Kansas Insurance Commissioner Office and Department

The Kansas Insurance Commissioner's office is responsible for overseeing the insurance industry in the state. The office is led by the Insurance Commissioner, who is appointed by the Governor.

The Kansas Insurance Commissioner's office is headquartered in Topeka, the state capital. The office has a staff of dedicated professionals who work to protect consumers and ensure a stable insurance market.

The office is responsible for licensing insurance companies, agents, and brokers, as well as investigating complaints against them. The Commissioner also has the authority to take enforcement action against companies that fail to comply with state regulations.

The Kansas Insurance Commissioner's office is a vital part of the state's regulatory framework, working to promote a fair and competitive insurance market for all Kansans.

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The Kansas Insurance Commissioner's office has been a vital part of the state's insurance landscape since 2019, when Vicki Schmidt took office. She was elected in 2018 and reelected in 2022, receiving the highest percentage of the vote of any statewide candidate.

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The office has a dedicated team that assists Kansans with insurance-related questions and resolves issues, including helping individuals with previously denied claims. In 2023, the department recovered $16 million for Kansas policyholders with disputes with their insurance companies.

The office has also made significant strides in protecting Kansas investors, including introducing legislation to protect vulnerable adults from financial exploitation. This legislation, the Protect Vulnerable Adults from Financial Exploitation Act, was signed into law and strengthens the ability of the Kansas Department of Insurance and financial advisers to protect seniors and vulnerable adults from financial abuse and fraud.

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The Kansas Department of Insurance is a vital part of the state's government, and it's led by a dedicated commissioner.

Lisa Schmidt has been the Insurance Commissioner of Kansas since 2019, and she's made a significant impact in her role. She was reelected in 2022 with the highest percentage of the vote of any statewide candidate.

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The department's staff is committed to helping Kansans with insurance-related questions and resolving disputes with insurance companies. They've even recovered over $16 million for policyholders in 2023 alone, which is the largest single-year recovery in the department's history.

In addition to resolving disputes, the department has also been working to protect Kansas investors. In early 2024, Commissioner Schmidt introduced legislation to prevent financial exploitation of vulnerable adults, which was signed into law on July 1, 2024.

Here are some key statistics about the department's recoveries:

The department's efforts have made a real difference in the lives of Kansans, and it's clear that Commissioner Schmidt is committed to protecting the state's residents.

The Kansas State Commissioners of Insurance have a rich history dating back to 1927 when William R. Baker took office.

Their terms ranged from 2 to 33 years, with Charles F. Hobbs holding the record for the longest tenure at 18 years.

Here's a list of past commissioners:

The party affiliations of the commissioners have varied over time, with Republicans holding the office from 1927 to 1995 and Democrats holding it from 1995 to 2003.

The current Kansas Insurance Commissioner is Vicki Schmidt, a Republican first elected in 2018. She took the oath of office on January 14, 2019, marking the beginning of her four-year term.

To become the Kansas Insurance Commissioner, you must meet certain qualifications and follow a specific process.

The Kansas Insurance Commissioner is elected to a four-year term.

The Commissioner must be a resident of Kansas and at least 18 years old.

In 2014, Ken Selzer won the election for Insurance Commissioner of Kansas with a significant margin.

Ken Selzer, the Republican candidate, secured 61.5% of the vote, which translates to 512,679 votes.

Dennis Anderson, the Democratic candidate, received 38.5% of the vote, amounting to 320,862 votes.

The total number of votes cast in the election was 833,541.

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The qualifications for the commissioner of insurance are quite specific. According to Chapter 40, Article 1, Section 9, the commissioner must be an elector of the state of Kansas.

To be eligible, one must be experienced in the field of insurance. This is a crucial requirement to ensure the commissioner has the necessary expertise to make informed decisions.

The commissioner must also be unaffiliated in any personal and/or professional capacity with insurance companies. This means they cannot have any financial interest in any insurance company other than as a policyholder.

Here are the specific qualifications outlined in the statute:

The Kansas Insurance Commissioner plays a crucial role in regulating the insurance industry in the state. The Commissioner oversees the Kansas Insurance Department, which was established in 1871.

The department has four major regulatory functions. Regulating and reviewing companies is one of them, ensuring that 65 companies headquartered in Kansas and 1,592 other companies selling policies in Kansas are solvent and comply with insurance laws and regulations.

The Commissioner's department also educates consumers about insurance through various means, including publishing brochures and rate guides on every type of insurance coverage, providing speakers on numerous insurance topics, and preparing vital public service information for mass media.

To assist consumers, the department helps resolve disputes with insurance companies, resulting in millions of dollars in refunds and claims payments for consumers each year. This is a vital service that directly impacts the lives of many Kansans.

The department licenses approximately 90,000 agents in Kansas, including 22,000 resident agents and 68,000 nonresident agents, to sell insurance products. To maintain their licenses, agents must meet ongoing continuing education requirements.