National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC)

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization of U.S. state and territorial insurance regulators. It develops model laws, standards, and best practices to promote consistent insurance regulation across states and to support regulators and consumers.

Overview

• Membership: chief insurance regulators from the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories (American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands).
• Headquarters: Kansas City, Missouri; executive offices in Washington, D.C.
• Role: standard-setting, regulatory support, data collection, training, and consumer education — not a federal regulator.

History in brief

Formed in 1871 to coordinate regulation of insurers that operate across state lines, the NAIC created uniform financial reporting and regulatory tools to address multistate oversight. After a mid-20th-century debate over federal versus state regulation (including the Supreme Court’s 1944 decision in United States v. The South‑Eastern Underwriters Association and Congress’s subsequent McCarran‑Ferguson Act), primary regulatory authority for insurance has remained with the states. The NAIC works within that state-based framework to promote consistency and solvency.

Mission and primary goals

The NAIC’s stated objectives include:
* Protecting the public interest.
* Promoting competitive insurance markets.
* Ensuring fair and equitable treatment of consumers.
* Promoting the reliability, solvency, and financial soundness of insurers.
* Supporting and improving state insurance regulation.

Structure and activities

• Committees, task forces, and working groups develop model laws, regulations, and regulatory tools across areas such as life and annuities, health and managed care, property and casualty, market regulation, and financial condition.
• Standing committees and special task forces meet regularly; the NAIC holds national meetings several times a year, generally open to the public.
• Accreditation and financial regulation standards help harmonize state oversight and assess conformity with NAIC model standards.
• Education: the NAIC provides training and runs professional designation programs for insurance regulators.

Consumer resources and complaints data

The NAIC offers several consumer-facing tools and data services:
* Consumer Insurance Search — research insurance companies and view aggregated complaint information.
* National Complaint Index — compares insurer complaint levels adjusted for market share (shows whether a company has more or fewer complaints than expected).
* File a Complaint — links and guidance for filing complaints with state insurance departments.
* Life Insurance Policy Locator — helps locate unclaimed life insurance policies.

Aggregated complaint trends show that claims-handling issues (unsatisfactory settlements or offers, delayed claims, and denials) account for a large share of complaints. Other reported issues include high-pressure sales tactics, misleading advertising, and discrimination.

How the NAIC affects consumers and insurers

• Provides standardized tools and model laws that many states adopt or use as guidance, improving consistency for insurers operating in multiple states.
• Supplies consumer data and complaint mechanisms that help policyholders compare companies and seek remedies through state regulators.
• Supports insurer solvency monitoring to reduce the risk of insurer failure and protect policyholders.

Note

The NAIC is distinct from similarly named organizations and acronyms; it is the industry-focused association of state insurance regulators and should not be confused with unrelated groups or classification systems.

Where to learn more

For detailed tools, complaint procedures, model laws, and regulator resources, consult the NAIC’s official website or your state insurance department.