Latest Washington Headlines
All the headlines from our Washington Topic Page, ordered by recency.
The Pressure’s On
Jan 27 2008 // Washington State’s Kreidler believes now’s the time for the industry to face climate change Washington State Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler has proven adept at balancing the many demands placed upon state...
D.C. to Appeal Revised Flood maps
Jan 25 2008 // The District of Columbia is planning to challenge new maps from the Federal Emergency Management Agency that would designate a broad section of the city’s center a flood zone. The proposed new flood zone is several...
Wash. AG Proposes Identity Theft Bill
Jan 25 2008 // A bill requested by Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna to make it easier to prosecute identity theft cases is scheduled for a public hearing today before the House Judiciary Committee. “Records custodians...
Wash. Regulator Has Big Ideas for Health Care
Jan 15 2008 // Hoping to speed up the pace of health care reform, the state insurance commissioner has stepped from the bureaucratic supporting cast with a big idea: take over the market for “catastrophic” insurance,...
Industry, Residents Assessing West’s Winter Storm Damage
Jan 13 2008 // While it’s too soon to tally insured loss estimates from early winter storms that struck the West in January, residents who fled their homes due to flooding are facing damages, all while the National Weather Service...
Physicians Insurance Files To Decrease Doctors’ Medical Malpractice Coverage in Washington
Jan 11 2008 // Washington’s largest writer of medical malpractice coverage for physicians and surgeons has reduced premiums for 2008 by 12.5 percent, following what appears to be a record-setting year of profits for the company in...
West Storm Losses Could Reach $600 Million
Jan 10 2008 // Catastrophe risk modeling firm Air Worldwide estimates insured losses from the recent west coast winter storm that occrred January 4-8 could reach as high as $600 million, with the vast majority of those losses in...
Pet Birds-Risk – WA Health Officials: Pet Birds May Pose Health Risk
Jan 4 2008 // Washington has issued a warning to the public that some recently purchased cockatiels or other pet birds may pose a health risk to people who are exposed to them. The Washington State Department of Health said that some...
Top Insurance Stories in 2007 in the West
Dec 31 2007 // While 2007 was a surprisingly calm year for hurricanes, that doesn’t mean Mother Nature didn’t have a tantrum or two. In 2007, the West faced its share of disasters, with freezes, floods and fires making news...
Washington’s Workers’ Comp Rate Holiday Ends Tonight
Dec 31 2007 // Washington’s six-month rate holiday, during which employers and workers saved $315 million in workers’ compensation premiums, will end with the arrival of the New Year tonight, according to the state Department...
Washington Increasing Minimum Wage 14 Cents
Dec 28 2007 // Washington’s minimum wage will increase 14 cents to $8.07 an hour beginning Jan. 1, 2008, according to the Department of Labor and Industries. Washington’s minimum wage applies to workers in both agriculture...
Washington Makes Insurance Plea for Storm Damage Victims
Dec 28 2007 // Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler has asked insurance companies and other regulated entities to take voluntary steps to ensure that homeowners, businesses and consumers affected by December’s winter...
Natural Disasters, Fires, Floods, Fair Conduct Fueled Insurance Industry Discussions in 2007
Dec 23 2007 // While 2007 was surprisingly calm year for hurricanes, that doesn’t mean Mother Nature didn’t have a tantrum or two. In the past year, the West faced its share of disasters, with freezes, floods and fires making...
Encompass Offers Accident Forgiveness Program in Washington
Dec 18 2007 // Encompass Insurance’s has introduced Encompass Edge, designed to provide Washington customers with a product that combines accident forgiveness and discounts. According to the company, the program offers: •An...
UN Climate Chief Says US-EU Deadlock over Emissions Cuts Threatens Summit
Dec 14 2007 // The U.N. climate chief warned on Thursday that a deadlock between the United States and the European Union over pollution cuts threatened to derail talks aimed at launching negotiations for a new global warming...
Quirk & Co. Names Two Washington Underwriters
Dec 14 2007 // Quirk & Co. has added two Bainbridge Island, Wash., underwriters. Pam Hollinshead has more than 30 year of commercial underwriting experience. She will focus on servicing new and renewal accounts for...
Financial Burden of the Uninsured Growing in Washington
Dec 13 2007 // Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler has released a new statewide report today that shows the costs of uncompensated health care continued to rise in 2006, posing a threat to the overall health security of all...
Federal Assistance Approved for Oregon, Washington Counties
Dec 12 2007 // In storm-ravaged parts of the Northwest, home and business owners are beginning to file insurance claims — a process that could be complicated by whether severe winds or floods did the damage. Insurers say...
‘Most Secure Places to Live’ Are In Ore., Calif. and Wash.
Dec 11 2007 // Health, prosperity, safety and security are all desirable aspects when it comes to seeking a place to live, work or raise a family. According to the fourth annual Most Secure U.S. Places to Live rankings from Farmers...
White House Declares Washington Major Disaster Area
Dec 10 2007 // President George W. Bush has declared a major disaster exists in the State of Washington and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area struck by severe storms, flooding, landslides, and...
