Why did you choose to run?

Hamm
I’m running to be North Dakota’s Insurance Commissioner for four more years because I love this job and working for the people of North Dakota, and because I want to continue to build on the work we’ve done. Over the next four years, my top priorities will be consumer protection, building on the success of the Insurance Department and taking a strong and active leadership role in our state’s challenging health care issues.
One of my fundamental beliefs is that our state’s public officials need to deliver outstanding service and leadership to North Dakotans. I have worked hard to deliver outstanding service and leadership as a prosecutor and as Insurance Commissioner, and it would truly be my honor and privilege to continue working to deliver these as your Insurance Commissioner.

Schneider
The number one job of the Insurance Commissioner is to stand up for people and that’s exactly what I do. As a legislator, I passed legislation that increased access to health insurance for our state’s youngest residents and helped defeat legislation that would have gutted the Department’s ability to protect consumers. As an attorney, I represent people who have been passed over by the very agencies that were designed to protect them – seniors denied benefits from Social Security, workers not getting a fair shake from WSI and consumers getting the run around from their insurance provider.
I have the experience, integrity and history of strong commitment to the people of North Dakota. I look forward to a positive and exciting race about the issues. It’s important that the Insurance Commissioner be a regulator first and a politician second. I will always be an Insurance Commissioner on your side.

If elected, how will you use your leadership to represent the interests of North Dakota’s domestic insurance companies that have made long-term commitments to policyholders in our state?

Hamm
I hold my rural values on my sleeve and believe hard work, a foundation of strong relationships and accountability are crucial to achieving these duties successfully. And like Farmers Union and other domestic companies in North Dakota, I am making a long-term commitment to this state and its great people.

In my current leadership position, I have been and will continue to focus the duties of the Insurance Commissioner on protecting consumers, working on competitive markets in all lines of insurance and ensuring that the insurance industry is responsive to its clients and the department is responsive to those it regulates. In addition, I’ve proposed my department add financial and market conduct oversight to WSI to ensure that premiums are reasonable and claims are paid fairly. My proposal brings accountability back to WSI, whether control is returned to the governor as NDFU prefers or whether it remains as is.
Farmers Union and its history of serving customers and the institution that founded it is a valued member of the domestic insurance industry. Its contributions to the marketplace and its involvement of the policy decisions of the department are gratefully accepted and welcomed.
 Areas where I believe we can work together to develop a strong plan for our industry include agreeing on ways in which to better share information on uninsured motorists; seeking common-sense insurance and registration requirements of various types of motor vehicles; and more efficient ways in which to license producers and companies in our state.

Schneider
Domestic insurance companies play a pivotal role in the long-term success of the insurance industry in offering quality service, options and protections to the consumers of North Dakota. Domestic companies, like Farmers Union, are in our state for the long-haul to serve the insurance needs of our consumers. When disaster strikes, we know that Farmers Union will be in our state through thick and thin rather than packing up and moving out when things get tough.
As Insurance Commissioner, I look forward to working with the domestic insurance companies to make sure that their long-term commitments to the state are respected. Too often we see out-of-state companies try to attract consumers with aggressive pricing only to see them leave following a disaster.
The basic idea behind insurance is that we can make life’s surprises a little bit easier to handle if we all face risk together. Working together with you, I’ll ensure that consumers have access to quality insurance and make certain that they get the coverage they pay for when they need it.

What role should the Insurance Commissioner play in protecting consumers?

Hamm
Consumer protection is the most important role I have as Insurance Commissioner. This consumer protection role covers many areas, including ensuring that companies and agents follow the law, assisting our state’s citizens through the State Health Insurance Counseling and Prescription Connection programs, and encouraging competitive markets for all types of insurance.

Regarding ensuring that companies and agents follow the law, and assisting our state’s citizens through the State Health Insurance Counseling and Prescription Connection programs, my experience fighting for people for a decade has given me a tremendous background to carry out these roles and I’m proud to report that the Insurance Department is doing a tremendous job. Last year we recovered or saved almost $9 million for North Dakota’s consumers (a 52% increase from 2006). This assistance in complex and often challenging situations produced a recovery or savings that would often be difficult for North Dakotans to achieve on their own.

Regarding competitive insurance markets, there needs to be more choice for North Dakotans in health insurance. I will continue to encourage more competition in the state’s health insurance market, and I’ll continue to keep a watchful eye on Blue Cross Blue Shield. I’ll also work to get the federal government to pay its fair share in Medicare reimbursement and I’ll continue to educate North Dakotans on the goal of reducing the use of medical services by living healthier lifestyles, practicing preventative medicine and engaging in disease management.

Schneider
The most important role of the Insurance Commission is to protect North Dakota consumers.  As the next Insurance Commissioner, I will fight to ensure  consumer protections are at the forefront of this office.

I will work with the Legislature and the insurance industry to provide that the laws are in place to protect consumers and to make sure that consumers have quality and competitive products from which to choose. One of the best ways to protect consumers is to have ethical and accountable agents. It is imperative that the insurance commissioner have a good, solid working relationship with the industry. Consumers need to know that they are going to get a fair shake when buying their policies and that they will get the benefits they have already paid for when disaster strikes.