Minnesota Department of Commerce News

Minnesota Homeowners Report Surge in Insurance Complaints

Minnesota homeowners insurance complaints rose 108% from 2020 to 2023, with of those complaints from homeowners concerned their claims were denied or they faced high out-of-pocket costs after damage from wind and hail. The Minnesota Department of Commerce (DOC) shared …

Insurance Fraud Referrals Up by 11% in Minnesota in 2020

The number of insurance fraud investigations in Minnesota in 2020 rose by 11% compared with 2019, according to the state’s primary law enforcement agency focused on white collar crime. The Minnesota Commerce Fraud Bureau, a division of the Minnesota Department …

Minnesota Insurance Licensing Exams Now Available Online

Insurance professionals in Minnesota may now take their pre-license examinations online, according to the Minnesota Department of Commerce. “This new ability to take pre-licensing examinations online benefits those seeking to do business in these fields while continuing to give Minnesota …

Minnesota Issues Riot Claims Data Call to Property/Casualty Insurers

Minnesota’s insurance regulators issued a data call in late June, requesting information from property/casualty insurers in the state about claims filed in the wake of the riots/civil commotion following the killing of George Floyd on May 25, 2020. The Minnesota …

Minnesota Businessman Pleads Guilty in Labor Trafficking, Insurance Fraud Case

A businessman accused of insurance fraud and exploitation of his construction workers has pleaded guilty as his trial was about to start in Minneapolis. The Minnesota Department of Commerce reported that Ricardo Ernesto Batres, 47, pleaded guilty in Hennepin County …

Health Insurers Propose Lower Premiums for Minnesota Individual Market

Health insurers in Minnesota’s individual market are proposing mostly decreased premium rates for 2019, with average proposed decreases ranging from 3 percent to more than 12 percent for consumers, according to data released Friday by the Minnesota Department of Commerce. …

Minnesota Chiropractor, Patient Recruiters Found Guilty of Insurance Fraud

A federal jury has found an Edina, Minnesota, chiropractor and his recruiters guilty of insurance fraud conspiracy, the Minnesota Department of Commerce announced in late December 2017. According to Acting United States Attorney Gregory G. Brooker, licensed Doctor of Chiropractic …

Unlicensed Auto Insurance Robo-Caller Fined $191K by Minnesota Regulators

An unlicensed commercial entity has been ordered by Minnesota commerce regulators to pay $191,185 in civil penalties for making numerous fraudulent and unlicensed auto insurance solicitations to consumers in that state. The Minnesota Department of Commerce imposed the fine on …

Missouri Insurance Department Settles with Company over Travel Insurance

The Missouri Department of Insurance announced that Missouri consumers who bought travel insurance from Virginia Surety Co. or through Cheap Caribbean, one of its contracted agencies, may be entitled to a refund. A joint market conduct investigation between the Missouri …