Sandy Praeger
Sandy Praeger was the Republican Kansas Insurance Commissioner from 2003 to 2015. She was first elected on November 2, 2002. Her term began January 13, 2003. She was re-elected in 2006 and 2010 to the same position. Commissioner Praeger was responsible for regulating all insurance sold in Kansas and overseeing the nearly 1,700 insurance companies and 110,000 agents licensed to do business in the state.
Praeger is also the former president of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, and has been their spokesperson in favor of maintaining state insurance regulation rather than an optional federal charter.
During her term in office, she supported the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and opposed Republican Governor Sam Brownback's plan to join a nine-state healthcare compact.
Praeger chose not to seek re-election in 2014. Instead, she chose to endorse the Democratic candidate, Dennis Anderson, to succeed her as Insurance Commissioner.
Praeger is a graduate of the University of Kansas.Organizations
- Speaker, American Academy of Pediatrics
- Speaker, American Association of Health Plans
- Founding Member, Court Appointed Special Advocates
- Speaker, Forum for State Health Policy Leadership
- Founding Member, Haskell Indian Nations University Foundation
- Founding Member, Health Care Access
- Speaker, National Association of Chain Drug Stores
- Speaker, National Association of Health Data Organizations
- President-Elect/Secretary/Treasurer, National Association of Insurance Commissioners
- Former Vice-Chair, National Association of Insurance Commissioners Midwestern Zone
- Speaker, National Conference of State Legislatures
- Board of Directors, United Way of Douglas County
- Speaker, Women in Government.
Past offices
- Kansas State Senate, elected 1992, 1996, 2000
- Kansas State Legislature, 1 term
- Mayor of Lawrence, Kansas, 1986–1987
- Lawrence City Commission, 1985–89
