MEET GLEN MULREADY, INSUANCE COMMISSIONER
“For 38 years all I’ve really done is the insurance business,” Mulready told La Semana in a recent interview. “I was an agent broker for many of those years, but then also for about 13 years here in Oklahoma I was an executive with two large health insurance companies.”
Following a stint in the State Legislature, Mulready was elected to head the state insurance commission just over four years ago, where he has been putting his knowledge and experience to use protecting the people of Oklahoma.
As far as the public is concerned, most of the contact with Mulready’s office occurs when there is a problem with a claim the customer has filed with their insurance agency.
“it could be a health insurance claim, it could be an auto accident or a homeowner's claim,” Mulready explained. “It could be anything that we regulate. On our website there’s a spot where they can complete a small form or file a complaint, where we basically get their contact info and the insurance company information that allows us to then go to bat on their behalf.”
The commissioner said they are basically an advocate for the consumer in this scenario.
“So we reach out to the insurance company, because our folks know the laws and they know the rules and we make sure that those insurance companies are handling things appropriately, and timely, for consumers.”
The insurance commissioner also has responsibility in other areas of which many Oklahomans are not aware.
“I am [also] the chairman of the Real Estate Appraisers board,” the commissioner said. “We've got about 1100 real estate appraisers here in Oklahoma, and I chair that board. We also regulate bail bondsmen -- we've got over 500 bail bondsmen in our state and we license and regulate them. In addition, we license and regulate pharmacy benefit managers, third party administrators some cemetery trusts -- a lot of things come under our roof.”
Mulready said his office also administers a Medicare assistance program. Paid for by a federal grant, the program helps Oklahomans who are approaching Medicare age to plan for their Medicare Part D coverage.
Unlike other state agencies that require funding from the state, the Insurance Commission is fully self sustaining, and even raises and contributes funds that help pay for other programs.
“We send about 350 million a year up the street to the legislature,” Mulready boasted.
Another thing Mulready is proud of is the commission’s Spanish language outreach. The commission’s website can instantly be translated into Spanish or numerous other languages by clicking on the “translate” icon at the top right of the screen. Additionally, the commission has been hiring more people who speak Spanish in the office, and a new coordinator recently started at the commission to make sure that historically underserved constituents – including the Hispanic community – are aware of and have access to the same services as everyone else in the state.
Mulready encourages everyone – regardless of what language they speak or where they come from – to reach out to the insurance commission if they need help with a claim or just need help understanding some aspect of insurance.
“We've got 125 Oklahomans here to serve Oklahomans and we work hard at it,” Mulready said.
For more information, visit https://www. oid.ok.gov. (La Semana)