Iowa Insurance Commissioner Gerhart to step down before the end of the year

Iowa Insurance Commissioner Gerhart , Nick

The governor’s office has announced that the commissioner will be leaving his post as of December 23, 2016.

The Iowa Governor’s Office has announced that Insurance Commissioner Gerhart has resigned. It stated that the resignation of Nick Gerhart will become effective as of December 21, 2016. The outspoken commissioner said in an interview this week that he had opted not to pursue another term.

Commissioner Nick Gerhart has held the position in Iowa since February 1, 2013.

Insurance Commissioner Gerhart’s wife, Jessica, is expecting their first child, who is due to be born in early January 2017. In his interview, Gerhart, 41, stated that the upcoming addition to his family is what encouraged him to make a career change.

As Iowa Insurance Commissioner, Nick Gerhart (Republican) was responsible for overseeing the changes made by the Affordable Car Act. This led to considerable differences in the look of the health insurance industry in the state. This included having to manage the collapse of the state’s CoOportunity Health insurance exchange. It was created using millions of federal dollars and never achieved a successful or sustainable level.

Insurance Commissioner Gerhart was in the federal spotlight in November for writing an essay about Obamacare.

Iowa Insurance Commissioner Gerhart , NickHe published his essay online, addressing it to Republicans. Within it, he cautioned them not to pull the plug on the Affordable Care Act without first drawing up a strong and appropriate replacement. “An immediate repeal would lead to devastating consequences in the disruption of people’s care, and create even more uncertainty for millions of Americans,” he said to his fellow Republicans. He went on to explain that a “transition time” will be necessary in order to reduce uncertainty regardless of whether changes made are partial or complete.

As commissioner, Gerhart also oversaw the hearings that were held when residents of Iowa experienced sharp health insurance premiums hikes. In July 2016, he expressed his empathy for what consumers were feeling but was required to give his nod to the rate increases. He explained that statistical experts justified the need for higher prices for policies.

At the time this article was written, Insurance Commissioner Gerhart had not yet found a new job but intends to remain within the insurance industry. That said, he did joke that he could also go back to bartending if that doesn’t work out.

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