Columbia River Insurance Services

At Columbia River Insurance Services, we are professional advisors and consultants. Our goal is to provide customized solutions to meet your personal, business, and health needs. Our goal is to be your trusted business adviser.  We are independent, which means we have access to hundreds of markets, so we are not tied just one insurance company. This gives us the flexibility to bring together the best possible coverage, pricing and services. We help you identify your risks and bring the right insurance solution.

Between our two offices, we have a staff of 13 professional licensed agents, with 140 years of combined years of experience.  Please remember that we are a local agency, and expert in what we do. Using us does not cost you any more. 

Going on Vacation? Protect Your Identity

If you're planning a vacation anytime soon, we recommend you take a few precautions to make sure you protect yourself from possible loss. 

1. Tell your banks and credit card companies about your travel plans. Avoid the hassle of a frozen account. Instruct them to contact your cell phone number if they notice suspicious activity.

2.  Secure your mail. Hold your mail with the post office or have a friend pick it up daily.

3.  Weed out your wallet. Outsmart pickpockets and leave behind your checkbook, Social Security card and other nonessentials.

4.  Make digital copies of important travel documents. This allows for easier replacement if they are stolen or missing.

While you're away

5.  Choose ATMs wisely. Withdraw cash only at major institutions after inspecting them for tampering. Use a PIN-based ATM card instead of a debit card.

6.  Use secure Internet connections. Don't access personal or financial information on public computers.

7.  Use a hotel safe. Never leave out personal information, a laptop or a smartphone in your hotel room or rental car.

8.  Avoid over sharing  Never post specific vacation plans or pictures on social networking sites. It's an open invitation to potential thieves.

When you return

9.  Check accounts regularly. Frequently check credit and bank account activity on a secure computer or by phone while you're away and when you return.

10. Shred boarding passes, itineraries and other paperwork that contains valuable information. Never throw these documents away

HMO & PPO- What You Need to Know

You may be getting to the point where you are making a decision about health care. Or you may be confused about the differences between a Health maintenance organization (HMO) plan and a Preferred provider organization (PPO) plan.  Let me help you out.

A health maintenance organization (HMO) contracts with health care professionals and facilities to create a "provider network." If you choose HMO insurance, you'll typically pay just a small co-payment if you visit a physician or hospital within the plan network. This plan requires you to select a primary care physician and generally you must have all treatment performed within the network. HMO plan are very competitive but out of system care is limited.

A preferred provider organization (PPO) also enters into contractual agreements with health care providers and creates a "provider network." But unlike HMOs, PPO health insurance will cover some - but not all - of the cost of care administered by out-of-network providers. Out of network care is an option but you may have a separate deductible or cost. In summary, PPO health insurance offers a wider range of access than HMO insurance, but your out-of-pocket costs tend to be higher.