Regulatory Roundup: Michigan Guidance on Drones, Iowa Adjusters, Wyoming MedSup

State-by-state variations of laws, compliance protocols, industry transparency, and general regulatory culture can lend one the impression that keeping up with industry changes is a little bit like herding cats. So, what better way to wrangle some of the more localized insurance news than in a Regulatory Roundup?

On an ongoing basis, in no particular order or rank, we’re wrestling the various regulatory changes, compliance actions, and commissioner decisions into our roundup. As a disclaimer: There’s a lot going on at any given time in these here United States, so this isn’t a comprehensive picture of state-level action by any means. Think of it, instead, as a sampler platter of regulation. 

Also important to note: If we’re recapping interpretations of legal decisions, this is some armchair insurance speculation and not at all legal advice. If you need legal advice, get a lawyer. 

Michigan issues bulletin for P&C insurer drone use 

Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services officials issued a bulletin regarding the increased use of drones in property insurance, particularly for inspecting homes and personal property.

The bulletin cautions P&C insurers that their use of drones must be in line with current state laws, and that, particularly for unfavorable rate adjustments or adverse outcomes for a claim, drone footage may not be enough to weigh in the insurer’s favor:

“Mere cosmetic roof issues, such as discoloration or streaking, are not valid grounds for policy cancellation or nonrenewal, and should not be the sole evidence to support Adverse Action. If aerial imagery raises insurability concerns, an Insurer should try to obtain accurate information through a physical inspection, if necessary to establish whether there is a substantial property condition issue that would justify Adverse Action,” said the bulletin.

Insurers are also required to provide the specific imagery they’re using in their decisions to policyholders if the drone footage has led to a policy nonrenewal.

Iowa bulletin addresses new license laws for adjusters, appraisers, and umpires

As we posted in our previous edition of the Regulatory Roundup, Iowa has changed its law on adjuster, appraiser, and umpire licensing. 

The Iowa Department of Insurance posted a bulletin June 9, 2025, to give the industry more guidance about this change. The bulletin notes that the reasons for the rule change and increased focus on claims adjuster licensing and processes is because the state has seen an upswing in catastrophic weather disasters in the last five years.

For independent and staff adjusters, appraisers, and umpires that have been working in the state since before January 2025, they can apply for a modified license procedure by Oct. 1, 2025.

Current public adjusters are in compliance with the new licensing laws, but do face an increased bond requirement as the state raised the minimum bond requirement from $20,000 to $50,000.

Wyoming Medicare Supplement guaranteed issue period

Wyoming is on the leading trend of states that are allowing Medicare Supplement beneficiaries to switch plan providers annually without a medical underwriting exam as long as they’re exchanging their current plan for an equivalent or less robust coverage plan. (E.g., if you have a Plan G, you can move to a Plan G or several of the other plans, but if you have a Plan K, you can only really move to a Plan K.)

The Wyoming guidance document includes which plans can be exchanged for what. Health insurers that offer MedSup plans must honor a guaranteed issue period that begins on a beneficiary’s birthday and lasts for the 63 days after.

The industry-wide impact on opening Medicare Supplement plans to more competition will certainly be something to watch.

Other state regulatory changes

Alaska announced a new snapshot view of statewide healthcare data to allow Alaskans to get a better understanding of medical costs and health care coverage, allowing them to identify data like average claim for a procedure and average paid amount per claim.

California Department of Insurance officials posted a notice reminding education providers that, to be certified with the state, they have to submit an application and periodically renew their information, such as names, addresses, and qualifications of education providers. The Surplus Licensing Association of California put out a bulletin reminding surplus lines brokers and adjusters that the limits for which commercial insureds necessitate a “diligent search” requirement have changed thanks to NAIC calculations that are based on the Consumer Price Index. 

Colorado is rethinking the process for how consumer attorneys access claims information when claims disputes go to court, with proposed repeals of past bulletins up for public discussion.

Connecticut Insurance Department officials posted seven insurance carriers’ requested rate filings for the small group and individual health insurance markets in the state for the upcoming 2026 plan year. The average individual rate represents a 17.8 percent increase, and the average small group rate would be a 13.1 percent increase.

Indiana Department of Insurance officials issued a bulletin requiring third party administrators, pharmacy benefits managers, and insurance carriers to maintain key business information with the department by July 1 beginning this year, 2025, and every year moving forward. 

Louisiana achieved its highest grade on the Insurance Regulation Report Card since 2013. The state earned a “C” rating in 2024. “While a ‘C’ grade is not where we want to be, it does mark the most significant improvement Louisiana has seen in over a decade,” said Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple.

Maryland Insurance Administration officials released the state’s health insurance carrier proposals for new rates for Affordable Care Act–compliant plans in plan year 2026. The average rate is 17 percent higher than for the 2025 plan year.

Missouri issued a bulletin to educate the industry about the Department of Commerce and Insurance’s interpretation of the governor’s executive order on prescription medications. Essentially, the executive order is asking health insurance carriers to be lenient on anyone affected by mid-May storms as they try to access and pay for prescriptions.

Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance James Brown announced the state was one of seven states to settle with five major broker-dealer firms over the firms’ unreasonable minimum commission charges to retail customers.

New Mexico has repealed a continuing education rule that would have required all producers who sell excepted benefit plans to complete two hours of specialized training by April 1, 2026.

North Carolina Department of Insurance officials released information about a man arrested for alleged insurance fraud after he filed an insurance claim, saying his daughter had hit and killed a deer in his vehicle in September 2025. In fact, his daughter had hit and killed a pedestrian.

South Carolina Department of Insurance officials issued a public thank-you to Sen. Tom Davis for helping expand the state’s Safe Home Mitigation Grant Program.

South Dakota issued its quarterly insurance newsletter, including a roundup of legislation from this 2025 session, which included new laws that updated insurance code language and merged the Division of Securities and Division of Insurance budgets. Some of the newly eliminated terms from the insurance code: “diskette,” “telegraph,” and “telegram.” The Division of Insurance posted a regulation for insurance carriers in the Medicare Supplement space to use for determining coverage standards for Supplement Plans A through N.

Texas issued a data call for personal auto and residential property insurers selling more than $1 million in the state. The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) will use the data for the HelpInsure.com website, where TDI will present information for consumers to help inform their decisions about personal P&C insurance. Responses to the TDI email notice for specific insurers are due July 11, 2025. The state was also part of the settlement with five firms over unreasonable commissions.

SILA announced a new class of designation recipients. SILA Fellow (SILA-F): Loni Eichner, Amy Taylor, Joe Wurtz. SILA Associate (SILA-A): Tinisha Chavis, Nick Kuhtic, Marnie Powell, Courtney Richmond, Sa’sha Smalls, Althera Thompson, Chantel Tyler, Joe Wurtz. Congrats! 🎉

Stay on top of regulatory changes with AgentSync

While these points of interest aren’t comprehensive, our knowledge of insurance producer and variable lines broker license and compliance maintenance is. See how AgentSync can help make you look smarter today; head over to the Compliance Library and wrastle up some state-by-state regulation and more jurisdictional updates. If you’re looking for a solution that builds regulations like these into your distribution channel management workflows automatically, AgentSync can help. See us in action or talk to one of our experts today.