Murphy to head Mass. insurance division

BOSTON – Gov. Deval L. Patrick last week appointed Joseph G. Murphy commissioner of the Mass. Division of Insurance.
Murphy has served as first deputy commissioner of the Mass. Division of Insurance since 2006, playing “active roles” in the implementation of the auto insurance reform and the day-to-day operations of the division, Patrick said in a statement. Murphy has been serving as acting commissioner since September 2009, following the departure of Commissioner Nonnie Burnes. He oversees the division’s 130 employees and $12 million budget.
“Joe deserves a significant amount of credit for the success of managed competition and is a leader in our efforts to stabilize health insurance costs for small businesses,” Patrick said in a statement.
Prior to joining the Division of Insurance, Murphy served as chief of staff and research director of the Joint Committee on Financial Services and the Joint Committee on Insurance in the Massachusetts Legislature. During his time in the Legislature, Murphy worked on Massachusetts’ landmark health care reform legislation and on making Massachusetts the 31st state to join the Interstate Product Regulation Commission. •