The Washington state Office of the Insurance Commissioner, led by Commissioner Mike Kreidler, protects insurance consumers. It also oversees the insurance industry, ensuring that companies follow the rules and Washington consumers get what they pay for. We also answer questions and investigate problems for more than 100,000 people a year, and maintain a statewide network of volunteers to advise consumers on health-coverage issues. Commissioner Kreidler is Washington’s eighth insurance commissioner. A former member of Congress, he was first elected as insurance commissioner in 2000. He was re-elected to a fourth term in 2012. A doctor of optometry with a master's degree in public health, Kreidler practiced at Group Health Cooperative in Olympia for 20 years, with 16 of them shared with the Washington State Legislature. He served as a member of the Northwest Power Planning Council and as regional director for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. He retired as a lieutenant colonel from the Army Reserves with 20 years of service.