From the President’s Desk
Senator Paul Utke (MN) – NCOIL President
Welcome to my second quarterly newsletter column. As you likely know, we just wrapped up our first National Meeting of the year in Louisville. I am very happy with how everything turned out and I am looking forward to continuing that momentum throughout my term as NCOIL President.
From an attendance perspective, the Louisville Meeting was the second highest attended NCOIL Spring Meeting ever with 399 participants including 75 legislators from 27 states as well as 5 insurance commissioners. This consistent strong participation at our Meetings is illustrative that the work we are doing is making an impact and that NCOIL continues to be trusted as a prominent educational forum on insurance public policy issues.
Substantively, this was busier than a typical Spring Meeting as we had topics that were carried over from last year as well as relatively newer ones that we were able to reach enough of a consensus on to finalize our discussions. The Spring Meeting saw the adoption of: the NCOIL Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements Model Act sponsored by Rep. Meredith Craig (OH); the NCOIL Model Act Regarding Life Insurers’ Use of Genetic Information sponsored by Rep. Brenda Carter (MI), NCOIL Secretary; a Resolution in Support of Public Policy Improving Maternal Health sponsored by Rep. Carter and Rep. Greg Scott (PA); and a Resolution Affirming U.S. State-Based Regulation of Artificial Intelligence in Insurance Consistent with the McCarran-Ferguson Act sponsored by Asm. Erik Dilan (NY). To be able to get two new Model Laws and two Resolutions over the finish line at our first Meeting of 2026 is a great sign for the rest of the year.
Shifting the Spring Meeting from March to April a few years ago has proven to work very well in terms of better attendance, but one of the effects of that is a quicker turnaround to our Summer Meeting which will be held from July 15th-18th in Boston, MA. To that end, we are already hard at work in putting together the agenda and registration will be opening in a matter of days. Some topics already scheduled to be discussed include:
- the 340B Drug Pricing Program;
- charity care and medical debt reform;
- developments in the vision care services marketplace;
- insurers’ use of aerial images; and
- discussions on the pros and cons of certain tort reform measures.
As you know, this is a fascinating time for insurance public policy. As things like technology continue to evolve, so do the issues that we all must address in order to ensure that both consumers are protected and that the insurance marketplace is competitive and vibrant. I think a big part of NCOIL’s growth over the past several years is that people realize that NCOIL is the place to engage, learn about new issues, hear different perspectives, and gain a wider knowledge base and network that at the end of the day will benefit the consumer.
Prior to the Summer Meeting, we’ll look forward to seeing members of the NCOIL Corporate & Institutional Partners (CIP) Program in June in Savannah, GA for the 2026 CIP Planning Meeting. The Meeting is always a great opportunity to discuss how everyone’s first half of the year has been and what everyone has been experiencing in legislatures and departments of insurance across the states. It will also provide momentum and guide certain policy discussions for the remainder of the year, and we thank our CIP Members for participating.
Later that month, we’ll be hosting our 10th D.C. Educational Fly-in where NCOIL legislators will meet with Members of Congress and their staffs to discuss the importance of the state-based system of insurance regulation and the McCarran-Ferguson Act. I wish I could say this was our 10th consecutive Fly-in but unfortunately last year’s event was cancelled due to the record breaking government shutdown. My colleagues and I are extra eager to return to the Hill this year. The event is always incredibly important because the knowledge of the state-based system of insurance and the McCarran-Ferguson Act at the Federal level can quickly be forgotten due to the high Member and staff turnover. Accordingly, having a consistent presence to reinforce that on the Hill is essential.
At a time when there are so many complex issues shaping the insurance landscape across the country, it is more important than ever that we come together in a bipartisan spirit to develop thoughtful solutions that protect consumers and promote a healthy marketplace. NCOIL is stronger than ever and very well positioned to do just that.
In closing, I’d like to thank everyone for their participation and contributions to the organization so far this year and I look forward to seeing you all soon.
Paul