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Aug. 3, 2019

Governor Welcome

Andrew M. Cuomo Welcomes the NAIC to New York

Excelsior

Dear NAIC Members: 

On behalf of the great State of New York, I welcome the National Association of Insurance Commissioners to the Empire State for your Summer 2019 National Meeting. 

As a native New Yorker, I can tell you that New York State boasts awe-inspiring breadth, depths and heights. Our airports are among the busiest in world, our subway system is the largest and busiest rapid transit system in the world, and in my opinion, we have the best pizza on the planet. Let's not forget the Statue of Liberty, the world's top rated beaches on Long Island, Niagara Falls, and Adirondack Park, the largest publicly protected area in the contiguous United States - bigger than Yellowstone, Everglades, Glacier, and Grand Canyon National Parks combined. 

New York is one of the oldest and largest insurance markets, contributing about 200,000 jobs to New York State. The insurance industry added $49.1 billion (3.4%) to New York's Gross State Product (GSP) and purchased $23.9 billion in municipal bonds. Insurance protects our families, property and health, and secures our future. 

In New York, we walk the talk. We established the nation's strongest and most comprehensive Paid Family Leave law to protect working New Yorkers and their families; we also codified the essential protections of the Affordable Care Act into law. In addition, we protect consumers from "surprise" medical bills; prohibit the use of discriminatory information in setting auto insurance premiums; ensure that LGBTQ New Yorkers receive the health care they deserve without discrimination; protect the reproductive rights of women; and much more. 

This is an opportunity for us to work together to raise the bar on standards and share best practices. As you do the important work of the NAIC this weekend, I hope you will also take some time to enjoy at least some of what our great state has to offer. 

Elcelsior!

Andrew M. Cuomo

About the National Association of Insurance Commissioners

As part of our state-based system of insurance regulation in the United States, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) provides expertise, data, and analysis for insurance commissioners to effectively regulate the industry and protect consumers. The U.S. standard-setting organization is governed by the chief insurance regulators from the 50 states, the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories. Through the NAIC, state insurance regulators establish standards and best practices, conduct peer reviews, and coordinate regulatory oversight. NAIC staff supports these efforts and represents the collective views of state regulators domestically and internationally.