Redmer Returns to Former Job as Maryland Insurance Commissioner
January 27, 2015 by Thomas Harman, Tom.Harman@ambest.com
ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Alfred Redmer Jr. is returning to his former job as Maryland insurance commissioner, accepting an appointment by new Republican Gov. Larry Hogan. Redmer succeeds Therese Goldsmith, who stepped down from the post when Hogan assumed office on Jan. 21.
Redmer started his term last week, although he still must be confirmed by the Senate. He comes to the job from his position as a president of Redmer Insurance Group, a Baltimore-based, full-service insurance agency offering personal, commercial, health, life and pet insurance. Also, he has been a partner in Redmer Financial Group, a financial services firm. Attempts to gain comment from Redmer Insurance were not immediately successful.
He previously served more than two years as insurance commissioner after having been appointed in June 2003 by former Gov. Robert Ehrlich. Redmer left the post in October 2005 to become the chief executive officer at Coventry Health Care Inc. of Delaware, according to his new biography on the Maryland Insurance Administration website. He later became the president and partner of Landmark Insurance and Financial Group before forming Redmer Insurance Group.
Redmer’s time there was not without some controversy. During a January 2005 special session, Assembly Democrats blamed him for failing to examine insurance industry finances before passing on a 2% health maintenance organization tax to consumers in order to help subsidize medical liability insurance rates. The move led some Democrats to call for his resignation and at least one bill that attempted to make insurance commissioner an elected position. During his term, Redmer was credited with expanding the number of private insurance carriers in the state and created an office that expedited claims and responded to consumer complaints (Best’s News Service, Oct. 12, 2005).
Goldsmith had been appointed by Democrat Gov. Martin O’Malley, whose term recently expired (Best’s News Service, Dec. 23, 2014).
Goldsmith was prominent within the National Association of Insurance Commissioners as the chairwoman of a new panel writing a formal market conduct regulation accreditation proposal whose goal is to have a final document for NAIC consideration in early 2016 (Best’s News Service, Nov. 18, 2014). She also chaired the NAIC’s auto insurance study group, which considered the impact of automobile insurance rates on low-income households.