Last year began as I was sworn into my second and last term as your Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner. I am always grateful for your continued trust and the unique opportunity it is to serve my fellow Oklahomans. Last year was also an eventful year from an insurance standpoint. From severe weather to changes in the insurance market, the Oklahoma Insurance Department (OID) was here with you through all of it. I want to highlight some of our work from 2023 and discuss what’s in store for this year.
We were here to help.
As we state in our vision, OID’s top priority is to protect Oklahoma consumers. Last year, our Consumer Assistance division assisted with 13,157 phone calls and 2,784 complaints, resulting in 327 external reviews and $8,295,011 recovered for consumers. Our Anti-Fraud division also assisted with 1,414 complaints. With the Life Insurance Policy Locator, we matched Oklahoma beneficiaries with $49 million in life insurance benefits…that they didn’t know they had! Additionally, through all the winter weather, wildfires, hail and tornadoes, we were ready to provide assistance and answer your insurance questions. We help Oklahomans in their time of need, and I want to reiterate that if you need assistance or would like to file a complaint, please contact us at 800-522-0071 or visit oid.ok.gov.
We met with those we serve.
My team and I love getting out in the communities we serve and meeting consumers and insurance industry professionals. We arranged Coffee with the Commissioner and attended Mix and Mingle events across the state, where we met with chambers of commerce, licensed agents, Rotary Club chapters and other organizations to learn ways we can better serve the community. In September, we set up a booth at the Oklahoma State Fair to inform thousands of consumers about our services while having fun in the process. In addition to these events, our Medicare Assistance Program (MAP) was active, giving 303 community presentations and engaging in 19,254 one-on-one client contacts, leading to 27,164 people reached. If you’d like to host an event with us, visit http://www.oid.ok.gov/speaker or call our office at 800-522-0071.
We informed and advocated for Oklahomans.
In 2023, we looked for new ways to reach consumers and licensed producers. We launched campaigns like Here to Help, Ask OID and Winter Weather to give guidance on what Oklahomans should know about insurance. We brought you 13 new episodes of the Mulready Minutes podcast, where we featured informative guests to share perspectives and information on topics such as Medicare Open Enrollment, captive insurance and the different divisions at OID. Our team also produced six episodes of the Medicare Monday webinar, and we hosted our first Insurance Day, where we connected with 125 industry professionals on issues affecting the insurance industry in Oklahoma and across the country. As a reminder, you can keep up with the latest news and events with us by following us on social media and subscribing to email news updates at https://oid.ok.gov/subscribe.
We’re looking forward to 2024.
Before looking ahead, I’d like to thank the OID team, who are dedicated state employees who make all of this possible. We expect 2024 to come with unique challenges and opportunities, but our commitment to serving Oklahomans will not change. We will keep you informed by bringing you new podcast episodes, webinars, campaigns and events in your own community. Check out our 2023 Annual Report for more information on all the work we do at OID. Here’s to a successful 2024!
