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PODCAST

OIC Answers on Insurance

Washington State OIC

Insurance is confusing, but we’re here to help. This podcast from the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) answers all kinds of questions about insurance in the Evergreen State, from Medicare to homeowners insurance claims to car insurance premiums. Hosts Aaron and Matt interview OIC staffers with expertise in different types of insurance to help make a complicated subject a little more easy to understand.

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All Episodes

00:18:23

What if it gets windy?

OIC Answers on Insurance ·

2025/11/10

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

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00:28:51

Open enrollment and premium tax credits with HBX

OIC Answers on Insurance ·

2025/10/22

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

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00:19:31

What to do during Medicare open enrollment

OIC Answers on Insurance ·

2025/10/20

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.

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00:24:27

What if it floods?

OIC Answers on Insurance ·

2025/10/15

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-Dodd (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

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00:31:45

How regulators can impact climate policy with Jordan...

OIC Answers on Insurance ·

2025/09/09

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

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00:38:06

Rep. David Hackney on the importance of consumer...

OIC Answers on Insurance ·

2025/07/28

Rep. David Hackney was elected in 2020 to represent Washington’s 11th legislative district. The former assistant U.S. attorney sits down with Washington state Insurance Commissioner Patty Kuderer on this episode of OIC Answers to talk about insurance, consumer protection, the restitution bill that didn’t make it out of the House Consumer Protection and Business committee (which Hackney co-chairs), and why you shouldn’t lie about what type of feathers are in your company’s pillows.

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00:15:34

Dr. Meade Krosby on the National Climate Assessment

OIC Answers on Insurance ·

2025/07/21

“It's an incredible resource, but what makes it unique from other reports? Why is it so important and so difficult to easily replace? Why is it so widely viewed as a legitimate, credible, and salient resource?”This episode of the OIC Answers podcast is a presentation from Dr. Meade Krosby, given as part of Commissioner Patty Kuderer’s Climate Education Series. Dr. Krosby — senior scientist with the University of Washington’s Climate Impacts Group, the director of the Northwest Climate Adaptation

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00:18:36

What does FEMA mean for my insurance?

OIC Answers on Insurance ·

2025/07/14

The Trump administration has announced significant cuts to the Federal Emergency Management Agency are coming after the 2025 hurricane season. What’s that mean for Washington, and how does FEMA funding impactinsurance? And how does the National Flood Insurance Program factor into the availability of flood coverage? On this episode of OIC Answers, host Aaron VanTuyl welcomes on OIC Senior Policy Advisor David Forte and OIC Emergency Management Program Specialist Matt Stoutenburg to talk about what

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00:31:52

Gender-affirming care coverage with the state LGBTQ...

OIC Answers on Insurance ·

2025/06/09

What rights to do you have when you’re in need of gender-affirming care? What’s covered, and where can you learn more and get help? On this Pride Month episode of OIC Answers, Commissioner Kuderer welcomes on Darlin Lozano and Sam Fennell from the Washington State LGBTQ Commission to discuss the LGBTQ Commission’s work, the hurdles involved in receiving care, and where to turn for help when seeking care. Learn more about the LGBTQ Commission’s work at lgbtq.wa.gov.

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00:31:57

Wildfire preparation and your home insurance

OIC Answers on Insurance ·

2025/05/19

May is National Wildfire Awareness Month. What do wildfires mean for your insurance? Recurring guest David Forte, Senior Property and Casualty Policy Advisor, is on hand to talk about how fire threats impact insurance costs and what we’ve learned from the claims data after the Gray and Oregon Road fires. Guy Gifford, with the Department of Natural Resources’Community Wildfire Resistance Program, also joins the podcast to talk about how to prepare for fire season and what resources DNR can

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00:21:40

What does climate change mean to the insurance industry?

OIC Answers on Insurance ·

2025/05/15

On this episode of OIC Answers, Commissioner Patty Kuderer kicks off her 2025 Climate Education Series by chatting with Senior Climate Policy Advisor Jay Bruns about his work on climate change, what role the office plays in climate work on the international stage, and how studying climate data is important for effective regulation of the insurance market. The 2025 Climate Education Series is a set of video presentations covering different aspects of climate and insurance work and highlighting the

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00:08:21

Mental Health Awareness Month and your coverage

OIC Answers on Insurance ·

2025/05/12

It’s May, which means it’s Mental Health Awareness Month. But what rights to do you have when it comes to your health insurance covering mental health treatment? This episode of the OIC Answers podcast includes a member of the OIC’s Consumer Advocacy team to discuss how your treatment has to be covered, what the most common questions are about mental health coverage, and what mental health parity entails. If you’re having issues with your insurance, you can file a complaint online at

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00:23:21

Sens. Lovick & Slatter on wrapping up the 2025...

OIC Answers on Insurance ·

2025/04/29

The podcast is back at the Capitol to meet with two lawmakers about their role in two pieces of action from the 2025 legislative session and how each one helps insurance consumers in Washington state.First, Sen. John Lovick from the 44th district chats with Commissioner Patty Kuderer about SB 5419, which changes how insurance companies report data from fire claims.Then, Sen. Vandana Slatter (48th district) talks about the budget proviso to help fund the SHIBA program and how important it is to help

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00:11:13

Sen. Bob Hasegawa on the credit scoring study bill

OIC Answers on Insurance ·

2025/03/17

The OIC Answers podcast is back at the Capitol to talk shop with a lawmaker. This week, Senator Bob Hasegawa — Chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus from District 11 — joins Commissioner Kuderer to talk about Senate Bill 5589, which the OIC requested and Hasegawa sponsored. SB 5589 asks the OIC to conduct a study on how insurance companies use credit history, credit-based insurance scores and other rate factors that may have disparate impacts on Washington residents. The study would also explore

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00:09:13

Why did Sen. Adrian Cortes sponsor Senate Bill 5331?

OIC Answers on Insurance ·

2025/03/11

OIC Answers has moved to the Capitol for the time being, setting up the mics and mixing board in the Insurance Building for a few legislative session-inspired episodes. In this episode, Senator Adrian Cortes (D-Battle Ground) joins Insurance Commissioner Patty Kuderer to discuss Senate Bill 5331 (“Strengthening consumer protection through increased insurer accountability for violations of the insurance code.”)Learn more on our website or on our previous episode introducing the bill.

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00:19:57

What’s it like to help people with Medicare?

OIC Answers on Insurance ·

2025/03/05

“Most people have done their own homework and are just looking for validation that they’re not crazy.”The OIC Answers podcast sits down with SHIBA volunteer Charlie Sheldon to talk about how he got involved, how people react to getting free Medicare counseling, and the time commitment that comes with training.Last year, the 200-some advisors in our SHIBA program helped about 40,000 people with one-on-one support. That’s free, unbiased advice, whether it’s about using the Medicare site, giving

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00:18:15

What do you mean it’s not real insurance?

OIC Answers on Insurance ·

2025/02/18

Over 120 people in Washington state have filed complaints with the Office of the Insurance Commissioner about Quick Health, alleging the sham health insurance company owes them a total of nearly $800,000 in restitution for unpaid claims and premium refunds. Two members of the OIC’s Investigations team — Jessica Bullington and Ed Steiner — join the podcast to discuss how Quick Health showed up on the OIC’s radar, how the company operated, how many policies the company sold, what action has been taken

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00:16:20

Can you get me my money back?

OIC Answers on Insurance ·

2025/02/12

“It’s our job to protect the consumer and to be their advocate, and this bill is part of doing that.”Washington state Insurance Commissioner Patty Kuderer returns to OIC Answers to discuss House Bill 1199 & Senate Bill 5331, which grants the Insurance Commissioner the authority to require insurance entities in violation of the law to pay restitution to their victims.Learn more about the bills here.

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00:18:43

Welcoming Washington state Insurance Commissioner...

OIC Answers on Insurance ·

2025/01/15

Patty Kuderer was sworn in to office on Wednesday, Jan. 15, to become Washington state’s ninth Insurance Commissioner. In this episode of OIC Answers, Commissioner Kuderer discusses her vision for the next four years, the goal of providing access to quality healthcare to everyone at a price they can afford, changes in the home and auto insurance markets, the insurance commissioner’s role as a consumer advocate and what to serve comedian Eric Idle for dinner.

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00:27:05

What does the Insurance Commissioner do?

OIC Answers on Insurance ·

2025/01/06

Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler took office in 2024 and is currently the longest-tenured state-level elected official in Washington state. But what does the commissioner actually do? With his term coming to an end, Commissioner Kreidler stops by the podcast studio to talk about what’s changed over the last 24 years, his accomplishments while in office, what he’s learned on the job and what advice he has for his successor.

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37 results

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