Following is a list of some the accomplishments he highlighted in a glossy report on his four-year tenure that he provided to the Times, with input added based on his conversation with the editorial board.
-Modernized office operations, such as going near-paperless, rather than reducing his workforce, “totaling $17 million in savings and efficiencies” and sending more money back into the marketplace. (Some Poizner critics wonder if the savings haven't come at the expense of more vigorous enforcement of the state's insurance regulations. But Poizner stressed that the savings were achieved by cutting fatty processes -- and paperclips -- and not productive humans.)
--Created a searchable PPO health insurance report-card-style database.
-“Paved the way for California drivers to purchase pay-as-you-drive auto insurance,” an incentive that’s good both for the individual’s pocketbook and the California environment.
-“Oversaw nearly 2,800 insurance fraud-related arrests in the first three years, more than any previous insurance commissioner in any three-year span.”
-“Established first-of-its-kind title sales licensing system to successfully eliminate kickbacks to Realtors.”
-“Developed first-in-the-nation rescission regulations to stop health insurers from canceling health insurance after claims have been made.” In other words, protecting patients from insurance companies ditching them mid-treatment.
-“Conducted first-ever terror finance probe by an insurance commissioner in the United States, resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars diverted from Iran.”
All this, Poizner points out, was done during a “perfect storm” in California that included:
- Wildfires destroying homes. He pointed out:“There were more consecutive wildfires here in California in the last four years then in any other period of history in the state of California since the tracking started on wildfires.”
- What he called the state’s "bankruptcy." To which he said: “Made our jobs especially challenging.”
The financial meltdown. He said: “[O]ne of my most important duties as insurance commissioner is to make sure that insurance companies stay financially strong anyway, but in the middle of this meltdown, we had to redouble our efforts make sure that happened. There [are] about 1,300 insurance companies in California; we’re the largest insurance market in the country; fourth largest in the world; it’s about a $160-billion industry; and I’m proud to report it’s healthy.”