|
|
||
|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NAIC
HIGHLIGHTS STRENGTH OF STATE REGULATION FOR CONSUMER PRIVACY PROTECTIONS KANSAS CITY, MO (Sept. 18, 2006) – Before a subcommittee of the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics (NCVHS), the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) highlighted the strength of state regulation in insurance information privacy protections. NAIC representative Robert Wake, who serves as an attorney with the Maine Bureau of Insurance, stressed the importance of a system designed to address the unique privacy issues posed by the insurance industry and the steps the NAIC is taking to provide effective privacy protections for all insurance consumers.
"The NAIC believes
protecting the privacy of insurance consumers is an area that demonstrates
the real strength of state regulation—effective consumer protection
that responds to local demands,” Wake said. Wake’s testimony emphasized the NAIC’s efforts to strengthen protections for consumers’ personal information through privacy protection model legislation that has been enacted in the 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. "The NAIC and all 50 states recognize that information security measures need to keep pace with the risks," continued Wake. "That is why the NAIC and state regulators continue to develop increased insurance consumer privacy protections beyond the minimum required by federal law." NCVHS is a major advisory committee to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The subcommittee hearing addressed the possible application of medical records privacy protections to entities that currently are not regulated at the federal level, such as schools, employers and non-health insurers. Testimony: Privacy Protections for Medical Records on Non-Covered Entities
About the NAIC Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) is a voluntary organization of the chief insurance regulatory officials of the 50 states, the District of Columbia and the five U.S. territories. The NAIC’s overriding objective is to assist state insurance regulators in protecting consumers and helping maintain the financial stability of the insurance industry by offering financial, actuarial, legal, computer, research, market conduct and economic expertise. Formed in 1871, the NAIC is the oldest association of state officials. For more than 135 years, state-based insurance supervision has served the needs of consumers, industry and the business of insurance at-large by ensuring hands-on, frontline protection for consumers, while providing insurers the uniform platforms and coordinated systems they need to compete effectively in an ever-changing marketplace. For more information, visit NAIC on the Web at: http://www.naic.org/press_home.htm
You are currently subscribed to the "NAIC
News Release" electronic service. To unsubscribe from the "NAIC News
Release" electronic service, send a blank To unsubscribe from all NAIC Electronic Services, send a blank e-mail to NAIC Opt Out services. |
|
|
|
2006 National Association of Insurance Commissioners. All rights reserved. |
||
