State’s insurance regulator: New tools for the New Year

Published 10:55 am Thursday, December 30, 2010

Washington state’s insurance watchdog is rolling out new consumer tools for the new year, including an easy way to look up past violations and complaints against insurers and agents.

“Consumer protection starts with an informed shopper,” said Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler. “And getting the information has never been easier.”

The insurance commissioner’s website www.insurance.wa.gov/index.asp now includes a “consumer toolkit” www.insurance.wa.gov/consumers/index.shtml that offers:

• Easy-to understand information on different types of insurance.

• Online filing – and tracking – of complaints against an insurance company.

• Online filing of complaints against an insurance agent or broker.

• And a new system to look up contact information, licensing history, past violations and consumer complaints against agents or companies.

“In the past, these types of things sometimes required phone calls, letters in the mail, and waiting time while a staffer looked up the information,” said Kreidler. “With these new tools, people can get the information instantly.”

The agency also continues to expand its website and its social media presence, including a new page on http://www.facebook.com/WSOIC.