For Immediate Release
March 22, 2023
Contact: Pat Gilbert
(732) 201-4133
NCOIL CONCLUDES SUCCESSFUL SPRING MEETING IN SAN DIEGO
Highest Legislator Turnout at a Spring Meeting; Development Started and Continued on Several Model Laws; Timely Policy Discussions Held
Belmar, NJ – The National Council of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL) concluded a highly successful 2023 Spring National Meeting (Meeting) from March 9th-12th in San Diego. In what was the first of the organization’s three National Meetings in 2023, there were 317 participants consisting of 53 legislators from 23 states, 19 first-time legislators, 9 Insurance Commissioners (or equivalent), and 12 total insurance departments represented.
NCOIL’s policy Committees met and held discussions on a wide variety of emerging topics and important issues currently impacting the insurance and financial services marketplaces. The packed agenda featured topics such as: insurance underwriting transparency; insurance requirements for biomarker testing; different types of environmental, social and governance (ESG) policy; insurance issues related to catalytic converter theft; hospital price transparency, and more.
“In my first meeting as NCOIL President, I was thrilled to see the policy committees have such productive meetings and lay the groundwork for what is shaping up to be a very busy 2023,” said Arkansas Representative Deborah Ferguson, DDS. “The policy focused discussions we had on a slate of emerging issues proves that NCOIL continues to be on the cutting edge of insurance public policy. Additionally, the strong legislator turnout ensured that these discussions included a broad spectrum of perspectives and backgrounds.”
NCOIL CEO Commissioner Tom Considine said, “The attendance in San Diego underscores why now is a better time than ever to be involved in NCOIL. We had the strongest legislator attendance for a Spring Meeting ever with a near perfect split of 50% Republicans and 50% Democrats which really highlights NCOIL’s ongoing commitment to bipartisanship.”
“The 19 first-time legislators also bodes well for NCOIL’s continued tremendous growth. As an organization principally represented by legislators, term limits and legislators leaving office for different opportunities are things we must constantly contend with, so seeing new faces at our meetings is always great and a positive sign,” Considine continued.
At the traditional Welcome Breakfast on Friday morning, attendees heard a fantastic Keynote Address from Brigadier General Peter Cross of the California National Guard (CND) who spoke about his experience serving both California and the United States domestically as well as the work the CND has done helping the war effort in Ukraine.
Also during the Breakfast, Rep. Ferguson presented Idaho Insurance Director and NAIC Immediate Past President Dean Cameron with the NCOIL Regulatory Leadership Award, honoring all he has done to advance insurance public policy and strengthen the relationship between NCOIL and the NAIC.
“I am honored and humbled by this recognition. I strongly believe collaboration is critical in protecting consumers,” said Director Cameron.
The policy committee meetings kicked off with the Joint State-Federal Relations and International Insurance Issues Committee, chaired by Utah Representative Jim Dunnigan. The Committee heard a presentation on Federal and State data from balance billing independent dispute resolution programs, held a policy discussion and briefing on Braidwood Management, Inc. v. Becerra, and received an update on preparations for/implications of the end of the Public Health Emergency.
“The Committee’s meeting was extremely productive, and I am proud of the work we accomplished as there are many changes occurring on the Federal level that will have implications throughout the states,” said Rep. Dunnigan. “Understanding how Federal initiatives will impact state law is essential in preserving our state-based system of insurance regulation.”
The Workers Compensation Insurance Committee then met and discussed the proposed U.S. Department of Labor Worker Classification Rule as well as emerging developments and issues in the Workers Compensation marketplace. “It was great for the Committee to meet in San Diego to continue working on a range of issues,” said Ohio Senator Bob Hackett, Chair of the Committee.
“By discussing workers’ compensation legislative & regulatory trends we were able to provide valuable information that legislators can bring back and use in their states.”
A very productive NCOIL-NAIC Dialogue was then held which included an impressive lineup of NAIC representatives: Missouri Director and NAIC President Chlora Lindley-Myers; Idaho Director and NAIC Immediate Past President Dean Cameron; Alaska Director Lori Wing-Heier; Arkansas Commissioner Alan McClain; Kansas Commissioner Vicki Schmidt; Louisiana Commissioner Jim Donelon; Oklahoma Commissioner Glen Mulready; Montana Commissioner Troy Downing; and Utah Commissioner Jon Pike.
Rep. Ferguson stated, “Bringing legislators and regulators together to discuss how the decisions we make will impact the insurance market helps produce the best public policy for our mutual constituencies. In this meeting, we made significant progress in discussing a wide array of issues and another strong turnout of Commissioners and Directors highlighted NCOIL’s continued positive working relationship with the NAIC.”
Following the Dialogue was the first session of a year-long special series of general sessions focused on ESG policy. This session served as an introduction to ESG with a substantive focus on environmental issues. The series is co-facilitated by NCOIL Treasurer Assemblywoman Pamela Hunter (NY) and NCOIL Vice President Representative Tom Oliverson, M.D. (TX).
“Highlighting this topic for a full year will provide a deeper understanding of the implications surrounding all different types of ESG public policy and I was happy to see this first session spark a productive dialogue among our members,” said Asw. Hunter, who facilitated the first session. “The panel provided multiple perspectives on what is and is not sound ESG policy and I look forward to seeing that thought diversity continue throughout the year.”
Friday wrapped up with a meeting of the Life Insurance and Financial Planning Committee chaired by South Carolina Representative Carl Anderson. The agenda featured the introduction of the NCOIL Life Insurance is a Promise for Life Model Act sponsored by Indiana Senator Travis Holdman, NCOIL Immediate Past President, as well as discussion on California’s Life Insurance Policy Lapse Laws and the new federal retirement security law, the SECURE Act 2.0.
Rep. Anderson said, “We are off to a great start this year working on a variety of issues impacting the life insurance industry and what was accomplished in San Diego set the stage for what is a busy road ahead for the Committee. I look forward with great interest as Senator Holdman’s Model develops and we continue work on many timely and important life insurance and financial planning related issues.”
Saturday began with a meeting of the Property & Casualty Insurance Committee chaired by Louisiana Representative Edmond Jordan. The Committee heard presentations on natural disaster resiliency efforts from Roy Wright, President & CEO of the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) and Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon, and insurance issues related to catalytic converter theft from the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). The Committee also adopted the NCOIL Insurance Underwriting Transparency Model Act sponsored by Indiana Representative Matt Lehman, NCOIL Immediate Past President.
“Transparency in underwriting has been and will remain one of the most discussed topics in the insurance marketplace,” said Rep. Jordan. “While I preferred the prior version of the Model as I think it was more beneficial to consumers, it’s important to not make the perfect the enemy of the good and I commend Rep. Lehman and NCOIL for stepping up and taking a leading role on the issue. I look forward to seeing how states use this Model to pass laws that will provide more transparency to consumers.”
Michigan Representative Brenda Carter then moderated a general session titled “Liability Insurance for Gun Owners: Is it Time?” Rep. Carter said, “This is an issue I have worked on in Michigan and I was proud to facilitate this conversation so that legislators from other states can have a complete understanding of the topic.”
At the Keynote Luncheon, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria gave a tremendous speech about his extensive career in public service as Mayor and in the California State Assembly, as well as the unique insurance issues that impact San Diego residents.
The day concluded with the Financial Services and Multi-Lines Issues Committee chaired by Oklahoma Representative Forrest Bennett. The Committee heard presentations on insurance issues surrounding the Name, Image & Likeness (NIL) industry, developments in direct procurement of insurance, and held discussions on a potential NCOIL Consumer Data Protection Model Act and potential amendments to the NCOIL Insurance E Commerce Model Act relating to the e-delivery of certain insurance documents.
“It was an honor to Chair my first NCOIL policy committee meeting in San Diego and I was glad to see the Committee really hit the ground running,” said Rep. Bennett. “The models we discussed and issues we explored shows that NCOIL can lead in an efficient manner on the many issues emerging in the insurance and financial services industry.”
The Health Insurance and Long Term Care Issues Committee, chaired by West Virginia Delegate Steve Westfall met on Sunday morning. The NCOIL Medical Loss Ratios (MLR) for Dental Health Care Services Plans Model Act, sponsored by Del. Westfall, and the NCOIL Hospital Price Transparency Model Act, sponsored by Rep. Oliverson and co-sponsored by Kentucky Representative Rachel Roberts, Vice Chair of the Committee, were introduced and discussed. The Committee also continued discussion on the NCOIL Biomarker Testing Insurance Coverage Model Act sponsored by Asw. Hunter and co-sponsored by Minnesota Senator Paul Utke, NCOIL Secretary. Lastly, the Committee re-adopted the NCOIL Pharmacy Benefits Manager (PBM) Licensure and Regulation Model Act.
“The Health Insurance and Long Term Care Issues Committee is off to one of its busiest years yet. We introduced and discussed Models on a variety of pressing issues and I look forward to the Committee continuing its productivity in Minneapolis in July,” said Del. Westfall.
The Spring Meeting concluded on Sunday morning with a meeting of the Executive Committee during which Past President Former Assemblyman Ken Cooley (CA) was recognized as an Honorary Member of NCOIL.
“I was so glad that Ken was able to join us so we could properly honor his years of public service both in California and here at NCOIL. So much of the work we were able to accomplish in San Diego was due to Ken’s leadership last year as NCOIL President and we all owe him a debt of gratitude,” continued Ferguson.
“This meeting showed where NCOIL is heading both in terms of substantive advances on policy as well as continuing the growth of our membership. I look forward to our Summer Meeting in Minneapolis building on this momentum,” concluded Ferguson.
Committee minutes will be posted soon at www.ncoil.org
The 2023 NCOIL Summer Meeting will take place in Minneapolis at the Marriott Minneapolis City Center from July 19th– 22nd. Registration will open in April.
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NCOIL is a national legislative organization with the nation’s 50 states as members, represented principally by legislators serving on their states’ insurance and financial institutions committees. NCOIL writes Model Laws in insurance and financial services, works to preserve the State jurisdiction over insurance as established by the McCarran-Ferguson Act over seventy years ago, and to serve as an educational forum for public policymakers and interested parties. Founded in 1969, NCOIL works to assert the prerogative of legislators in making State policy when it comes to insurance and educate State legislators on current and longstanding insurance issues.