State insurance task force votes to protect brokers from healthcare law

{mosads}The NAIC’s consumer representatives said they were “very disappointed” by the vote and urged the full NAIC plenary to vote on the measure and reject it.

“There is no guarantee that the Rogers bill will help agents and brokers,” they said. “It is clear, however, that it will hurt consumers and taxpayers.”

Added Carmen Balber, Washington director for Consumer Watchdog: “This plan is a broker pay bonus and insurance industry profit boost that will come straight from the pockets of consumers and taxpayers. The insurance regulators who voted for this plan sold consumers in their states down the river by endorsing higher health insurance premiums and millions in lost rebates to benefit their friends in the insurance industry.”

Consumer Watchdog said West Virginia Insurance Commissioner Jane Cline voted no, while North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin abstained. Other regulators present for the vote included representatives from Alaska, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, New Hampshire, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Correction: This post was updated at 6 p.m. to reflect that federal legislation was introduced by Rep. Mike Rogers, not Hal Rogers.