September 29, 2008-North Dakota Professional Insurance Agents (Profax)
INSURANCE DEPARTMENTS ON TOP OF ISSUE: Both the North Dakota Insurance Commissioner Adam Hamm and South Dakota Commissioner Merle Scheiber have issued informative statements on their respective websites addressing AIG financial issues. “Forty AIG insurance companies do business in North Dakota,” Hamm said. “These subsidiary companies are operating as usual and are regulated differently than the holding company that has been in the news.” The company’s problems making national headlines deal with AIG’s holding company, not the individual company subsidiaries with which consumers do business. AIG’s holding company is a separate, federally-regulated legal entity that is distinct and apart from its subsidiary insurers. The subsidiary insurers are governed by state laws designed to protect the interest of policyholders. “Insurance Department staff are closely monitoring these companies and we are involved at a national level to make sure consumers are protected,” Hamm said. Last year in North Dakota, 20 AIG P&C companies collected premiums of $18.4 million and 11 AIG life and health companies collected $48.4 million.
September 29, 2008-North Dakota Farmers Union Voters Guide
North Dakota Farmers Union website
NDFU voters guide: This is your NDFU voters guide for the general election. Please click on a link below to get NDFU’s perspective on issues important to you.
http://www.ndfu.org/addPages/index.asp?linkname=insurance
September 26, 2008-State by State Election News Coverage
AM Best Publication
On The Campaign Trail: Road to November 4
Five states will hold November elections for insurance commissioner, and another six will select governors who will appoint insurance commissioners.
Adam Hamm (Incumbent)
http://www.ambest.com/electionnews/candidates.asp
September 20th parades in West Fargo and Bismarck
On Saturday, September 20th the Hamm campaign was in large parades in both West Fargo and Bismarck. Michelle, Wyatt, Halle and I were with a large group in West Fargo for West Fest and had a great time meeting people before and after the parade! Meanwhile, another Hamm group walked in a big parade in Bismarck handing out lots of candy and Stick with Hamm gum!! A huge thank you to everyone who walked with us in these two parades!
September 25, 2008-Bismarck Tribune
Insurance candidate wants ‘revolving door’ legislation
By DAVE KOLPACK
Associated Press Writer
FARGO - A lawmaker and Democratic candidate for North Dakota insurance commissioner says a commissioner should not be focusing on another job in the industry while holding office. Rep. Jasper Schneider, D-Fargo, is proposing to bar any state insurance commissioner who resigns from the job voluntarily from working in the insurance industry for one year afterward. He plans to file the bill draft in December.“We’ve got a lot of important insurance issues here in the state, and I think it’s important that the next insurance commissioner be there for the full four years,” Schneider said Wednesday at a news conference.
Republican Insurance Commissioner Adam Hamm, who was appointed to the office last year after Jim Poolman quit early, agrees with the idea, but not necessarily the legislation.
“I love doing this job, and I want to continue it for four more years. I absolutely make that pledge,” Hamm said Wednesday. “But when I look at the details, I can’t come to any conclusion other than this bill is all about political theater rather than well-thought public policy.”
Hamm said the 40-word proposal fails to address enforcement of the law. “Without that, this thing is just a paper tiger. What’s the point of it?” he said.
Schneider said it’s common for bills to be introduced without enforcement details.
“I never thought it would just go forward without any teeth. That’s why it’s a bill draft,” Schneider said. “I imagine the final version will look something different than the draft.”
Schneider said 35 states have so-called “revolving door” legislation, including Montana and South Dakota. Violating the South Dakota law is a Class 1 misdemeanor, with a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a $1,000 fine.
Poolman resigned as insurance commissioner 16 months before his term expired to establish a private consulting firm. Gov. John Hoeven appointed Hamm to finish Poolman’s term.
“Jim’s a friend of mine. I think by and large he did a good job as insurance commissioner,” Schneider said of Poolman. “I don’t agree with his decision to leave his term early, especially to go work in the industry. I think that’s why this issue is here today.”
September 18, 2008-Bismarck Tribune
09-18-2008: news-state
Hamm: AIG’s N.D. companies OK
North Dakota’s insurance commissioner says the AIG insurance companies that do business in the state are running normally.
Adam Hamm says the AIG holding company has 20 property and casualty insurers licensed to do business in North Dakota. There are 11 life and health insurance companies.
Hamm says the AIG companies collected $66.8 million in premiums last year. Nationally, AIG insurers collected more than $151 billion in premiums.
Hamm says the AIG companies in North Dakota are in business and paying claims. He says any policyholders with questions should call their insurance agent or the state Insurance Department.
September 12, 2008-KXMB (Prescription Connection Program)
Sep 12, 2008 10:59PM
KXMBTV Bismarck
To watch the news story, click on this link:
http://www.kxmb.com/video.asp?ArticleId=274861&VideoId=22213
Text of the story:
If you have Medicare coverage but cant afford your prescription drugs, there is help.
A recent study by the Kaiser Family Foundation shows one in three seniors has fallen into the coverage gap.
This is when someone has used all of his medical coverage and the rest of his care has to be paid out-of-pocket.
North Dakota Insurance Commissioner Adam Hamm says these people qualify for the Insurance Department’s Prescription Connection Program.
He says all people have to do is come in and fill out an application for each of the prescriptions they are on.
They will then be matched with pharmaceutical companies which offer free or discount medications.
(Adam Hamm/ ND Insurance Commissioner) “What they found confirms what we ahve been finding here in North Dakota. Namely that more senoirs have been hitting the donut hole. They are hitting it earlier in the year. Once they hit that donut hole or coverage gap most of them are staying in it to the end of the year and they need help and they need help now.”
To learn more about the Prescription Connection Program, you can log onto www.nd.gov/ndins…. or call the North Dakota Insurance Department at 1-800-247-0560.
UND Potato Bowl Parade on September 13th
We had a fantastic time at the Potato Bowl parade on Saturday morning! We walked together with Governor Hoeven’s team, and the outstanding District 42 team of Nate Martindale, Stacey Dahl and Don Dietrich. The parade route was packed and we handed out lots of candy and Stick with Hamm gum!!
Pow Wow parade and Hazen parade on September 6th
Michelle, Wyatt, Halle and I had a great time at the Pow Wow parade in Bismarck on Saturday morning and in the Hazen parade on Saturday afternoon. A huge thank you to everyone that walked with us–we really appreciated it!!
September 6, 2008-The Jamestown Sun
Hamm plans insurance forums
The Jamestown Sun - 09/06/2008
North Dakota Insurance Commissioner Adam Hamm has invited insurance agents from around the state to attend the Insurance Department’s annual agent forums, scheduled for Sept. 10 to 16.
One of the meetings will be in Jamestown from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Sept. 15 at the Jamestown Knights of Columbus Hall.
Hamm, along with four other Insurance Department staff members, will visit seven cities in five days to talk to agents about 2009 proposed legislation, life and health insurance issues, agent ethics, market analysis and property and casualty insurance issues, among other things.
“These meetings are a great way for the Insurance Department and agents to communicate and keep up with what’s going on in the insurance industry in North Dakota,” Hamm said. “We really enjoy this opportunity to speak with them in person.”