JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Like many trade associations, the work of the Missouri Association of Insurance Agents does not stop when session ends.
But until that point — coming up in just less than three weeks — Executive Vice President Larry Case said the association will continue to fight for the Missouri consumer.
“We’re a professional trade association of independent insurance agents,” Case said. “Independent insurance agents are agents responsible for multiple companies that try to match businesses and consumers with the best types of coverage and best price for their particular circumstances.”
With about 540 agency members and more than 800 locations, Case said a person would be hard pressed to reach an area of the state in which the association does not have involvement.
“We have agencies that range in size from small, rural communities to larger regions like St. Louis or Kansas City,” he said. “And the issues those agencies have interests in this legislative session, while not large in quantity, are definitely large in involvement and contention.”
One of the main issues Case said the insurance agents have been involved in is looking at revisions to the worker’s compensation law — namely, Senate Bill 1.
He said there were two court cases that the association followed the last few years, including one which allowed employees to file suit against one another in situations involving workplace injuries, and another involving employees suffering from occupational diseases to receive worker’s comp while suing their employer. The former situation, he said, the legislature dealt with during last year’s session, but the second involving occupational diseases has been an issue they’ve followed closely this year.
What the legislature plans to do with Medicaid, either expansion or reform, is another issue for the association.
“Our stance right now is it’s federal law, so we’re trying to be adults about it, whether our members support it or oppose it — whatever their position,” Case said. “It is federal law, so we’re in a position of compliance and figuring out how the system is going to work.”
Case said establishing licensing and regulatory standards for the navigators is a big concern of the insurance association and its members, as well as simply relaying all of the most recent information to members so they can be certified though the exchange system that will be online October 1, he said.
While he said their members are important to the association, the issues the association tackles in terms of legislation have to do with “protecting the consumer.”
“A lot of our work is done in advocacy on behalf of the policy holders,” he said. “We’re trying to make sure we have the best availability and affordability of products out there that are needed by our clients.”
After session ends, Case said the association will continue to hold education and professional development training courses and conferences, “normal things most associations do.”
Case has been involved with the association for 26 years, and in his current position since 1999. He said what keeps him there are the people that are passionate about what they do and giving back to their communities, as well as trying to increase “market place availability and affordability to protect people’s lives and families.”
To contact Ashley Jost, email ashley@themissouritimes.com or via Twitter at @ajost.
Ashley Jost is no longer with The Missouri Times. She worked as the executive editor for several months, and a reporter before that.