Supporting Georgia’s Insurance Agents, Brokers, Consumers & GAHU

Supporting GA's Insurance Agents

Posted: June 6, 2010

Supporting Georgia’s Insurance Agents, Brokers, Consumers & GAHU

I began my health care career as a licensed agent. I have a hands-on understanding of the vital role that agents provide to millions of Georgia’s consumers and thousands of our employers.

This was never clearer to me than when I was assisting my mom and dad in shopping for a Medicare Advantage Plan. While I have significant experience with Medicare Part D at the national level, there is no substitute for a local agent who knows how these plans actually work in their communities, and local agents can explain the different plans in layman’s terms to our seniors.

In the best interests of Georgia’s consumers and employers, we must work together to protect the crucial role of agents. Toward that objective, and most importantly, I will fiercely oppose any efforts to nationalize or dismantle the state insurance regulatory system.

Georgia’s insurance agents and brokers are integral to the success and efficiency of the insurance markets in Georgia. They provide a highly valued service to millions of Georgia’s consumers and business. Every single day in Georgia, our agents and brokers attend to literally thousands of consumer and employer needs. Generally, their services are a bargain relative to the value they provide.

I am also highly concerned about the potential impact of nationalization efforts on this vital layer of health care and will vigorously fight to protect the integrity and continuity of the broker and agent model. As your next Insurance Commissioner, I will be in a well-placed position to articulate the value of this model, both in Georgia and nationally.

As Insurance Commissioner, I will place the highest priority on protecting consumers. One of my goals will be to shine light on the best practices of exceptional agents and brokers throughout Georgia. Let’s do a better job of recognizing exceptional agents and brokers throughout the state and make sure they have a seat at the table when we are making important insurance decisions for Georgia.

Toward that objective, and in working with GAHU, I intend to assemble a broker and agent advisory board who are at ground level to routinely advise me on insurance issues and how we can better serve the needs of consumers and employers.

Furthermore, GAHU is model organization, which has established the highest ethical guidelines for its members and is a vigilant advocate for professionalism. I support many of the GAHU initiatives including its positions on transparency, the high risk pool, the need to reduce or eliminate the premium tax, cross state sales of health plans, and others — especially the idea of a uniform Agent of Record Letter (AORL).

With your support and your backing, I look forward to many consultations with GAHU on how to improve Georgia’s insurance markets.

In the health care markets, I have a strong track record of advocacy for payers, providers, and those who provide vital services at the “ground level.” In the health insurance markets, similar to other insurance markets, we have constructed many barriers that often end up raising costs and reducing care. When considering legislation, I always look at the potential unintended consequences.

Obviously, there are many other issues of importance. My commitment is simple: When discussions are needed and decisions are to be made, agents will have a prominent seat at the table. Unfortunately, the professionals who serve at the front-line, ground level — and know the pulse of consumers and employers best — are sometimes the last to be called upon for expert counsel. Not on my watch!

The best way for me to lead Georgia’s Office of Insurance is to proactively listen to the professionals that do the hard and much needed work everyday — at the ground level.

I look forward to working together to protect our insurance markets and make Georgia a free-market insurance model for the nation.