Latest Washington Headlines
All the headlines from our Washington Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Wash. Workers’ Comp Prescription Drug Costs Among the Lowest
Jul 13 2011 // The high cost for prescription drugs for injured workers in some states is a major issue for policymakers, but not in Washington state, where costs were among the lowest compared to 17 other states, according to a new...
Agents Question GM Free Car Insurance Deal With MetLife Auto
Jul 12 2011 // Independent insurance agents are raising concerns over a General Motors promotion that offers car buyers in the Pacific Northwest a year of free liability and damage insurance from MetLife Auto & Home. Hoping to put...
GM to Pay Insurance for Car Buyers in Washington, Oregon
Jul 7 2011 // Drivers in Oregon and Washington who buy a new 2010, 2011 or 2012 Chevrolet, Buick, GMC or Cadillac vehicle between July 6 and September 6 will receive a one-year insurance policy from MetLife Auto & Home at no...
Make Employers’ Provision of Group Health Insurance Easier, Less Costly
Jul 4 2011 // More than half of all Americans receive health insurance through an employer. Let me advance a bold premise: This is not entirely a bad thing. By insuring 150 million of us, employer-based plans relieve government of the...
Washington State Patrol Accident Reports Online
Jun 27 2011 // The Washington State Patrol says people will be able to go online to request an accident report for their insurance company and received it in one to five days instead of the current four weeks. The patrol says the Web...
Wash. Regulator Fines Insurers, Agents $750,000
Jun 22 2011 // Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler has fined insurance companies, agents and brokers more than $750,000 in 2011. Violations included charging unapproved rates and submitting false documents. From January...
Tennessee Officials Worried Over Increasing Number of Abandoned Homes
Jun 22 2011 // Officials in Washington County, Tennessee are trying to decide the best way to deal with the growing number of abandoned homes. Of particular concern to officials is that property owners could stop caring for the upkeep of...
Washington Man Charged With Auto Insurance Fraud
Jun 21 2011 // A Tacoma, Wash., man faces multiple charges after allegedly filing forged documents in an auto theft claim, the state Office of the Insurance Commissioner announced. Cash B. Knott, 45, has been charged in Pierce County...
Calif., Wash. Lead Nation in Car Thefts
Jun 21 2011 // While car thefts nationwide have declined, the western states have the uneviable distinction of having the most car thefts in the nation. According to a new report by the National Insurance Crime Bureau, the top 10 spots...
Washington Court: OK to Terminate Employee for Medical Marijuana Use
Jun 16 2011 // A Washington Supreme Court has ruled that it is OK for an employer to terminate an employee for violating its no drug policy, even though the employee is in compliance with the state’s medical marijuana...
Wash. Governor Signs Workers’ Comp Reform Measure
Jun 16 2011 // Washington employers who provide temporary work that allows an injured worker to “Stay at Work” while recovering from an injury will be eligible to be reimbursed for half of the worker’s wages. This new...
Finally, Wash. Legislators Agree on Workers’ Comp Reform
Jun 6 2011 // Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire, Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown, House Speaker Frank Chopp, Senate Minority Leader Mike Hewitt and House Minority Leader Richard DeBolt announced the Legislature finally has come to an...
Risk of Cyber Attacks Escalation Rises as Technology Outpaces Policy
Jun 3 2011 // From the satellite pictures on Google Earth, Jinan looks like any other Chinese city — sprawling construction sites, massive factory blocks, apartment buildings, a university, dozens of railway lines and wide-open...
Wash. Seeks Comment on Workers’ Comp Policy on For-Hire Drivers
Jun 1 2011 // Washington’s Department of Labor and Industries is seeking comment on proposed rules to implement legislation requiring workers’ compensation coverage for certain for-hire vehicle operators such as taxi and...
Finally, Wash. Legislators Agree on Workers’ Comp Reform
May 23 2011 // Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire, Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown, House Speaker Frank Chopp, Senate Minority Leader Mike Hewitt and House Minority Leader Richard DeBolt announced the Legislature finally has come to an...
Wash. Lawmakers Continue to Struggle on Workers’ Comp Deal
May 20 2011 // Leading Washington lawmakers are struggling to find a compromise that would alter the state’s workers’ compensation system and help seal a budget agreement. Negotiators emerged from a 45-minute, closed-door...
Wash. Agents Can File Contractors’ Proof of Insurance Online
May 17 2011 // Washington’s Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) has created an online system for insurance agents to create, cancel and reinstate general liability insurance certificates for contractors registered in the...
Washington Labor & Industries Dept. Closes Northeast Office
May 16 2011 // Citing a steady decline in workload due to the poor economy in Northeast Washington, the state Department of Labor & Industries announced that it will close its service location in Colville, Wash., on May 27. The...
Stalemate Over Workers’ Comp Stalls Washington Lawmakers
May 16 2011 // Washington state lawmakers grappling over how to fill a projected budget shortfall of $5 billion in a special legislative session may first have to end a stalemate on a more contentious issue: workers’...
Wash. Governor Proposes Workers’ Comp Settlement Option
May 13 2011 // In hopes of settling a stalemate in Washington’s special legislative session, Gov. Chris Gregoire has submitted a proposal that includes a claims settlement option for workers’ compensation claims. As part of...
