N&O Includes Insurance Commissioner Goodwin in 2010 Thanksgiving Column

The Raleigh News & Observer's long-running "Under the Dome" column recognized key State officials and newsmakers on Thanksgiving Day yesterday about those things for which they may be thankful from the past year. Included was this nugget:

Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin, aka the "Capeless Crusader," should be thankful for the accolades and national attention he received this fall from President Barack Obama, "Daily Show" host Jon Stewart and The Wall Street Journal, among others. The praise began to pile up after Goodwin announced in September that Blue Cross and Blue Shield would refund $156 million to its customers and had agreed to a less-than-expected rate increase for 2011.

Apparently the fine folks at the N&O have been visiting the "Wayne's World" blog! We thank you and encourage you to drop by again sometime.

NC Insurance Commissioner's Leadership Highlighted on Jon Stewart's "The Daily Show"

For Wayne Goodwin Cutting Insurance Rates, Ordering Refunds

Wayne Goodwin, North Carolina's elected Commissioner of Insurance, has reached another cultural, personal and political milestone: He found himself referenced this week on the highly-acclaimed national news/comedy program, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. (Covered in greater written detail, inter alia, on The Progressive Pulse and here, here, and here.)

In front of many millions of TV viewers, it was said:

"We have empowered state insurance commissioners to review the rate hikes that are taking place in states. And in some states like North Carolina, they have already used it and rolled back premium increases by 25 percent."

For further context, go to prior coverage at other news and blog links here and here.

Goodwin has received further high praise and recognition for cutting health insurance rates by approximately 25% from what was filed by the insurance carrier and for ordering a return of $156 million back to 215,000+ North Carolina consumers. This is a capstone to the plethora of positive feedback the Tar Heel insurance regulator has received over the last five weeks.

And if one were to include other lines of insurance such as automobile and workers compensation, Goodwin has cut rates and saved more than $650 million and ordered refunds totalling $265+ million, plus recovered more than $25 million more for victims of insurance fraud, all for North Carolina consumers, families and small businesses in less than two years in office.