Complaints result in Washington OIC recovering nearly $101 million for consumers

The Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) recovered over $100.8 million for consumers experiencing insurance issues between 2023 and 2025, according to a press release.

The funds were the result of thousands of customer inquiries received and answered by the OIC’s Consumer Advocacy Program (CAP). More than 200,000 inquiries were received, but not all resulted in monetary recoveries.

“Our mission is consumer protection, and our staff is dedicated to helping Washingtonians solve their insurance issues,” Kuderer said in the release. “The increased amounts we’re seeing year-over-year highlight how important it is to have consumer advocates in your corner and why customers should reach out to the OIC when they have questions or disagree with a decision their insurer has made. I’m proud of my team and the work they do to assist Washington residents.”

Kuderer was elected commissioner last year and began her term in January.

CAP recovered $61.8 million in the 2021-23 biennium, $59.4 million in the 2019-21 biennium, and $30.5 million in the 2017-2019 biennium.

When appropriate, CAP reaches out to insurance companies on behalf of consumers. Some of the recoveries are in the millions and impact dozens of people, while the smallest recovery to date was $1.98.

The total “recovery” amounts include claim payments and premium refunds made to the consumer through CAP’s complaint resolution services.

The release highlights three recent large payouts as a result of the OIC’s CAP:

• • A health clinic received payment under its fraud coverage, recovering $1.6 million after months of delays.
  • Concerns about a stop-loss policy were escalated, resulting in $1.5 million in medical claims paid out to Washington residents.
  • A life insurer wrongly cancelled dozens of policies due to a system error, but CAP helped get 69 policies reinstated, and $4.4 million paid to families.

The figure is a testament to CAP staff’s persistence in holding insurance companies accountable to their policyholders and commitment to standing up for Washington consumers, Kuderer said.

She added that the amount recovered on behalf of consumers could be greater if her office had the authority to order restitution, which was part of legislation she requested during the 2025 legislative session that adjourned in April. She said she plans to request the legislation again next year.

“The recovery totals are great, but holding the worst of the bad actors accountable by ordering them to repay the people they’ve harmed would provide even more protection,” Kuderer said. “Our CAP staff has had great results working with reputable insurance companies to encourage them to do right by their policyholders. The option to order restitution would ensure we could do the same with the insurance companies who won’t.”