The Kansas Insurance Commissioner (KIC), in full the Kansas State Insurance Commissioner, has the primary responsibility to the people whose personal lives are protected by insurance

Insurance

In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...

 in the state of Kansas

Kansas

Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...

. It is an elected position and is currently held by Republican Sandy Praeger

Sandy Praeger

Sandy Praeger is the Republican Kansas Insurance Commissioner. She was first elected on November 2, 2002. Her term began January 13, 2003. She was re-elected in 2006 to the same position...

.

The Kansas Insurance Department was established by the Kansas Legislature in 1871. It has four major regulatory functions:

• 1. Regulate and Review Companies: Sixty-five companies are headquartered in Kansas, plus 1,592 other companies sell policies in Kansas. The Kansas Insurance Department, under the direction of the Commissioner, regulates and reviews these companies to make sure they are solvent and comply with insurance laws and regulations.

• 2. Educate Consumers: To educate consumers about insurance, the Kansas Insurance Department publishes brochures and rate guides on all kinds of insurance coverage; provides speakers on numerous insurance topics; and prepares vital public service information to mass media.

• 3. Assist Consumers: The Kansas Insurance Department helps consumers when they have disputes with insurance companies. Such assistance has resulted in millions of dollars in refunds and claims payments for consumers.

• 4. License Agents; Approximately 22,000 resident agents and 68,000 nonresident agents are licensed in Kansas to sell insurance products. The Kansas Insurance Department also requires agents to meet ongoing continuing education
  Continuing education
  Continuing education is an all-encompassing term within a broad spectrum of post-secondary learning activities and programs. The term is used mainly in the United States and Canada...
  
   requirements.

Office holders

The office was known as the Superintendent of Insurance until 1927, when the title changed to Commissioner of Insurance

Kansas State Superintendents of Insurance

Name	Term	Party
William C. Webb	1871-1873	Republican
Edward Russell	1873-1874	Republican
Harrison Clarkson	1874-1875	Republican
Orrin T. Welch	1875-1883	Republican
Richard B. Morris	1883-1887	Democratic
Daniel W. Wilder	1887-1891	Republican
W. H. McBride	1891-1893	Republican
S. H. Snider	1893-1895	Republican
George T. Anthony	1895-1896	Republican
Alexander P. Riddle	1896-1897	Republican
Webb McNall	1897-1899	Populist
Willard V. Church	1899-1903	Republican
Charles H. Luling	1903-1907	Republican
Charles W. Barnes	1907-1911	Republican
Isaac S. Lewis	1911-1915	Republican
Carey J. Wilson	1915-1919	Republican
Frank L. Travis	1919-1923	Republican
William R. Baker	1923-1927	Republican

Kansas State Commissioners of Insurance

Name	Term	Party
William R. Baker	1927-1929	Republican
Charles F. Hobbs	1929-1947	Republican
Frank Sullivan	1947-1971	Republican
William Fletcher	1971-1991	Republican
Ronald L. Todd	1991-1995	Republican
Kathleen Sebelius Kathleen Sebelius Kathleen Sebelius is an American politician currently serving as the 21st Secretary of Health and Human Services. She was the second female Governor of Kansas from 2003 to 2009, the Democratic respondent to the 2008 State of the Union address, and chair-emerita of the Democratic Governors...	1995-2003	Democratic
Sandy Praeger Sandy Praeger Sandy Praeger is the Republican Kansas Insurance Commissioner. She was first elected on November 2, 2002. Her term began January 13, 2003. She was re-elected in 2006 to the same position...	2003-Present	Republican

External links

• http://www.kansas.gov
• http://www.ksinsurance.org
• http://www.kshs.org/