Jefferson City, Mo. - Missouri Insurance Director John M. Huff spoke today at the annual conference of the Missouri Association of Insurance Agents (MAIA), which had about 400 registered attendees. He cited the department's commitment to leveraging technology to maximize efficiency in improving services to both consumers and the insurance industry.

Huff participated in a Q&A this morning with MAIA Executive Vice President Larry Case at the group's 2014 Leadership Conference at the Lake of the Ozarks. Huff discussed the department's recent decision to allow producers to print their licenses and educational transcripts on demand through the National Association of Insurance Commissioners' online State Based Systems.

"As a department we are always looking at ways to improve our processes so that we can serve consumers and industry more efficiently," Huff said. "We continue to focus on expanding online capabilities as the insurance industry remains at the forefront of technological advancement."

Among the topics discussed during the session was the availability and affordability of earthquake insurance in Missouri, as well as the importance of insurance agents in the health insurance enrollment process. Case and Huff also addressed several insurance-related bills that passed the legislature during the most recent session and bills that will continue to be important to insurance consumers in Missouri in future sessions.

Topics also included areas in which regulatory practices may serve to increase consumer protection, including eliminating improper demands on certificates of insurance. Huff and Case both agreed that the preservation of state regulation of the insurance industry in the face of federal encroachment is of absolute importance.

"The Missouri Association of Insurance Agents continues to be a valuable partner for the department, serving Missouri insurance consumers," Huff said.