It’s been 24 years since Washington elected a new insurance commissioner.
Last year, outgoing Commissioner Mike Kreidler announced he would not seek re-election. His resignation comes as no surprise after he came under intense public scrutiny for allegedly using racist language when speaking to job applicants and firing a whistleblower. Ta.
A crowded primary election in August narrowed the field to two final candidates to replace Kreidler, both of whom have served in the Washington State Senate since 2017.
The state insurance commissioner plays a big role in determining how much Washington state residents pay for auto, health, and home insurance. The Insurance Commissioner’s office holds the key to approving or denying proposed rate increases for insurance companies in the state.
Republican Phil Fortunato and Democrat Patty Kuderer disagree on whether Washington should move in the public health direction.
Fortunato, 71, said he believes private health insurance is in the best interest of consumers because competition in the marketplace keeps costs down. He said there will be longer wait times due to public health.
“The only thing that will keep Medicare going is if everyone else pays it in full,” he said in an interview. “Health care costs have never been lower than they were when we didn’t have insurance. Do you want to see Medicare for All? Look at the VA system. My first three sons were all retired It’s a joke when you’re in the military and trying to get medical care through the VA system. It takes three months to get a dental appointment.”
Fortunato, of Auburn, said insurance premiums in the state are rising because of uninsured motorists.
“What percentage of uninsured drivers are illegal aliens?” he said. “There’s a lot of anecdotal evidence. But there’s no conclusive evidence. That’s what I want to know.”
Mr. Fortunato wants to push for the private insurance market and use his office to advocate for Second Amendment protection groups. he accused law Kuderer previously tried to pass a bill that would require liability insurance for gun owners in the state.
The state’s recently enacted and controversial long-term care tax also provides a stark contrast between Fortunato and Kuderer. Mr Fortunato said he did not like the WA Cares Fund and would work to abolish it if elected.
Kuderer, 66, supports that.
“Long-term care is the only health care that is exempt from Obamacare,” Kuderer said. “We can set lifetime limits and we can deny people with pre-existing conditions.”
Bellevue’s Kuderer added that the program will expand the state’s Medicaid funding by helping people who need support not covered by long-term care insurance.
If Kuderer is elected, health care will be a major focus. She said that while in Congress, she voted in favor of creating a Universal Health Care Task Force workgroup and a Universal Health Care Commission in the state.
“I want to be more proactive in helping us move in that direction,” Kuderer said. “It’s not going to be easy and it’s not going to be fast. We’re going to have short, medium and long term goals and we’re going to take it slow and slow. I think that’s inevitable in our country. People think we’re going to get there. We are asking you to move in the direction you want.”
Kuderer added that medical bankruptcy is the most common type of bankruptcy in the state.
“I think this has great implications for our health care system,” Kuderer said.
The term of office for the Washington Insurance Commissioner is four years. Approximately $138,000 per year.
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