Insurance Reform Bill Lambasted

State Insurance Commissioner Deborah Senn said Tuesday her agency’s ability to protect the public would be dismantled under a regulatory reform bill.

Senn said HB1010, now before the Senate Ways and Means Committee, would strip the office of its rulemaking ability.

“House Bill 1010 does not do the job of regulatory reform; it just leaves the public vulnerable,” Senn told a news conference.

Under the bill, her office would be unable to write a rule unless the Legislature allowed it to do so.

“This strips us of our power to write common-sense rules that let consumers be treated fairly in the marketplace,” Senn said.

As an example, she said a rule requiring insurance companies to explain why a claim is denied would not be in effect if the bill were law.

“I don’t think that this is what ordinary people have in mind when they think of regulatory reform,” Senn said.