Washington approves 136 health insurance plans to be sold on state’s exchange

seattle washington health insurance rates industry

New insurers have been approved to sell coverage to participate in the state’s insurance exchange The Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner has announced the approval of some 136 individual health insurance plans that will be sold through the state’s insurance exchange. The plans come from 12 insurance companies, which had requested for rate increases of 5.4%. State regulators have approved an increase in premiums of 4.2% for these insurers, however. Consumers will be able to purchase these plans during the exchange’s upcoming open enrollment period, which begins in November…

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Washington is one step closer to building its own health insurance exchange

Washington lawmakers have passed a bill that opens the way for a health insurance exchange to take root in the state. The bill will set up rules that will help the state prepare for the construction of the exchange and govern its operation for the foreseeable future. Legislators believe that this will help the state fully comply with the Affordable Care Act of 2010 and will help it adhere to federal deadlines. Currently, the exchange is expected to be fully operational by January 2014. The rules established by the bill…

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Washington insurer facing fines after denying coverage for contraceptives for women

As the nation’s insurers begin to make the shift in covering birth control for women, some companies are falling behind. Washington’s Regence BlueShield, one of the state’s largest health insurance companies, is being fined by state insurance regulators for denying coverage to nearly 1,000 women. The company is now facing fines coming from the state’s Insurance Department. Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler was first made aware of the issue early this week when a consumer contacted his office to file a complaint. Regence BlueShield now faces a $100,000 fine for what…

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