Back in the day when I was counsel for a Washington Legislature House Committee, I was asked by a non-profit to put together an outline to help them pursue legislative change. I ran across that outline in my regular purge of files. It seems quaint but still relevant. I share it for the benefit of…
Once again, a Washington Appellate Court has ruled that an insurer’s blanket denial of payment of a medical bill that exceeds a predetermined amount constitutes an unfair practice in violation of the state Consumer Protection Act. [Stan Schiff v Liberty Mutual Fire Insurance Company, No. 82554-2-1 Decided 11/28/2022 footnote 8 at 12] “Insurers must make…
When a traditional marketplace changes and we save money, we cheer it as “disruptive innovation.” That was one of the big ideas behind the Affordable Care Act (ACA) healthcare marketplace and Exchanges like Washington’s Healthplanfinder. Buy direct and save; avoid sales commissions. Be your own insurance broker or ask a “navigator.” But, as the Harvard…
While the U.S. House of Representatives was busy impeaching President Trump for the second time, the President was busy. Lost in news of the tumult of violence in the Capitol was the White House announcement of the signing of legislation breaking a pillar of insurance law – the McCarran-Ferguson Act of 1945. Health insurers, including…
Government response to the Coronavirus has included a wide range of emergency measures governing health plan administration. Some of these measures address dislocations caused by sudden change in employment status while others address administration of benefits for employees marooned at home. The fast pace of change wrecks the predictability required for health care benefits tied…
Catastrophe reveals character and exposes fraud. From one shut-in to another, I’ve quickly learned from the flood of calls and “chats” that some clients rush to the aid of customers and others rush to the bunkers. A reckoning will come later when I evaluate my own contributions and assess the decent use of my time…
