Elected Experience: Richard Schrock is serving his second term as Commissioner of Snohomish County Fire District No. 1, one of state’s largest regional fire departments.

Other Professional Experience: Richard Schrock served four years as Director, Washington State Department of Commerce (under Governor John Spellman). He successfully led state efforts to grow international trade, promote tourism, and attract new businesses to Washington creating thousands of new jobs.  Professional communications consultant who advises businesses, government agencies and non-profits. 

Education: St. Martins College, Political Science

Community Service: Board member, Snohomish County Emergency Radio System (SERS). Founding Board Member of the Lake Stickney Conservancy and Sno-King Watershed Council

Statement: Paying too much for insurance? Do you want four more years of the same 16-year policy direction that governs the state agency that regulates insurance companies?

Washington’s health insurance rates are proposed to rise another 19% next year. Richard Schrock, as Washington’s next Insurance Commissioner, will fight unjustified premium increases, hold down deductibles and limit co-pays.

In 2013, highly respected Seattle Children’s Hospital waged a successful legal battle with the Insurance Commissioner’s Office and three major insurers. Children’s, the region’s premier pediatric hospital, took legal action to get their insured child patients covered by Commissioner-approved insurance plans that had excluded Children’s from service provider networks. In 2014, newspapers reported that a whistleblower compliant revealed scandalous conduct within the Office of the Insurance Commissioner involving “major systemic problems”. Our state’s largest newspaper subsequently called for “major reforms” that have not happened.

Obviously, policy changes are long overdue to broaden access to affordable coverage. If elected Commissioner, Richard Schrock will institute reforms that prevent powerful special interests from influencing agency decisions, vigorously enforce consumer protection laws, and mandate expanding healthcare service- provider networks. Future appeals of Commissioner decisions must be fairly and transparently decided by independent, impartial judges.