October 26, 2008-Minot Daily News Endorsement

Hamm for Insurance Commissioner 

There are some similarities between Adam Hamm and Jasper Schneider. Both are young, up-and-coming members of their respective political parties, and both are attorneys.

But the similarities end there, and only one is qualified to be North Dakota’s Insurance Commissioner: Adam Hamm.

The Republican Hamm has been insurance commissioner for a year, after being appointed to fill the remainder of Jim Poolman’s term after Poolman resigned to take a private sector job.

And he’s had a busy year. Among other things, Hamm rejected two rate increase requests from Blue Cross/Blue Shield, saying the insurance giant couldn’t justify the requests. “Their numbers haven’t been reliable,” Hamm told The Minot Daily News.

Hamm has three clear goals if he is re-elected: Attracting large, dependable insurance companies to the state to compete with Blue Cross/Blue Shield, improving the Medicare reimbursement rate, and improving the state’s use of medical services by educating the public on how a healthier lifestyle can lead to lower insurance premiums.

Schneider, a Democrat, has run a feisty campaign. He says providing health insurance for the state’s uninsured children, regulating the Workforce Safety and Insurance office, and creating a state disaster fund will be priorities if he is elected. Schneider has criticized Hamm for his handling of an insurance settlement with the town of Northwood after the town’s school was destroyed by a tornado, as well as for spending taxpayer money to pay for an ad about a health insurance program for senior citizens that Schneider said was nothing more than a campaign ad. “He misused public money to run a campaign ad,” Schneider told The Minot Daily News.

Hamm maintains the ad, paid for through a federal grant, was not political.

Perhaps it wasn’t intended to be political, but when both his image and voice were featured in the ad, it’s political. But although important, the ad flap isn’t the only issue in this campaign.

Although Hamm has been on the job for only a year, he’s already met some major challenges. He perhaps isn’t as vocal or outgoing on the issues as Schneider, but make no mistake: Hamm understand the importance of the role of the insurance commissioner. One example: Schneider criticizes Hamm as not being on the side of consumers, but Hamm’s rejection of BCBS rate hikes prove otherwise. We fully expect Hamm to continue his tough-but-fair approach to dealing with BCBS and other insurance issues.

The Minot Daily News endorses Adam Hamm for Insurance Commissioner.