For Immediate Release:
June 1, 2022

Medicare Fraud Prevention Week:
Join the Oklahoma Insurance Department for the Summer Senior Fraud Live Events This Summer

OKLAHOMA CITY – In conjunction with the first national Medicare Fraud Prevention Week, the Oklahoma Insurance Department’s (OID) Medicare Assistance Program (MAP) is inviting Medicare beneficiaries to the Summer Senior Fraud Live Events on June 23 and July 14. OID has partnered with MAP, the Oklahoma Social Security Administration, the Oklahoma Department of Securities, the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office, AARP Oklahoma and the National Insurance Crime Bureau to educate and empower Oklahomans in the fight against fraud targeting senior citizens.

“We’re excited to bring back these in-person events and continue to work with our partners to help Oklahomans protect themselves from fraud,” Director of the MAP division Ray Walker said. “Educational events like this will help individuals stay safe and protect the Medicare program for generations to come.”

The Summer Senior Fraud Live Events, funded in part by the SMP grant through the Administration for Community Living, will be held at the OID’s Oklahoma City office. These in-person events will consist of two one-day sessions led by speakers with diverse areas of expertise such as state agency directors, Medicare professionals and fraud prevention professionals. The topics include Medicare and healthcare fraud, contractor fraud, cyber scams, investment fraud and securities fraud. These events are free for senior adults and include breakfast. Registration is required because of limited capacity. To register, visit oid.ok.gov/summerseniorfraud/.

The Medicare Fraud Prevention Week, held June 5-11, kicks off on June 5, or “6-5,” because most people become eligible for Medicare when they turn 65 years old. Learn more about Medicare Fraud Prevention Week at www.smpresource.org

If you have questions about other insurance issues, please contact the Oklahoma Insurance Department at 1-800-522-0071 or visit our website at www.oid.ok.gov.

For more information, contact:

Liz Heigle
405-522-0683
Liz.Heigle@oid.ok.gov

For Immediate Release:
April 26, 2022

Mulready Says Get Ready Part II: During the Storm

By Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner Glen Mulready  

When it comes to severe weather, proper preparation and knowing what to do in certain situations can save you and your family’s lives. That’s why I’m encouraging Oklahomans to Get Ready for when—not if—the next disaster happens. Storms in Oklahoma often occur without warning, not leaving you enough time to prepare. Here are three important steps you can take to stay safe during the storm: 

1. Take Shelter Immediately

• Go to the basement or storm shelter. Put your family emergency plan into action and check your go-bag in case you must leave in a hurry. 
• If you do not have a basement or storm shelter, go to the room at the lowest level in the home (i.e., hallway or bathroom), away from windows and corners where objects tend to collect. Cover yourself with a heavy object such as a mattress or sleeping bag to protect you from broken glass or flying debris. 
• Stay in place until you are sure the storm has passed. 

2. Stay Weather Informed

• Stay informed on weather updates. Monitor the storm’s progress and listen for warnings from local officials. 

• Power outages are highly possible in severe weather. Unplug appliances that are not necessary for obtaining weather updates. Use phones only in an emergency. 
• Have multiple sources to stay informed of the evolving conditions—TV and radio, emergency notifications via mobile devices, NOAA Weather Radio, etc. Make sure to have at least one source that does not require electricity. 

3. Plan to Evacuate If Necessary

• Before leaving your home or driving anywhere, listen carefully to local weather experts and government officials who will be coordinating evacuation plans.
• Go to higher ground if flash flooding or flooding is possible. 

• DO NOT drive into high water. Six inches of water will wash away a person and two feet of water will wash away a car.  
• Don’t forget the footwear. It is dangerous to walk outside barefoot because glass and other debris are everywhere during a storm.

To help Oklahomans prepare for this storm season, I’m releasing the three-part column series—Mulready Says Get Ready: Before, During and After the Storm. This comprehensive series will provide general preparedness tips for before, during and after disasters. Visit www.oid.ok.gov/news to check out Part I: Before the Storm. In the next series, I’ll share detailed information on the insurance claim process and how to recover quickly after disasters. Please stay tuned and visit www.oid.ok.gov/getready for more information on how to Get Ready. 

If you have questions about other insurance issues, please contact the Oklahoma Insurance Department at 1-800-522-0071 or visit our website at www.oid.ok.gov. 

Questions or comments should be directed to
Communications Director, Liz Heigle
Liz.Heigle@oid.ok.gov | (405) 819-2221

For Immediate Release:
April 25, 2022

Oklahoma Insurance Department Announces Inaugural Captive & Insurance Business Transfer Conference in August

OKLAHOMA CITY – Risk managers, business owners, regulators, financial executives and insurance professionals are invited to attend the Oklahoma Insurance Department’s (OID) first Captive & Insurance Business Transfer (IBT) Conference in Oklahoma City. The event will be held at the Omni Oklahoma City Hotel on August 24-25. This two-day conference will provide in-depth educational sessions on Captive Insurance and IBTs.

The 2022 Oklahoma Captive & IBT Conference will address new and emerging risks facing companies and organizations worldwide. This conference will demonstrate how captives can offer solutions that may not be available in the traditional insurance marketplace. Moreover, attendees can learn how to resolve run-off and discontinued books of insurance business through an IBT. Ten hours of Continuing Education credit will also be available at the conference.

“With Oklahoma’s expansive IBT law and the OID’s supportive, efficient captive regulatory platform, companies of various industries across the country recognize Oklahoma as a highly competitive jurisdiction,” Insurance Commissioner Glen Mulready said. “It is a great opportunity to educate stakeholders on the benefits of Captive Insurance and IBTs. I believe a conference like this will help Oklahoma continue to be the hub for these two innovative tools.”

Registration will open on May 1, 2022. For more information, visit www.oid.ok.gov/CIBTC/. Follow OID and #OKCIBTC on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter to stay informed about the event.

Questions or comments should be directed to
Communications Director, Liz Heigle
Liz.Heigle@oid.ok.gov | (405) 819-2221

For Immediate Release:
April 5, 2022

Court Affirms Pharmacy Benefit Manager Regulation for Oklahoma Insurance Department

OKLAHOMA CITY – Earlier this week, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma ruled largely in favor of Oklahoma and Insurance Commissioner Glen Mulready in PCMA v. Mulready, upholding most of Oklahoma’s Patient’s Right to Pharmacy Choice Act against a federal preemption challenge. This is a significant decision for the Oklahoma Insurance Department as it affirms that the Department can enforce the Act against Pharmacy Benefits Managers (PBMs), especially in regard to Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) insurance plans.

“This court ruling will help increase transparency for pharmacists and patients and broaden the path forward for our state’s health care cost control efforts,” Mulready said. “We will continue to work hard to ensure companies fully comply with our PBM laws to protect consumers and other businesses.”

In October 2019, PCMA, a trade association of PBMs, sued to enjoin enforcement of the Patient’s Right to Pharmacy Choice Act. Initially, the litigation prevented the Insurance Department from enforcing the Act. After several legal hurdles, Commissioner Mulready was able to proceed with enforcement in September 2020. Three months later, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously upheld an Arkansas PBM law in Rutledge v. PCMA, explaining that ERISA is primarily concerned with pre-empting laws that require providers to structure health plans in a particular way, as opposed to laws that are merely forms of cost regulation or cost uniformity.

In deciding PCMA v. Mulready, the district court here held that all of PCMA’s ERISA preemption claims fail as a matter of law because the Court concludes, “[w]hile these provisions may alter the incentives and limit some of the options that an ERISA plan can use, none of the provisions forces ERISA plans to make any specific choices.” Thus, none of the provisions of Oklahoma’s Patient’s Right to Pharmacy Choice Act are preempted by ERISA and the State may continue to proceed with enforcement. With respect to Medicare Part D, the court found that about half of PCMA’s preemption claims failed, while about half were meritorious.

“Overall, the court’s ruling provides much-needed guidance for enforcement and clarity for processes in the industry as a whole,” Mulready said. “While it is certainly possible that PCMA may appeal their loss to the Tenth Circuit, the Oklahoma Insurance Department’s enforcement efforts, with respect to the Act’s provisions, will continue on surer footing, having gained even more precedential authority upon which to stand.”

If you have questions about other insurance issues, please contact the Oklahoma Insurance Department at 1-800-522-0071 or visit our website at www.oid.ok.gov.

Questions or comments should be directed to
Communications Director, Liz Heigle
Liz.Heigle@oid.ok.gov | (405) 819-2221