The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), a membership organization for the nation’s chief insurance regulators, recently named 30 consumer liaison representatives for 2015. Through these representatives, who are committed to the public interest, consumers can interact with NAIC’s membership, the insurance industry and other interested parties.

“Our consumer liaison representatives play an integral part in helping the NAIC and regulators protect U.S. insurance consumers,” said Monica J. Lindeen, NAIC President-Elect and Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance. “This partnership program is an important component of our mission to protect the public interest and facilitate the fair and equitable treatment of insurance consumers.”

We are proud to announce that the NAIC named DPC Government Affairs Director Jackson Williams one of the consumer liaison representatives. In fact, Williams was one of only two new members added to the panel this year. This means DPC members have someone serving their organization that has been recognized for his work advancing consumer interests (in this case, the interests of dialysis patients). Williams’ appointment to consumer liaison representative gives DPC members direct access to insurance regulators at the conferences where they debate and promulgate rules relating to health insurance and Medigap, giving them a louder collective voice. Once that voice is heard, it becomes much harder for policy-makers to make decisions which don’t take it into account.