Insurance commissioner
An insurance commissioner (or commissioner of insurance) is a public official in the executive branch of a state or territory in the United States that, along with his or her office, regulate the insurance industry. The powers granted to the office of an insurance commissioner differ in each state. The office of an insurance commissioner is established either by the state constitution or by statute. While most insurance commissioners are appointed, in some jurisdictions they are elected.[1] The office of the insurance commissioner may be part of a larger regulatory agency, or an autonomous department.
Insurance law and regulation is established individually by each state. In order to better coordinate insurance regulation among the states and territories, insurance commissioners are members of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).[2]
Duties and powers of insurance commissioners
The purpose of insurance commissioners is to maintain fair pricing for insurance products, protecting the solvency of insurance companies, preventing unfair practices by insurance companies, and ensuring availability of insurance coverage.[3] In order to accomplish these goals, each state grants several powers to insurance commissioners and their offices, including:[4]
- Approval of insurance rates
- Periodical financial examinations of insurers
- Licensing of companies, agencies, agents, and brokers
- Monitoring and regulating claims handling
List of current insurance commissioners[1][5]
State/territory | Name | Title | Name of Office | Elected/Appointed |
---|---|---|---|---|
Alabama | Jim L. Ridling | Commissioner | Alabama Department of Insurance | Appointed |
Alaska | Lori K. Wing-Heier | Director | Alaska Division of Insurance | Appointed |
American Samoa | Tau Tanuvasa | Commissioner | Office of the Governor | Appointed |
Arizona | Darren Ellingson | Interim Director | Arizona Department of Insurance | Appointed |
Arkansas | Allen W. Kerr | Commissioner | Arkansas Insurance Department | Appointed |
California | Dave Jones | Commissioner | California Department of Insurance | Elected |
Colorado | Marguerite Salazar | Commissioner | Colorado Division of Insurance | Appointed |
Connecticut | Katharine L. Wade | Commissioner | Connecticut Insurance Department | Appointed |
Delaware | Karen Weldin Stewart | Commissioner | Delaware Department of Insurance | Elected |
District of Columbia | Stephen C. Taylor | Acting Commissioner | District of Columbia Department of Insurance, Securities, and Banking | Appointed |
Florida | David Altmaier | Commissioner | Florida Office of Insurance Regulation | Appointed |
Georgia | Ralph T. Hudgens | Commissioner | Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner | Elected |
Guam | Artemio B. Ilagan | Commissioner | Guam Department of Revenue and Taxation | Appointed |
Hawaii | Gordon I. Ito | Commissioner | Hawaii Insurance Division | Appointed |
Idaho | Dean Cameron | Director | Idaho Department of Insurance | Appointed |
Illinois | Anne Melissa Dowling | Acting Director | Illinois Department of Insurance | Appointed |
Indiana | Stephen W. Robertson | Commissioner | Indiana Department of Insurance | Appointed |
Iowa | Nick Gerhart | Commissioner | Iowa Insurance Division | Appointed |
Kansas | Ken Selzer | Commissioner | Kansas Insurance Department | Elected |
Kentucky | Sharon P. Clark | Commissioner | Kentucky Department of Insurance | Appointed |
Louisiana | James J. Donelon | Commissioner | Louisiana Department of Insurance | Elected |
Maine | Eric A. Cioppa | Superintendent | Maine Bureau of Insurance | Appointed |
Maryland | Al Redmer Jr. | Commissioner | Maryland Insurance Administration | Appointed |
Massachusetts | Daniel R. Judson | Commissioner | Massachusetts Division of Insurance | Appointed |
Michigan | Patrick M. Mcpharlin | Director | Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services | Appointed |
Minnesota | Mike Rothman | Commissioner | Minnesota Department of Commerce | Appointed |
Mississippi | Mike Chaney | Commissioner | Mississippi Insurance Department | Elected |
Missouri | John M. Huff | Director | Missouri Department of Insurance, Financial Institutions and Professional Registration | Appointed |
Montana | Monica J. Lindeen | Commissioner | Montana Office of the Commissioner of Securities and Insurance | Elected |
Nebraska | Bruce R. Ramge | Director | Nebraska Department of Insurance | Appointed |
Nevada | Amy L. Parks | Acting Commissioner | Nevada Division of Insurance | Appointed |
New Hampshire | Roger A. Sevigny | Commissioner | New Hampshire Insurance Department | Appointed |
New Jersey | Richard J. Badolato | Acting Commissioner | New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance | Appointed |
New Mexico | John G. Franchini | Superintendent | New Mexico Office of Superintendent of Insurance | Appointed |
New York | Anthony Albanese | Acting Superintendent | New York State Department of Financial Services | Appointed |
North Carolina | Wayne Goodwin | Commissioner | North Carolina Department of Insurance | Elected |
North Dakota | Adam Hamm | Commissioner | North Dakota Insurance Department | Elected |
Northern Mariana Islands | Mark O. Rabauliman | Secretary of Commerce | Office of the Insurance Commissioner | Appointed |
Ohio | Mary Taylor | Lt. Governor/ Director | Ohio Department of Insurance | Appointed |
Oklahoma | John D. Doak | Commissioner | Oklahoma Insurance Department | Elected |
Oregon | Laura N. Cali | Commissioner | Oregon Insurance Division | Appointed |
Pennsylvania | Teresa D. Miller | Commissioner | Pennsylvania Insurance Department | Appointed |
Puerto Rico | Ángela Weyne | Commissioner | Office of the Commissioner of Insurance | Appointed |
Rhode Island | Joseph Torti III | Superintendent | Rhode Island Division of Insurance | Appointed |
South Carolina | Raymond G. Farmer | Director | South Carolina Department of Insurance | Appointed |
South Dakota | Larry Deiter | Director | South Dakota Division of Insurance | Appointed |
Tennessee | Julie Mix McPeak | Commissioner | Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance | Appointed |
Texas | David Mattax | Commissioner | Texas Department of Insurance | Appointed |
Utah | Todd E. Kiser | commissioner | Utah Insurance Department | Appointed |
U.S. Virgin Islands | Osbert Potter | Lt. Governor/ Commissioner | Division of Banking and Insurance | Elected |
Vermont | Michael S. Pieciak | Commissioner | Vermont Department of Financial Regulation | Appointed |
Virginia | Jacqueline K. Cunningham | commissioner | Virginia Bureau of Insurance | Appointed |
Washington | Mike Kreidler | commissioner | Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner | Elected |
West Virginia | Michael D. Riley | commissioner | West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner | Appointed |
Wisconsin | Ted Nickel | commissioner | Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance | Appointed |
Wyoming | Tom Glause | commissioner | Wyoming Insurance Department | Appointed |
References
- 1 2 "State Commissioners - 2014" (PDF). naic.org. NAIC. Retrieved 18 August 2015.
- ↑ "About the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC)". www.naic.org. Retrieved 2015-08-18.
- ↑ Kimball, Spencer (1961). "The Purpose of Insurance Regulation: A Preliminary Inquiry in the Theory of Insurance Law". heinonline.org. Retrieved 2015-08-18.
- ↑ Randall, Susan (1999). "Insurance Regulation in the United States: Regulatory Federalism and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners" (PDF). FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY LAW REVIEW.
- ↑ "National Association of Insurance Commissioners Membership List" (PDF). www.naic.org. NAIC. August 17, 2015.