California — Commissioner Lara announces appointments to Curriculum Board and CAARP Advisory Committee: Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has made several appointments to help drive forward the California Department of Insurance’s mission to protect consumers. These appointments include naming new members Janise Graham and Doug Smith, as well as reappointed members Monique Howard and Sandra Moriarty, to the Curriculum Board and Nona Tirre Miranda to the California Automobile Assigned Risk Plan (CAARP) Advisory Committee.
“I am pleased to announce these appointments to the Curriculum Board and the CAARP Advisory Committee,” said Commissioner Lara. “These appointments include a diverse group of individuals who all share a history of taking action to support the needs of Californians. I am confident they will be valued members to their respective boards.”
The Curriculum Board oversees the development of pre-licensing and continuing education curriculum for agents and brokers to uphold professional standards that protect consumers. This includes a list of preapproved courses of study as well as courses of study for professional designations. This Board also develops standards for providers and instructors who offer courses and other training to licensed agents and brokers.
The Governor and California State Legislature created CAARP to provide auto insurance for motorists unable to obtain coverage in the private market due to their driving records or other extraordinary circumstances. One program within the plan — the California Low Cost Auto Program — aims to provide affordable liability insurance to income-eligible good drivers by assigning them to private insurers based upon the companies’ share of the auto insurance market. The CAARP Advisory Committee provides policy advice to Commissioner Lara on matters affecting the operation of its programs.
The next Curriculum Board meeting will be held on July 20, 2023 and the next CAARP Advisory Committee meetings will be held on August 22 and 23, 2023. More details are available at: www.insurance.ca.gov/boards. Public members of the CAARP Advisory Committee receive $250 per meeting. All other positions are uncompensated.
The Newly appointed members include:
Curriculum Board:
Janise Graham is President and CEO of Leaving In Style, Inc. and Owner/Business Strategist of Entrepreneur’s Insurance Services. Graham assists business owners during all phases of the business cycle, including planning, operations management, finance, funding, marketing, business continuity, and succession planning. She is also a speaker, author, and coach, assisting small business owners with business, employee, and family protection concerns as well as implementing executive benefits and business succession solutions. Graham serves as Business Counselor at Inland Empire Center for Entrepreneurship-Inland Empire Women’s Business Center, as well as Vice President of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA) California Board of Directors and is a current member andPast Board President of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) Inland Empire Chapter. Graham joins the Curriculum Board in the life agent trade association representative seat, with a term ending on June 16, 2026.
Doug Smith is Director of Policy and Coalition Building for Public Counsel, a nonprofit public interest law firm dedicated to advancing civil rights and racial and economic justice. Smith manages Public Counsel’s policy advocacy and coalition partnerships across eight legal projects, promoting a coordinated strategy to transform unjust systems and build durable community power. He is a frequent speaker on community development and movement lawyering, and his writing has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the Journal of Affordable Housing & Community Development, among others. He also teaches courses on community lawyering at Occidental College and co-taught the Community Economic Development Clinic at UCLA School of Law. Smith joins the Curriculum Board in the consumer group representative seat, with a term ending on June 16, 2026.
Monique Howard is Assistant Vice President at Allied World Insurance Company with 15 years of experience in underwriting and marketing commercial property and casualty exposures. She is a board member and Treasurer of the Pacific Coast Regional Advisory Committee of Inland Marine Underwriters Association and is also a board member of the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of National African American Insurance Association. Howard joins the Curriculum Board as an insurance company representative with a term ending on June 17, 2026.
Sandra Moriarty, CPCU is an Insurance Specialist for the non-profit insurance organization, United Policyholders (UP). As a subject matter expert, she helps UP’s Roadmap to Recovery Program guide disaster survivors and legal professionals through the insurance claims process. She is an insurance claim consultant, expert witness and licensed public adjuster and often conducts continuing education classes for claims adjusters on various subjects. Moriarty joins the Curriculum Board as a consumer group representative with a term ending on June 17, 2026.
CAARP Advisory Committee:
Nona Tirre Miranda is owner and operator of a State Farm Insurance agency for the last 13 years in Claremont. Tirre Miranda is the recipient of the State Farm Top 100 New Agents within the United States, the Woman of the Year award by then-State Assemblywoman Norma Torres in 2012, and the Small Business of the Year award by then-State Senator Gloria Negrete McLeod in 2011. She serves as President of the Claremont Rotary Board of Directors and is Chair for the City of Claremont Police Commission. Tirre Miranda has been reappointed to the CAARP Advisory Committee in the producer representative seat with a term ending on July 12, 2024.
Idaho — Idaho Department of Insurance to Hold Public Meeting to Receive Comments on Certain Rules: The Idaho Department of Insurance will hold a public meeting to receive comments on DOI’s Intent to Promulgate Rulemaking on Tuesday, June 27, 2023, from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm (MT). Both in-person and phone or virtual participation are available. Nine rules are being considered as part of the DOI’s plan to review each rule every five years.
There are no specific rulemaking changes planned by the DOI at this time except for evaluation and amendment consistent with the Governor’s Executive Order 2020-01: Zero-Based Regulation. It is anticipated that stakeholders may propose and advocate for rulemaking changes as part of the negotiated rulemaking process. The DOI intends to carefully consider all changes proposed by the public so long as they are consistent with the rules’ statutory authority and the Governor’s Executive Order.
The following rule chapters are germane to this rulemaking:
18.01.02 – Schedule of Fees, Licenses, And Miscellaneous Charges;
18.04.04 – Rule to Implement the Managed Care Reform Act;
18.04.08 – Individual Disability and Group Supplemental Disability Insurance Minimum Standards Rule;
18.06.01 – Rules Pertaining to Bail Agents;
18.06.02 – Producers Handling of Fiduciary Funds;
18.06.03 – Rules Governing Disclosure Requirements for Insurance Producers Fees;
18.07.06 – Rules Governing Life and Health Reinsurance Agreements;
18.07.10 – Corporate Governance Annual Disclosure; and
18.08.01 – Adoption of The International Fire Code.
The full notice is published in the June 7, 2023 Idaho Administrative Bulletin, starting on page 56, and additional information will be posted to the DOI’s website at https://doi.idaho.gov/information/regulation/leg/.
In-person participation for the public meeting is available at:
Department of Insurance, Conference Room A
700 W. State St., 3rd Floor
Boise, ID 83702
Web meeting link:
https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-teams/join-a-meeting
Meeting ID: 228 131 916 245
Passcode: hNKMzz
Interested parties may submit comments via email to rulesreview@doi.idaho.gov.
Montana — Gianforte Signs School Insurance Trust Bill into Law: Montana Governor Greg Gianforte has signed House Bill 332 into law. It puts a one time infusion of $40 million into a new insurance trust fund aimed at lowering the cost of the health benefits given to teachers, administrators and other school employees.
The $40 million is only going to be given to the trust if the state’s 150 school districts and their 12,000 employees agree to participate. Montana School Boards Association Executive Director Larry Melton says this is a once-in-a-lifetime, bipartisan effort to solve a huge problem.
“This bill is going to create an amazing, once-in-a-generation opportunity for school districts to collaborate together and solve a problem that’s been plaguing us for years,” he said.
Governor Gianforte said the new trust is an important step forward.
“Teaching is a calling, and we’re committed to taking better care of those who help our kids reach their full potential,” Gianforte said. “With this investment, teachers in Montana have a tremendous opportunity to reduce their health insurance premiums and keep more of what they work hard to earn.”
Source link: Montana Free Press — https://bit.ly/3JpWPOB
Oregon — The Oregon Division of Financial Regulation recently announced the following proposed rulemaking: Filing Caption: Prescription Drug Affordability Review
Adopt Rule: 925-200-0010
Rule Summary: The methodology for the Prescription Drug Affordability Board (PDAB) to select a subset of prescription drugs to prioritize for an affordability review.
Adopt Rule: 925-200-0020
Rule Summary: The process for the Prescription Drug Affordability Board (PDAB) to conduct an affordability review on a prioritized subset of prescription drugs.
Filed: May 23, 2023
Hearing: June 22, 2023, 11 a.m.
This is a hybrid meeting conducted in-person and virtually via Microsoft Teams. See Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Teams meeting instructions.
Last day/time to offer comment: June 29, 2023, 5 p.m.
Oregon — State marks World Elder Abuse Awareness Day by warning of scams: Scams targeting the elder population are on the rise and June 15 – World Elder Abuse Awareness Day – highlights this problem. Financial abuse can happen to anyone at any time, but seniors are often the target.
According to estimates from the University of Southern California’s Center for Elder Justice, every year 5 million older Americans – or 1 in 10 – experience elder abuse, neglect, or exploitation. Of those, 1 in 24 cases of abuse are reported and total losses are between $2.6 billion to $36.5 billion.
The Oregon Division of Financial Regulation asks everyone to be on the lookout for the financial exploitation of seniors.
The purpose of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is to provide an opportunity for communities around the world to promote a better understanding of abuse and neglect of older people by raising awareness of the cultural, social, economic, and demographic processes affecting elder abuse and neglect.
Scammers use several tactics to gain trust from seniors in order to steal their finances. Unfortunately, some of these offenders are the guardians who are responsible for acting in the person’s best interest. Guardians are often a person the senior trusts and is granted control of the person’s assets. Financial abuse or exploitation often occurs when the guardian improperly uses the financial resources of a senior.
“People need to be informed and on high alert for financial fraud, and I encourage friends and loved ones to help their older family members spot scams,” said TK Keen, administrator for the Oregon Division of Financial Regulation. “Technology allows bad actors to be a constant threat, which is all the more reason to be on alert for potential financial fraud impacting our loved ones.”
Senior financial exploitation can be difficult to identify. Here are six examples to watch for:
- A new and overly protective friend or caregiver, especially if the senior is considering surrendering financial control to the person.
- Fear of someone or a sudden change in feelings about them.
- A lack of knowledge about financial status or reluctance to discuss financial matters.
- Sudden or unexplained changes in spending habits, a will, trust, or beneficiary designation.
- Unexplained checks made out to cash, unexplained loans, or unexplained disappearance of assets (cash, valuables, securities, etc.).
- Suspicious signatures on the senior’s checks or other documents.
Oregon has a toll-free abuse hotline to call if you believe someone is being financially abused at 855-503-SAFE (7233). You can also visit the division’s protect yourself from fraud website for resources to prevent, report, and recover from financial abuse.
The division is working with the North American Securities Administrators Association to share resources that will help people identify and report financial abuse. Visit serveourseniors.org for red flags to identify possible elder abuse by a guardian.
Oregon’s Senior Safe Act makes securities industry professionals mandatory reporters for suspected elder financial exploitation. Securities professionals, such as broker-dealers and investment advisors, should use the division’s file a suspected financial abuse report webpage when they suspect potential financial abuse of an Oregon senior.
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day was launched on June 15, 2006, by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and the World Health Organization at the United Nations.
Washington — Drops Pre-Licensing Education for Producers: Washington state adopted House Bill 1061 during the 2023 legislative session. This bill eliminates the requirement for Washington residents to complete pre-licensing education before taking an insurance exam.
This bill goes into effect on Sunday, July 23, 2023.
Read the details on HB 1061 — https://bit.ly/46bCJS1
If you are preparing to take an insurance exam on or before Saturday, July 22, 2023, the pre-licensing requirement will still be in place. You must provide proof to the insurance exam vendor that you have completed pre-licensing education before taking any insurance exam.
Please visit our website for more details — https://bit.ly/3NoVzg6
Please direct any questions to licinfo@oic.wa.gov or call 360-725-7144.
