plans on Idaho’s exchange, Your Health Idaho. Similarly, 6 carriers will offer dental options again in 2024.
Open enrollment for 2024 begins October 15th and ends December 15th. Those seeking coverage can visit the state’s insurance exchange, Your Health Idaho, at yourhealthidaho.org, where a total of 154 medical plans and 21 dental plans can be compared and purchased. Many consumers are eligible for assistance covering premiums, out-of-pocket costs, and deductibles when purchasing through Your Health Idaho. The Department recommends consumers contact a licensed insurance agent for help evaluating the various plan options and eligibility for cost-savings.
Oregon — To all insurance producers and producer license applicants: The Oregon Division of Financial Regulation has issued a bulletin regarding producer contact information, communications, and application guidance.
Purpose
The purpose of this bulletin is to clarify the Division of Financial Regulation (DFR) expectations for insurance producers and producer license applicants to provide:
1. Proper contact information and notification of changes in address or contact information.
2. Notification of regulatory action or criminal case.
3. Timely response to a director inquiry.
4. Accurate and complete information in applications and information sent to the division.
5. When applying for an insurance license to submit no more than one application at a time.
This bulletin is intended to identify the most common notice and filing issues/deficiencies and to remind producers and applicants of their responsibility to timely furnish the division with complete, accurate, and truthful information in all filings.
Click here to review this bulletin:
https://dfr.oregon.gov/laws-rules/Documents/Bulletins/bulletin2023-03.pdf
Oregon — To all entities transacting health insurance in Oregon: The Oregon Division of Financial Regulation has issued a bulletin regarding expectations related to wildfires and other declared emergencies.
Purpose
The purpose of this bulletin is to clarify the division’s expectations for health insurers and provide guidance on claims handling for Oregon policyholders affected by wildfires and other declared emergencies.
The Division of Financial Regulation is providing the following guidance, which supersedes Bulletin DFR 2020-17, to all health insurers on reasonable measures to provide relief to Oregonians affected by wildfires and other declared emergencies.
Click here to review this bulletin:
https://dfr.oregon.gov/laws-rules/Documents/Bulletins/bulletin2023-02.pdf
Washington — Kreidler issues $262,250 in fines for violations in July and August: Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler issued fines in July and August totaling $262,250 against insurance companies and insurance producers who violated state insurance laws and regulations.
Insurance companies
Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington and Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington Options, Seattle, Wash.; fined $200,000 (order 23-0160).
Kaiser violated state network access standards by failing to provide its enrollees with access to in-network healthcare providers in several Washington counties from 2020 through 2022. This impacted 10,356 claims from 8,016 consumers. Kaiser also didn’t have approved alternative access delivery requests on file with the OIC to protect enrollees from incorrect cost-sharing or being balance billed for covered services from out-of-network providers because of these network gaps.
State Farm Life Insurance, Bloomington, Ill.; fined $10,000 (order 23-0154).
State Farm failed to verify that nine of its insurance producers had received long-term care education before being permitted to sell long-term care insurance policies. The nine producers that did not complete the required long-term care education sold 31 policies in Washington and earned $6,911.28 in commissions.
Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company, Bloomfield, Conn.; fined $25,000 (order 23-0111).
Cigna incorrectly processed 11,324 claims, impacting 5,406 members, during the COVID-19 public health emergency. The company failed to waive cost share amounts for members and incorrectly denied provider claims for personal protective equipment.
Unauthorized insurers
Chet Jenkins, P.C., Chet Jenkins II P.C., and Chet Jenkins III P.C., Richland, Wash.; fined $25,000 (order 23-0152).
The three professional corporations (composed of 25 dental practices) offered a dental membership plan that the OIC found constituted insurance without being authorized to do so in Washington. The membership plan had an estimated 624 enrollees. As part of this enforcement action, they agreed to cease and desist from insurance transactions in Washington.
Producers, agents & brokers
Pronto Insurance Agency, LLC, Bellevue, Wash.; fined $2,000 (order 23-0140).
Pronto Insurance and its licensee, Olga Radutskiy, failed to remit premiums, maintain a separate premium fund account, and respond to the OIC in a timely manner.
Teresa Ona Lynch, Seattle, Wash.; fined $250 (order 23-0101).
Lynch failed to disclose a misdemeanor in her application for a Washington state insurance producer license.
Washington — Commissioner Kreidler asks insurers to expedite the approval process for debris removal: Washington state Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler sent a letter earlier this week asking insurance companies and adjusters working with communities impacted by the Gray and Oregon Road fires to expedite the approval process for debris removal.
Speeding up the process will help assure people impacted by the August wildfires that debris removal is covered, so their rebuilding process can begin quickly.
“I also expect insurers and adjusters to educate their insureds on how the policy impacts debris removal,” Kreidler wrote. “The better you can communicate with all pertinent benefits under the policy so your insureds, the less confusion and disruption will occur as the claim progresses.”
The Grey and Oregon Road fires this summer burned over 10,000 acres apiece, destroyed 400 homes and, tragically, resulted in the loss of two lives.
Kreidler also urged property owners to review the Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency’s special notice to property owners impacted by the fires.
Property owners should obtain an asbestos survey and provide their insurance company with the testing estimate, or the invoice for a survey, as soon as possible. They can also ask their insurer for a recommendation on debris removal companies and should provide their insurance company with an invoice for services once the removal is complete.
