KIA&B 2016 Volume 21, Issue 2 | Page 9

| FROM THE COMMISSIONER | KID Annual Report Telling a story through numbers KEN SELZER Kansas Insurance Commissioner K eeping track of numbers and statistics at the Kansas Insurance Department (KID) means creating an annual report. By Kansas Statute, we are required to send the report to the governor and leaders of the Kansas Legislature. We also post it online for the public. KAIA members can download our 2015 annual report at www.ksinsurance.org. But, for a quick view, you can see some of the report’s beneficial statistics below. •We reached almost 42,000 contacts with our social media presence on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. We want to reach more people this way through this efficient approach, and we would appreciate it if you would tell your clients to “Like” and “Follow” us on those platforms. By the way, if you haven’t seen our YouTube video about the department, its building and its functions, we encourage you to view it. •The number of resident and nonresident agents licensed by KID increased by 5.5 percent compared to the same numbers in 2015. And, since we update those numbers very regularly, we can report that as of March 1, there are approximately 122,000 agents licensed in the state— more than 99,000 nonresidents agents and nearly 23,000 resident agents. •A total of 18 new insurance companies were admitted to do business in the state in 2015. That is an increase of 28.6 percent from 2014. •Our Consumer Assistance Division handled more than 3,000 consumer complaints and more than 1,100 inquiries during the past year. •We had 26 percent more website hits in 2015. As you recall, we redesigned our site during the year to be more producer- and consumer-friendly. •KID representatives, including myself, made 115 community presentations during 2015. We are always willing to consider visiting community and service organizations throughout the state to further our message of consumer education, advocacy and insurance regulation. •We mailed a total of 28,142 publications to Kansas residents, agents, and governmental units such as libraries. We encourage you to download our publications from our website. It’s convenient, time saving and cost efficient. •Two-thirds of our anti-fraud cases investigated in 2015 involved auto/home issues. I’m happy to report that only a very small percentage of the total cases involved agent or internal fraud. •KID remitted more than $187 million to the state general fund budget during fiscal year 2015. Kansas has an $18 billion/year insurance industry that is strong, thanks to many good agents and financially sound companies. Along with you, KID works hard to keep the industry vibrant, solvent and competitive for all Kansans. Let us know what we could do to help you. |MARCH - APRIL 2016| KANSAS INSURANCE AGENT & BROKER 7