Latest Washington Headlines

All the headlines from our Washington Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Wash. Insurer Ordered Into Receivership

Dec 3 2004 // Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler has assumed control of Cascade National Insurance Company of Bellevue under authority of a Thurston County Superior Court order placing the company in receivership.The...

Wash. L&I Adopts 3.7% Workers’ Comp Rate Increase

Nov 23 2004 // The Washington Department of Labor and Industries finalized an average 3.7 percent rate increase for workers’ compensation insurance in 2005. The increase takes effect Jan. 1 and will raise an additional $52 million...

Coloring by Numbers

Nov 22 2004 // The vote tallies in the presidential and congressional races suggest this is a blue region (with the exception of Virginia) but that is probably not true of the insurance community here or elsewhere. Purple, maybe; blue,...

Insurers Pleased with Results of 2004 Federal and State Elections

Nov 22 2004 // While most folks are just happy the political advertisements are gone, Election Day 2004 did provide some results of interest to the insurance industry.President George W. Bush (R) was re-elected for a second term,...

In Washington Testimony on Broker Pay, Council Maintains Best Price Not Always Best Policy

Nov 16 2004 // The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers said today it is “misguided” to presume that brokers and insurance carriers must be in an adversarial relationship to best serve their commercial customers.In...

WASH. BUSINESS COSTS RISING:

Nov 8 2004 // The WashACE annual report that lists key indicators of the state’s business climate in relation to other states reportedly shows that, despite signs of the slowly recovering state economy, Washington has fallen in...

Republican Candidates Win ‘Big Time’ in Insurance Industry Political Giving in Federal Races

Nov 2 2004 // The late U.S. House Speaker Thomas P. “Tip” O’Neill (D-Mass.) is famous for insisting, “All politics is local.” Apparently, O’Neill wasn’t counting the money. When it comes to...

Wash. Man, Woman, Ordered to Repay Benefits

Oct 25 2004 // A Gig Harbor woman has been ordered to repay $46,039 after an investigation by the Washington Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) determined that she had allegedly collected workers’ compensation benefits...

Wash. Business Costs Rising; Workers’ Comp Problems Among Items Singled Out

Oct 19 2004 // The WashACE annual report that lists key indicators of the state’s business climate in relation to other states reportedly shows that, despite signs of the slowly recovering state economy, Washington has fallen in...

N.Y.’s Serio Defends States as Federal Oversight Debate Begins

Oct 11 2004 // State insurance commissioners stood their ground last month at hearings in Washington where they opposed an expanded federal role in insurance regulation and withstood a withering attack on their performance from a leading...

AMA JOINS PUSH FOR WASH. MED-MAL REFORM:

Oct 11 2004 // The American Medical Association (AMA) joined the Washington State Medical Association (WSMA) for a National House Call to urge voters to sign on to Initiative 330 to help restore fairness and balance to Washington’s...

Dusk Delayed as House Takes First Step Toward Extending TRIA’s Sunset

Oct 11 2004 // Regardless of whether George W. Bush is re-elected or John Kerry moves into the White House, the property/casualty insurance industry appears to have a good chance of getting its wishes when it comes to extending the...

Md. Docs Postpone Surgery Slowdown

Oct 6 2004 // Four Washington County, Maryland doctors have agreed to an indefinite delay of their plan to halt non-emergency surgery to protest a 33 percent increase in medical malpractice insurance premiums.After a meeting with Gov....

Wash. Physical Therapist Charged with Overcharging L&I

Sep 27 2004 // King County, Wash. prosecutors have charged the owner of Peak Performance Physical Therapy with first-degree theft, accusing James Gordon Aiton of falsely billing the Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) for over...

Hub Enhances Embassy Insurance Program

Sep 24 2004 // Chicago-based Hub International Limited announced that it has enhanced its exclusive Embassy Program, providing property and casualty insurance to embassies, consulates and missions to the United Nations in Washington DC...

AMA Joins Push for Washington Med-Mal Reform

Sep 22 2004 // The American Medical Association (AMA) joins the Washington State Medical Association (WSMA) for a National House Call this week to urge voters to sign on to Initiative 330 to help restore fairness and balance to...

Insurance Industry Hopes to Extend TRIA in Time for 2005 Policies

Sep 20 2004 // But Not Everyone Thinks Renewing the Federal Backstop is a Good IdeaRegardless of whether George W. Bush is re-elected or John Kerry moves into the White House, the property/casualty insurance industry appears to have a...

One-on-One with NAPSLO’s Outgoing President

Sep 20 2004 // When the outgoing president of the National Association of Surplus Lines Offices (NAPSLO), Jim Griffith, founded Princeton Risk Managers in 1974, organizers of the surplus lines association were convening in Florida to...

Insurers Hope to Put Off TRIA’s Sunset

Sep 20 2004 // Regardless of whether President George W. Bush is re-elected or John Kerry moves into the White House, the property/casualty insurance industry appears to have a good chance of getting its wishes when it comes to extending...

Wash. Doctor Charged with Molestation, Rape

Sep 16 2004 // The King County, Wash. prosecutor’s office plans to file criminal charges on Wednesday against Dr. Charles Momah, the gynecologist whose license was suspended a year ago after patients accused him of molesting and...