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Tom Savage of Lewes will face off against Karen Weldin Stewart and Gene Reed on Sept. 9 in the Democratic primary to select a candidate for insurance commissioner. The winner will run against Sussex County Recorder of Deeds John Brady of Rehoboth Beach – the only Republican candidate in the race.
The Democratic candidates weighed in on their plans for universal health care coverage and escalating flood insurance costs.
Tom Savage
Savage, 79, is a former deputy fire chief of the Wilmington Fire Department. Savage ran unsuccessfully for the state Senate in 2004, losing to Sen. Gary Simpson, R-Milford. Savage says the need for single-payer health insurance for all residents is the reason he jumped into the race. “I’m quite aware of the discrepancies people have to pay for their health plans,” said Savage. He proposes a program – paid for by no more than 2 percent of a worker’s gross income – for universal healthcare under the direction of the insurance commissioner. “Please do not depend on your current insurance. Insurance is not mandatory under any law,” he cautioned.
For people who own homes along the Delaware Bay, Savage said better mapping needs to be done, faster and more consistently, to provide adequate flood insurance. “The insurance commissioner needs to look at certain areas that are excluded from the flood plain even though it may be your next-door neighbor who is in one,” he said.
Savage is also an unpaid lobbyist for Wilmington’s police and fire pension task forces. “I think I have the knowledge, experience, integrity and fortitude to carry out the responsibilities of the state insurance commissioner. My only allegiance is to the state of Delaware, but I need the vote to get there,” he said.
Karen Weldin Stewart
Wilmington resident Karen Weldin Stewart, 59, ran unsuccessfully for insurance commissioner in 2000 and 2004. This time, however, she said she joined the race again because she’s very concerned about what’s happening in the state. “We’re fourth highest for auto insurance. We’re in the top three for health insurance premiums and in the top three for workers’ compensation. This needs to be stopped,” she said. From 1989 until 1993, Weldin Stewart was a deputy receiver for the state’s insurance department, where she managed 20 bankrupt or struggling insurance companies. She’s also been hired by Utah and Texas officials as an insurance consultant.
Since 2006, Weldin Stewart has been an aide for Sen. Harris McDowell, D-Wilmington, where she has learned to work with both political parties. She said an overhaul of the insurance office is necessary. “The consumer is not being taken care of. The policyholders are powerless, and the department is eroded,” she said. She said a single-payer program may prove too costly, but she said she would extend poverty guidelines and institute sliding scales to allow more residents to qualify for health insurance.
For flood insurance, Weldin Stewart said she would provide builder tax credits for constructing sturdier homes which may decrease insurance premiums. “In Delaware, we could put in place a statewide catastrophe fund where people would be covered in case of catastrophe – on top of their flood insurance.
Gene Reed
Gene Reed, 48, is a Bear resident who has worked for the state insurance commissioner for more than 23 years. “I would support any proposal that the next governor will put in place for universal healthcare coverage. I plan to hold the companies’ feet to the fire for universal health care,” said Reed.
He also supports a health insurance purchasing pool – a partnership between the state and private insurance carriers. He said a single-payer program is not economically doable in Delaware because the state budget is in crisis. He said he would increase consumer flood insurance protection by allowing higher coverage limits, including coverage for business interruption and additional living expenses.
He said he would also work with the Office of the State Bank Commissioner for educational outreach. Too many insurance agents and lenders are unknowledgeable about flood insurance, he said.
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