Direct practices lose 35 percent of enrollees, raise fees 23 percent

Each year, the OIC reports to the Legislature on the status of direct health care practices in Washington. A direct health care practice is an arrangement where a health care provider charges a patient a set monthly fee for primary health care services. The provider doesn’t bill the patient’s insurance for the services and only provides certain medical services in the office.

The December 2014 report contains data from July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2014, which is two fiscal years’ worth of information.

Some highlights from the report:

• As of June 30, 2014 there were approximately 8,658 direct-practice patients in Washington at 29 practices around the state. Patient participation decreased by 35 percent from fiscal year 2013. Four new practices opened in Seattle, Camas and Centralia. Three practices closed in Spokane and Lakewood.
• Monthly fees at direct practices ranged from $25 to more than $200. The most expensive was $910 per month. The average monthly fee weighted by the number of patients was $150.78, a 23 percent increase from fiscal year 2013.
• The OIC received no consumer complaints regarding direct patient practices in fiscal year 2014.

The Affordable Care Act now requires health insurance plans to cover 10 essential health benefits, which include preventive services and chronic disease management. It also puts a cap on deductibles that consumers pay each year and direct practice fees do not count toward that yearly maximum. In addition, Washington expanded its Apple Health (Medicaid) program and the state’s individual health insurance market grew 30 percent in fiscal year 2014 to more than 327,000 people.

View the full report to the Legislature.

What should I know about travel insurance?

If you are getting ready to travel for the holidays, here are some things to consider about travel insurance before you purchase it.

Many travel companies—airlines, cruise lines, resorts—offer travel insurance that will refund most or all of the cost of the trip in certain circumstances. Policies typically cover things like trip cancelations due to illness, civil unrest, job loss, or the transportation carrier going out of business. They’ll also pay for fees incurred by missed connections and delays; baggage damage or loss; medical expenses incurred by an injury or illness while traveling; emergency evacuation; car rental damage; and accidental death.

Before you decide whether to purchase travel insurance, you should consider:

• What your medical insurance covers when you travel.
• What your homeowner or renter insurance covers in the event of lost or stolen belongings.
• What your life insurance policy covers in the event of accidental death while traveling.
• The cancelation policy is for the travel insurance.
• Read the policy's fine print. Some don't cover certain activities such as hang-gliding, bungee jumping or other activities. Some also exclude certain pre-existing conditions from the medical coverage they offer.
• You should also make sure the travel insurance company is licensed to sell insurance in Washington.

Read more about travel insurance on our website.

Questions? You can contact our consumer advocates online or at 1-800-562-6900.

How to choosing the right company for your boat insurance rates

Choosing the right company for your boat insurance rates needs should not be a challenge, as long as you have the criteria set correctly before you start looking for the right insurance. Below, we look at a few things that you can consider before choosing an insurance company to insure your boat.


Reputation - If you have an accident or your boat is damaged and your boat insurance rates company

Average Boat Insurance Rates

Continue the previous post about boat insurance rates, the average cost of insurance is determined with the help of three basic factors, namely: the size of the boat, the age of the boat, and equipment installed on the boat. The size of the boat is usually specified in feet and used to determine the basic premiums and costs.

Average boat insurance rates for example, the annual premium for a

Some homeowner policies offer percentage deductibles

When you are considering homeowner insurance, it’s good to be aware of what type of deductible you have. Some insurance companies charge deductibles that are a percentage of the home’s value, rather than a flat dollar amount. For example, if your deductible is 0.5 percent and your home’s value is $500,000, your deductible would be $2,500.

Some people would prefer to pay a higher deductible and get a lower monthly premium. It’s important to do the math and find out what that half-percent will cost you. Keep in mind, your home’s value is likely to increase over time, which means your deductible will, too.

Read more about homeowner insurance on our website. Questions? You can contact our consumer advocates online or at 1-800-562-6900.