Washington Insurance FAQs
Does Washington state have free healthcare?
Washington state offers free or low-cost healthcare coverage for certain individuals through its Medicaid program, Washington Apple Health. For individuals who meet the eligibility requirements, it covers physical and behavioral health services.
An independent insurance agent in Washington can help you explore your health insurance options.
What does homeowners insurance cover in Washington?
If you own a house in Washington, you’ll want to protect it from threats like fire, theft, vandalism, and severe weather. What’s more, you’ll want to protect your assets from the costs of lawsuits if you are sued for something that happens on your property. You can do that with reliable homeowners insurance in Washington.
Most home insurance policies in Washington include both property and liability coverage.
- Dwelling and contents coverage: Pays to repair, replace, or rebuild your damaged or destroyed home, personal belongings, and certain detached structures like garages or sheds.
- Loss of use coverage: Pays for certain living expenses (e.g., hotel bills, food, etc.) if you are forced to live somewhere else, like a hotel, while your home is being repaired after it sustains significant property damage.
- Homeowners liability coverage: Protects you when someone claims you have caused an injury or property damage. It covers the injured party's expenses (e.g., medical bills, property repairs) and your legal fees if you're sued.
A local independent insurance agent can help you find homeowners insurance in Washington state.
What does car insurance cover in Washington?
If you own a vehicle in Washington, you are required to purchase auto insurance. You must have the following liability coverage at a minimum in order to comply with the law:
- Bodily injury liability: Required
- Property damage liability: Required
- Minimum liability limits: 25/50/10; coverage up to $25,000 for injuries or death to another person; $50,000 for injuries or death to all other people; and $10,000 for damage to another person’s property
Bodily injury liability insurance covers you if you are at fault in an accident and someone other than yourself is injured. Property damage liability insurance covers damage to another person's vehicle or property in an accident that is your fault.
In addition, you can include several other coverage options in your car insurance policy in Washington. These include uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, medical payments coverage, collision insurance, comprehensive insurance, gap insurance, towing and roadside assistance, rental car reimbursement, and more.
Contact an independent insurance agent near you for the coverage you need.
What does business insurance cover in Washington?
Business insurance in Washington will be different for every company. Most businesses will need, at a minimum:
- Business property insurance
- Business interruption (loss of use) insurance
- General liability insurance
These policies can be purchased individually or as part of a specialized package policy designed for your industry.
Most businesses will need additional coverage for complete protection. Depending on the size of your business and the type of work that you do, you might need:
- Workers’ compensation insurance
- Commercial auto insurance
- Commercial umbrella insurance
- Various forms of additional property or liability protection
If you operate a small business, you may qualify for a business owners policy, which combines property coverage, business interruption coverage, and liability coverage into one affordable package policy designed for the needs of smaller operations.
Whether you purchase your policies individually or as a package designed for your industry, your business insurance will protect you when your property is damaged or if your business is responsible for harming someone or damaging someone else’s property.
Contact an independent business insurance agent near you for the coverage you need.
Who does workers’ compensation insurance cover in Washington?
Workers’ compensation insurance in Washington covers an injured worker’s approved medical, hospital, and related services that are essential to their treatment and recovery after a work-related injury or illness. It also provides partial wage replacement payments for an injured worker who is temporarily unable to work.
Most employers in Washington are required by law to purchase workers’ compensation insurance from the Department of Labor and Industries. Some companies may choose to self-insure with approval from the state. Certain types of employers may be exempt from the requirement.
Contact an independent insurance agent near you to learn more about workers’ compensation insurance in Washington.
What types of insurance does a Washington restaurant need?
Restaurant insurance in Washington is not a single insurance policy. It is a group of policies that respond to unexpected events that lead to a financial loss for the restaurant owner.
Most restaurants in Washington need a customized coverage package that includes commercial property insurance, general liability insurance, commercial auto insurance, crime coverage, spoilage and contamination coverage, liquor liability insurance, and other business insurance policies that protect them from a variety of risks.
It’s a good idea to work with an independent insurance agent near you to get the best restaurant insurance in Washington.
What does commercial vehicle insurance cover in Washington?
Any business that owns vehicles needs commercial vehicle insurance to cover the financial losses that can result from a crash. For most small businesses in Washington, the requirements for commercial vehicle insurance will be the same as for personal vehicles. This means that your business-owned vehicles must have the following coverage required by law, at a minimum:
- $25,000 bodily injury liability coverage per person
- $50,000 bodily injury liability coverage per accident
- $10,000 property damage liability coverage per accident
Certain larger vehicles, vehicles that participate in interstate commerce, and vehicles that carry hazardous substances will have additional federal liability coverage requirements, depending on the type of vehicle and how it’s used.
Some additional business auto coverage options in Washington include:
- Uninsured motorist coverage
- Collision insurance
- Comprehensive insurance
- Towing and roadside assistance coverage
Contact an independent insurance agent in Washington to learn more about your commercial vehicle insurance options.
What types of hotel insurance coverage are available in Washington?
Hotel insurance in Washington may include the following:
- General liability insurance
- Workers’ compensation insurance
- Commercial property insurance
- Commercial auto insurance
- Contamination and spoilage insurance
- Liquor liability insurance
- Equipment breakdown coverage
Most hotels are likely to need these types of coverage, at a minimum. Depending on your unique operation and your risks, you’ll need additional insurance policies to cover everything you might be exposed to. An independent insurance agent in Washington can help you find hotel insurance.
What does umbrella insurance cover in Washington?
Both your auto insurance and home insurance in Washington provide limited amounts of liability coverage. Liability insurance pays for repairing or replacing damaged property of others. It also pays for medical expenses for injured parties, and it even pays your attorney fees, court costs, and any financial settlements or judgments you have to pay if you are sued.
The policy limits included with your auto or home insurance policy may not be sufficient to cover a very large financial settlement.
Umbrella insurance in Washington offers excess liability coverage that kicks in when the limits of an underlying policy—including homeowners insurance, renters insurance, condominium insurance, or auto insurance—have been exhausted.
An umbrella insurance policy in Washington typically covers what the underlying policy does. What's more, an umbrella policy may offer expanded coverage, including covering you worldwide. It might also cover a few circumstances that the underlying policy does not, such as claims for libel, slander, and false imprisonment.
Talk to an independent insurance agent near you to obtain umbrella insurance quotes in Washington.
What does renters insurance cover in Washington?
Renters occupy around 36% of homes in Washington. Renters insurance is essential for people who rent their homes.
Renters insurance in Washington reimburses you when your personal property is lost, damaged, or destroyed by certain unexpected events, such as fire and theft. It also covers you in some instances if you're sued for negligence. In general, here’s what’s covered by renters insurance in Washington:
- Personal property coverage: Covers repair or replacement costs if your personal belongings are lost or damaged due to a covered event such as:
- Fire
- Smoke
- Lightning
- Vandalism
- Theft (including personal items stolen from your car, but not the vehicle itself)
- Explosion
- Windstorm and water damage (not floods)
- Personal liability coverage: Covers your financial obligations and legal costs if you accidentally cause injuries, property damage, or financial harm to others
- Loss of use coverage: Pays for your temporary living expenses if a covered event like a tornado causes severe damage to your home, and you must seek alternate accommodations while your landlord makes repairs
Talk to a local independent insurance agent to find renters insurance in Washington.
How does life insurance work in Washington?
There are two major types of life insurance policies available in Washington: term life insurance and permanent life insurance. Each offers benefits for different periods of time. The proceeds of any life insurance policy can be used to:
- Pay off accumulated debt
- Pay for a dependent's college tuition or mortgage
- Cover your funeral and burial costs
- Donate to your favorite charity fund
Term life insurance provides financial protection for a specified period of time, such as 10, 20, or 30 years. If you die while the policy is in force, your beneficiaries receive the death benefit. If you live to the end of the policy term, the policy terminates unless it automatically renews.
Permanent life insurance provides more than a death benefit. These types of policies offer a long-term savings or investment component (cash value). Whole life, universal life, and variable life insurance are all examples of permanent life insurance.
Contact an independent insurance agent to learn more about life insurance in Washington.
Are there independent insurance agents in Washington state?
Yes, there are 324 independent insurance agencies in Washington state ready to help you find the best insurance for your needs.
An independent insurance agent in Washington can provide one-on-one consultation and affordable options for the best coverage for your unique needs. Your agent will work with you free of charge, offering you a variety of options so you can make the best choice.