By Josh Chetwynd
A reorganization of Missouri Insurance regulators will do little to improve relations between those who perform government oversight and brokers throughout the state, according to Missouri Association of Insurance Agents’ executive vice president Larry Case.
“I don’t expect it to mean anything,” he told ibamag.com after the recent announcement that five longtime insurance regulators would be shifting or adding roles. “I know many of them, and I don’t have any issues with them personally, but I don’t think it will mean anything from a practical standpoint. If you look back in history, this is a lame duck administration one year from an election. This type of change is usually just a way to give some loyal employees some raises.”
In 2013, the Missouri legislature passed a bill that Case expected to lead to better communication between regulators and the industry. It allowed the state’s department of insurance to issue bulletins and ‘no-action’ letters – both of which could offer agents more direction in their dealings.
Case says that despite that promising development, legal interpretations of that law by the department has led to little improvement.
“The department refused to work with the industry,” he said. “Hopefully, what we’ll see is a change from this unresponsiveness, but I would doubt these personnel moves at all reflect an effort to deal with this issue in any way.”
The changes in the department include: Angela Nelson, director of the Market Regulation Division, was additionally named chief industry liaison; Carrie Couch was promoted to director of the Division of Consumer Affairs; John Rehagen was named director of Company and Captive Regulation; Grady Martin, who was previously director of the Division of Administration, receives the title of director of Administration and Technology; and Leslie Nehring is the new chief financial examiner.
