Former Maryland Insurance Commissioner Ralph S. Tyler, who left the Maryland Insurance Administration in January 2010, now has left his position as chief counsel of the U.S Food and Drug Administration.

Therese Goldsmith, a lawyer who has served on the Maryland Public Service Commission for the last two years, was named Maryland’s insurance commissioner, effective June 13.

William L. Jews, a former CEO of CareFirst, can now claim all $18 million of his severance, five years after he left his position leading Maryland’s largest health insurer and three years after the payment was challenged by state officials.

Sixteen months after appointing Beth Sammis as acting Maryland insurance commissioner, Gov. Martin O’Malley has to make another appointment to the position.

Federal health reform could force CareFirst to dip deeper into its reserves than had been anticipated with Washington, D.C., officials began investigating its surplus two years ago.

Washington, D.C., insurance regulators are again delaying a decision on whether the reserves possessed by CareFirst’s District subsidiary, Group Hospitalization and Medical Services Inc., are excessive.

Six months ago, Beth Sammis was named acting insurance commissioner of the Maryland Insurance Administration and she may hold that title for a bit longer.

Beth Sammis, acting Maryland insurance commissioner, wants the Maryland Insurance Administration to employ more targeted examinations of insurer’s actions so it can address concerns more quickly and cost-effectively than with a full market conduct examination.

A bill prohibiting specific uses of funds from the Maryland Automobile Insurance Fund may not have been acted upon this year, but the anger by state legislators is likely to result in the matter being revisited in the next General Assembly session.

Maryland’s acting insurance commissioner says the process to determine medical loss ratio for health insurers is in the “very early” stages.