Simplification &
InsurTech Innovation

The Problem

California's insurance rules are so complicated that they actually work against consumers. Companies that want to do the right thing are driven away by Byzantine regulations. Bad-actor insurance companies rely on overly complicated rules to delay and deny claims — the very tactics that leave fire survivors, accident victims, and business owners waiting months or years for the payouts they're owed.

Meanwhile, the fintech revolution has given us Apple Pay, Zelle, and countless services that have made banking simpler, faster, and more accessible. Insurance has seen no such revolution — and California consumers are paying the price.

Merritt's Approach

Drawing on his experience at Amazon — where "Invent and Simplify" was a core leadership principle — Merritt will drive a two-pronged strategy:

Simplify the Rules

Merritt has personally drafted contracts with the goal of making them easy to understand, using simple language and logical construction that even non-lawyers can easily follow. He'll bring that same discipline to insurance regulation:

• Eliminate delay-and-deny loopholes — Rewrite rules that bad actors exploit to stall or reject legitimate claims.
• Create clear, understandable standards — Policies that consumers can actually read and understand, not 50-page documents full of legal jargon.
• Speed claims payouts — Establish clear timelines and accountability measures so claims get paid when they should.
• Remove barriers to entry — Make it easier for responsible new carriers to compete in California, driving down costs through competition.

Spark the InsurTech Revolution

California should be the world leader in insurance technology innovation, not a cautionary tale. Merritt will champion:

• New insurance options consumers can afford — technology-enabled products that cut overhead and pass savings to policyholders.
• Insurance you can actually understand — digital-first experiences that make policies transparent and claims easy.
• Coverage when you need it — faster, smarter claims processing powered by modern technology.
• California-grown jobs — an InsurTech sector built right here, generating the technology jobs our state badly needs.

What This Means for You

For California families and businesses, this means insurance that works the way modern services should: clear policies you can understand, fair prices driven by real competition, claims that get paid quickly, and new technology-enabled options that put consumers first — not insurance company profits.