Connecticut Insurance Commissioner Andrew Mais (pictured above) is retiring effective November 28 after serving in the role since 2019.
Mais came to the position following experience as a specialist in insurance regulations at the Deloitte Center for Financial Services. He previously held senior leadership roles with the New York insurance regulator before transitioning into the insurance industry.
During his tenure, Mais oversaw the creation of the Connecticut Severe Weather Mitigation and Resiliency Council, an initiative focused on property-risk mitigation strategies. He served as immediate-past president of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and as vice chair of the International Association of Insurance Supervisors' executive committee.
The outgoing commissioner was also present for several of the state’s efforts in health insurance affordability. Earlier this month, Mais announced the state's rejection of all initial 2026 rate requests from health insurers for fully insured individual and small group plans, with the decision saving consumers approximately $125 million.
The department capped insurer profits at 0.95% of premium dollars as part of its focus on affordability, and over the past three years Connecticut regulators have saved consumers a combined $267 million through similar interventions.
Earlier this year, Connecticut lawmakers also moved to expand the insurance commissioner's regulatory authority. Senate passed legislation to expand the commissioner's power over health insurance rate approvals and impose new restrictions on step therapy.
The bill would allow the commissioner to reduce proposed rate increases by up to two percentage points if a carrier's average approved rate hikes over two years exceeded the state's healthcare cost growth benchmark.
Josh Hershman has been named interim commissioner and will require approval from state lawmakers to continue in a permanent capacity.
Hershman transitions to the interim role from Immigrant Life Insurance Company of America, where he served as chief executive officer and helped build the admitted-market life insurance carrier. He also serves as executive director of openIDL, an initiative focused on modernizing data exchange standards across the insurance industry.
Before his recent corporate roles, Hershman worked in private law practice and served as deputy commissioner and chief operating officer of the Connecticut Insurance Department from 2019 to 2022.
Lamont said he intends to formally nominate Hershman as permanent commissioner when the General Assembly begins its 2026 regular session in February.
