Workers Comp.

I would urge privatization of Workers’ Compensation. The worker’s compensation program has not had an overhaul in years. We are working with a 19th-century program. Washington is one of 4 states with a monopolistic system. The monopolistic states have higher costs with fewer benefits. The first benefit is to the workers; the majority of workers in WA would see a reduction in taxes. Most employees pay a portion of the cost. The second benefit is to the employer. The additional competition in the state will provide lower costs to employers. I plan to work with the legislature to build a program that will benefit both the employee and employer. The state will see additional revenue and less cost to the taxpayer. The prime example is the privatization of alcohol. The state saw a huge increase in tax revenue and lower costs. We should work to be more transparent and part of the future.

Health insurance

Health insurance has been an issue for years and continues to be an issue. Although the Affordable Care Act helped, it also created some limitations for innovation.

All new health insurance programs must comply with the Affordable Care Act. As such, a single-payer system would never work in WA State. In the short term, I want to urge other types of coverage to expand supplemental insurance companies like Aflac to increase their coverage options.

I would work with the leading health insurance companies to build new products that could be fully underwritten, including the expansion of accident health insurance. I would invite additional competition into the state.

Home insurance

Weather-related claims have increased due to climate change. We need to work as an industry to address these issues. As someone who is in the trenches dealing with the issues on a daily basis, I can work with everyone involved to fix some issues.

A deductible savings program will allow insureds to have higher deductibles without having more money out of their pockets. I will work diligently to add additional carriers to WA state. I will work with existing carriers to open their markets back up. We will introduce new forms limiting the insurance carrier’s exposure, offering an option for Actual cash value on 20-year-old roofs.

In the rural areas, we will work with carriers to add to the wildfire defense program. We will work with homeowners to expand the green space around their homes and institute Safer home construction.

Earthquake, Flood and Landslide. 

I will work with insurance companies to expand their products so more companies will offer DIC (difference in condition ) policies, so there can be coverage for these catastrophic issues.

Auto insurance

The cost of auto insurance hits most Washingtonians.  The rates have been going through the roof.  The cost of repair is the major factor for the rate increases.  There are more drivers on the road which translates into more accidents and more deaths.  We need more insurance companies in WA state. The additional competition will drive down rates.   Deductible savings programs will help insureds save money and increase their deductible.

We have the 5th most uninsured drivers in the nation.  I had supported senate bill 5326, requiring proof of financial responsibility to register a car.   It also gave online immediate access to the WA State Patrol and other police organizations to verify insurance.   This will reduce the number of uninsured drivers.   43 states require proof of insurance to register a car.

The minimum coverage requirement for liability coverage of $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident, and $10,000 for property damage is very low.  I will work to increase this coverage.

As the climate changes, more claims are associated with weather damage.  We need to work together to reduce the potential of damage due to weather.   In rural areas, this includes creating more green space around structures.  Working with organizations like the Wildfire Defense Systems to ensure property is safer during fire season.   Hail is a major issue for vehicles.  Vehicles will need to be made from materials that are hail-resistant.

LTGBQ support: In the ’90s, using my background in Math/Actuary, I was able to show underwriting that a committed gay couple had the same exposure as a married couple.  I was able to get them the Marriage discount. This spread to all agents that represented SAFECO.  This was huge, as such I was able to help the Gay community save a lot of money on their insurance.

Implementing just a few of these programs will reduce our costs.