1.1 Maryland Insurance Administration
Key Takeaways
- The Maryland Insurance Administration (MIA) is the sole state agency regulating insurance, headquartered at 200 St. Paul Place, Baltimore.
- The Insurance Commissioner is APPOINTED by the Governor with State Senate advice and consent for a 4-year term — Maryland does NOT elect its Commissioner.
- All insurance law lives in the Insurance Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland; rules live in COMAR Title 31.
- The current Commissioner, Marie L. Grant, took office October 1, 2024 (Senate-confirmed April 3, 2025).
- The MIA's core powers are licensing, rate/form review, market conduct exams, solvency monitoring, and consumer protection.
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The Maryland Insurance Administration (MIA)
The Maryland Insurance Administration (MIA) is the independent state agency that regulates the business of insurance in Maryland. It is not a division of another department — it stands alone, reporting to the Governor. Created in its current independent form in 1993 (separated from what was then the Department of Licensing and Regulation), the MIA is funded primarily by assessments and fees paid by the regulated industry, not by general tax dollars.
The MIA's statutory mission is to protect Maryland consumers by ensuring insurers are solvent, that rates are not excessive/inadequate/unfairly discriminatory, and that producers behave lawfully. Exam writers love to test the agency's name — distractors like "Department of Insurance" or "Division of Insurance" are wrong; in Maryland it is the Administration.
The Insurance Commissioner
The Maryland Insurance Commissioner heads the MIA. Memorize these facts cold:
| Detail | Maryland Rule |
|---|---|
| Selection method | APPOINTED by the Governor with the advice and consent of the State Senate |
| Term length | 4 years |
| Reports to | The Governor |
| Removal | May be removed by the Governor for cause |
| Current officeholder | Marie L. Grant (effective Oct 1, 2024; Senate-confirmed Apr 3, 2025) |
Exam trap: A handful of states elect their insurance commissioner. Maryland is NOT one of them. If an answer choice says "elected by Maryland voters," it is wrong. The Commissioner is appointed and confirmed.
The Commissioner appoints a Deputy Commissioner (subject to the Governor's approval) and the associate commissioners who lead each operating unit.
What the MIA Does
The Commissioner, acting through the MIA, exercises broad regulatory authority:
- License producers, adjusters, advisers, and insurers (issue, renew, suspend, revoke)
- Review rates and policy forms before products reach Maryland consumers
- Conduct market conduct examinations and financial-solvency exams of insurers
- Investigate and resolve consumer complaints and order restitution
- Issue regulations, bulletins, and cease-and-desist orders and levy fines
- Approve continuing education courses and providers
Where Maryland Insurance Law Lives
Two sources govern. Statutes are in the Insurance Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland; administrative regulations are in the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) Title 31.
| Insurance Article Title | Subject |
|---|---|
| Title 1 | Definitions and general provisions |
| Title 2 | The Commissioner and the MIA (incl. §2-101 et seq.) |
| Title 10 | Producers — licensing, appointment, conduct |
| Title 11 | Rates and rating organizations |
| Title 16 | Life insurance and annuities |
| Title 27 | Unfair trade practices and consumer protection |
Exam tip: When a question references a statute, the answer is the Insurance Article; when it references a rule or regulation, the answer is COMAR Title 31. Don't confuse the two.
Contact Reference
- MIA main line: (410) 468-2000 / toll-free (800) 492-6116
- Website: insurance.maryland.gov
- Address: 200 St. Paul Place, Suite 2700, Baltimore, MD 21202
A producer who reasonably believes an insurer is acting unlawfully reports to the MIA; a consumer with a denied claim files a complaint with the MIA's consumer-protection unit, which can compel the insurer to respond.
How the MIA Exercises Its Powers
The Commissioner's authority is exercised through several distinct functions you should be able to match to scenarios on the exam:
| Function | What It Means in Practice |
|---|---|
| Rate & form review | Life and health policy forms and rates must be filed; the Commissioner may disapprove a form that is misleading or a rate that is excessive, inadequate, or unfairly discriminatory. |
| Market conduct exams | Periodic audits of how an insurer sells and handles claims — advertising, underwriting, replacements, complaint handling. |
| Financial/solvency exams | Reviews of reserves and capital so insurers can pay claims; an impaired insurer may be placed under supervision. |
| Producer regulation | Issuing, renewing, suspending, and revoking licenses, plus oversight of appointments and continuing education. |
| Consumer protection | Investigating complaints, ordering restitution, and publishing consumer guidance. |
Enforcement Tools
When the MIA finds a violation, the Commissioner can act through escalating remedies rather than a single penalty:
- Cease-and-desist orders to stop an unlawful practice immediately
- Civil penalties (fines) assessed per violation
- License suspension or revocation of a producer or insurer's certificate of authority
- Orders of restitution directing money back to harmed consumers
- Referral for criminal prosecution in cases of fraud
The Commissioner also issues bulletins — guidance documents that interpret existing law for the industry — and may hold administrative hearings, where a licensee facing discipline is entitled to notice and an opportunity to be heard. A licensee aggrieved by a final order may seek judicial review in the Maryland courts.
Why the Structure Matters for You
Understanding this structure answers a recurring exam theme: who has authority over what. The Commissioner (a person) acts through the MIA (the agency) under powers granted by the Insurance Article (the statute) and detailed in COMAR Title 31 (the rules). Federal bodies such as the IRS govern tax treatment of policies, but the day-to-day regulation of insurance in Maryland is a state function vested in the MIA — there is no separate federal insurance license. Keep that chain straight and most regulatory-authority questions become routine.
Exam tip: If a scenario describes a consumer harmed by a producer's misrepresentation, the correct first action is almost always "file a complaint with the MIA," and the MIA — not a court, not the NAIC — is the body that investigates and disciplines the producer. The NAIC writes model laws but has no direct enforcement power in Maryland.
How is the Maryland Insurance Commissioner selected?
Where are Maryland's insurance STATUTES (as opposed to administrative regulations) found?
Which agency regulates insurance in Maryland?