Customer-First
Accountability

The Principle

At Disney and Amazon, Merritt learned a fundamental truth: you can do well by putting customers first. Success in business and customer care are not mutually exclusive — in fact, customer care actually drives business success. That's a principle California's insurance industry desperately needs to embrace.

Today, too many insurance companies treat California policyholders as adversaries — delaying legitimate claims, denying coverage through fine-print loopholes, and prioritizing profit extraction over the customer service that families and businesses depend on when disaster strikes.

Pave the Way for Good Operators

Not all insurance companies are bad actors. Many carriers genuinely want to serve California consumers well — and Merritt will make it easier for them to succeed:

• Streamline regulatory compliance for responsible carriers — make it simpler for companies that do the right thing to operate in California.
• Reward customer-centric practices — create incentives for carriers that pay claims fairly and promptly, communicate clearly, and put policyholders first.
• Reduce regulatory friction — eliminate bureaucratic barriers that drive up costs for carriers and consumers alike without improving outcomes.
• Foster competition — a fair, streamlined market attracts more carriers, giving consumers more choices and better prices.

Hold Bad Actors Accountable

While good operators deserve support, carriers that delay, deny, and mistreat California consumers will face unprecedented accountability:

• Vigorous enforcement against delay-and-deny tactics — no more using complexity as a weapon against policyholders with legitimate claims.
• Transparency requirements — consumers deserve to know which carriers pay claims fairly and which don't.
• Meaningful consequences — financial penalties and regulatory actions that actually change behavior, not just cost-of-doing-business fines.
• Consumer advocacy — the Department of Insurance will stand with policyholders, not protect the carriers it's supposed to regulate.

What This Means for You

Every Californian — regardless of political leanings — has the same insurance needs. We all need insurance that keeps us and our families safe at a price we can afford. Under Merritt's leadership, the Department of Insurance will fight for exactly that: customer-friendly insurance that works for the people it's supposed to protect, across every line of coverage.

Merritt isn't in this race for personal gain or to push a partisan agenda. He's in it for one reason: to use his experience and strategic vision to solve our insurance crisis and get California families and businesses the insurance they need at a cost they can afford.