NCOIL Concludes Successful Spring Meeting in Nashville

BELMAR, New Jersey, April 25 (TNSres) -- The National Conference of Insurance Legislators issued the following news release:

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Highest Attended Spring Meeting; Development Started and Continued on Several Model Laws; Timely Policy Discussions Held

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The National Council of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL) concluded its 2024 Spring National Meeting (Meeting) from April 11th - 14th in Nashville, breaking all previous attendance records for a Spring Meeting. In what was the first of the organization's three National Meetings in 2024, there were 367 participants consisting of 73 legislators from 31 states, 17 first-time legislators, 8 Insurance Commissioners, and 16 total insurance departments represented.

The packed agenda featured topics such as: affordability and availability problems in the auto and homeowners' insurance marketplace; efforts to achieve mental and behavioral health parity, and the countervailing costs; insurance issues related to catalytic converter theft; liability related issues within the sharing economy; third party litigation financing; the continued development of treatment and coverage for obesity; and more.

"During our first Meeting of 2024, I could not be more pleased with the attendance and the substantive advances we made on a wide range of important policy priorities. From the Model Laws we introduced and continued development on, to the discussion items that generated healthy debate, the Spring Meeting has certainly set NCOIL up for a productive 2024," said Rep. Tom Oliverson, M.D. (TX), NCOIL President. "The organization is at its strongest when there is robust participation from legislators all across the country participating in our discussions and that was certainly clear in Nashville."

NCOIL CEO Commissioner Tom Considine said, "The attendance in Nashville really underscores why now is a better time than ever to be involved in NCOIL. We had the highest turnout for a Spring Meeting in NCOIL History both in terms of legislator and overall participation. We were particularly pleased with the number of states represented at the Meeting. Just a few years ago, NCOIL would have been satisfied with seeing 25 states represented at our meetings throughout the year, so having over 30 represented at one meeting is an indicator of NCOIL's growing national reach."

The policy committee meetings kicked off Friday morning with the Workers' Compensation Insurance Committee, chaired by Sen. Lana Theis (MI). The Committee heard presentations and held discussions on topics including workers' compensation alternatives for independent contractors; structured settlements; and the role of experience ratings in the subrogation process.

"It was great to be in Nashville to Chair my first NCOIL Policy Committee Meeting. I'm glad the Committee was able to gather valuable information that legislators can take back to their states, and that we were able to come together to discuss a wide range of issues currently impacting workers' compensation insurance," said Sen. Theis.

After the traditional Welcome Breakfast, the Joint State-Federal Relations and International Insurance Issues Committee then met with Sen. Jerry Klein (ND), NCOIL Chair-at-Large, presiding. The Committee adopted a Resolution Reaffirming Support for the U.S. State-Based System of Insurance Regulation in Response to Growing Federal Encroachment sponsored by Rep. Oliverson and Asw. Pam Hunter (NY), NCOIL Vice President.

The Committee also continued discussion on the NCOIL Mental Health Parity Model Act sponsored by Rep. Rachel Roberts (KY) and heard presentations on the Basel III Endgame proposal and new prior authorization rules from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

"As Federal encroachment into the state-based system of insurance regulation has heightened recently, it is extremely important that state legislators are doing all we can to push back and remind our Federal counterparts that the state-based system has created the strongest and safest insurance market in the world. The passage of the Resolution and this Committee's continued work is evidence that we are doing just that," said Sen. Klein.

A very productive NCOIL-NAIC Dialogue was then held which included an impressive lineup of NAIC representatives: Indiana Commissioner Amy Beard; Kansas Commissioner Vicki Schmidt; Louisiana Commissioner Tim Temple; Oklahoma Commissioner Glen Mulready; Pennsylvania Commissioner Mike Humphreys; Tennessee Commissioner Carter Lawerence; Utah Commissioner Jon Pike; and Wisconsin Commissioner Nathan Houdek.

"It's important that legislators and regulators have an open dialogue on issues of mutual interest in an effort to best serve consumers and promote a fair and robust insurance market," said Rep. Oliverson. "It is great to see that we are continuing to have a positive working relationship with the NAIC and another really strong turnout of Commissioners allowed us to make progress in a wide array of issues."

Following the Dialogue was a general session titled, "The Latest on Weight Loss Drugs: A Discussion on Access, Cost, and Coverage," moderated by Rep. Jim Dunnigan (UT). "This is undoubtably one of the most talked about issues in the healthcare marketplace right now. We had a session on this in the summer of 2021 and that was when the FDA had just approved Wegovy for certain treatments. Given the flurry of activity that has transpired since then, now was a great time to discuss the developments surrounding access, costs, and coverage of these weight loss drugs, and consider what we as policymakers and our constituents need to know," said Rep. Dunnigan.

Friday wrapped up with a meeting of the Life Insurance and Financial Planning Committee chaired by Rep. Carl Anderson (SC). The agenda featured presentations on life insurer's use of wellness programs, and efforts to promote lifetime income. The Committee also re-adopted the NCOIL Model Unclaimed Life Insurance Benefits Act for a full five year term, and the NCOIL Life Settlements Model Act until the NCOIL Summer Meeting in July while potential amendments to the Model are developed.

Rep. Anderson said, "During Financial Literacy Month, it was great to have the Committee meet to discuss trends emerging in the life insurance marketplace. Life insurance is an important component of a well-rounded financial plan and it's important that we are doing all we can as legislators to ensure that our constituents have access to a wide variety of tools to achieve long term financial security."

Saturday began with a meeting of the Property & Casualty Insurance Committee chaired by Rep. Forrest Bennett (OK). The Committee discussed the NCOIL Strengthen Homes Program Model Act sponsored by Rep. Dunnigan and co-sponsored by Rep. Matthew Gambill (GA), and the NCOIL Catalytic Converter Theft Prevention Model Act sponsored by Rep. Oliverson. The Committee also heard a presentation on liability related issues within the sharing economy.

"The P&C committee continued building on the good work we've done in recent months, both through productive conversations and engaging panelists," said Rep. Bennett. "After a great discussion around a potential Catalytic Converter Model Law during our interim meeting, we reached consensus while in Nashville to move forward in developing that language. I look forward to working toward that goal, as well as more discussions on finding solutions for consumers around the skyrocketing costs of P&C insurance, and other important insurance issues, in future meetings.

Asm. Tim Grayson (CA) then moderated a general session titled "Affordability and Availability Crises in the Auto & Home Insurance Markets: How Did We Get Here and How Do We Fix It?" "This topic has populated national headlines in recent months as coverage feels increasingly out of reach for many consumers. And being from California, I can confirm that the term "crises" is not an exaggeration. This session sparked a constructive dialogue among our members and I look forward to continuing that discussion throughout the year," said Asm. Grayson.

At the Keynote Luncheon, Professor Benjamin Barton of the University of Tennessee College of Law gave a tremendous speech about his extensive research of the U.S. Supreme Court and the growing homogeneous nature of the background of its Justices. Prof. Barton pointed out the irony that while we have the most diverse Court in history in terms of demographics, it is the least diverse Court in terms of education and experience.

The day concluded with the Financial Services and Multi-Lines Issues Committee chaired by Sen. Mary Felzkowski (WI). The Committee discussed the first draft of the NCOIL Transparency in Third Party Litigation Financing Model Act sponsored by Rep. Matt Lehman (IN), former NCOIL President, and discussed the development of an NCOIL Earned Wage Access Model Act, sponsored by Asw. Hunter. A discussion was also held on the NAIC's "Framework for Regulation of Insurer Investments", including a proposal relating to the Security Valuation Office (SVO)'s ratings discretion process.

Sen. Felzkowski said, "The Committee had an extremely productive meeting and we had really great conversations on issues which we will continue to work on throughout the year. Litigation financing and earned wage access are two emerging issues that states are dealing with and I look forward to completing those Models so that NCOIL can provide guidance in an efficient and timely manner."

The Health Insurance and Long Term Care Issues Committee, chaired by Rep. Dunnigan, met on Sunday morning. The Committee re-adopted the NCOIL Healthcare Cost Transparency Model Act and had a brief introductory discussion on the NCOIL Value Based Purchasing Model Act, sponsored by Sen. Felzkowski. Presentations were also heard on site-neutral payment reforms and evaluating how States have done with Medicaid redeterminations since the end of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency.

The Spring Meeting concluded on Sunday morning with a meeting of the Executive Committee during which the Committee adopted a Resolution in honor of Former NCOIL Executive Committee Member and Georgia Representative Richard Smith who passed away earlier this year.

"Rep. Smith was a truly dedicated public servant and a great friend to everyone he worked with here at NCOIL and in Georgia. He was a genuine leader and his family and colleagues remain in our thoughts," stated Rep. Oliverson.

"The success of the Spring Meeting highlights the continued positive trend of NCOIL's advancement over the past several years. NCOIL really has become THE place to be in insurance. I look forward to meeting again in Costa Mesa in just a few short months to build on this momentum," concluded Oliverson.

Committee minutes will be posted soon at www.ncoil.org

The 2024 NCOIL Summer Meeting will take place in Costa Mesa, CA at the Westin South Coast Plaza from July 17th - 20th. Registration will open in early May.

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NCOIL is a national legislative organization with the nation's 50 states as members, represented principally by legislators serving on their states' insurance and financial institutions committees. NCOIL writes Model Laws in insurance and financial services, works to preserve the State jurisdiction over insurance as established by the McCarran-Ferguson Act over seventy years ago, and to serve as an educational forum for public policymakers and interested parties. Founded in 1969, NCOIL works to assert the prerogative of legislators in making State policy when it comes to insurance and educate State legislators on current and longstanding insurance issues.

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