Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty, along with lead regulators from more than two dozen other states, recently voted unanimously to approve the NAIC's recommended language for the Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) definition under the federal Affordable Care Act.
Because of the way medical defenses are defined, health insurance agent premiums were not included in the definition of medical losses. But McCarty has said that an immediate adoption of the MLR ratios without accommodating the needs of health insurance agents will negatively impact the selection process for health insurance in the small group and individual markets.
"With the passage of federal health care reform, the healthcare insurance system has become even more complex," McCarty said in a statement. "Although it is not considered a 'medical expense,' trained healthcare agents must remain an integral part of the health insurance process by helping businesses and families tailor healthcare insurance plans to meet their individual needs."
