OIC’s Report on Insurance Claim Complaints Sparks Debate in Washington State

Insurance advocacy groups in Washington state are pushing back against a new study released by the Office of the Insurance Commissioner highlighting the recent increase in insurance claim complaints.

According to the OIC, its Consumer Advocacy Program received 467 complaints in April 2023 compared to the average of 287 per month. As of May, claim handling issues were documented in over 80% of all complaint reasons.

In a statement, Insurance Commissioner Kreidler wrote that ‘most of the time, the claims process works as intended when insureds and claimants alike are made whole. But when there are disputes, the industry needs to step up and do more to help resolve them in a timely, accurate manner.’