PONTIAC, Mich., July 18, 2025 — State Rep. Brenda Carter (D-Pontiac) is making history this week as she leads national conversations on insurance reform, financial literacy and long-term care protections at the 2025 National Council of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL) Summer Meeting in Chicago, Illinois.
Carter serves as chair of the NCOIL Life Insurance & Financial Planning Committee and is the first Black woman from Michigan to hold a national leadership role within the organization. Her legislative priorities — including consumer protection, health equity and generational wealth-building — are at the center of this year’s agenda.
On Thursday, July 17, Carter chaired a policy session introducing a model act that would prohibit life insurers from using genetic information in a discriminatory manner during the underwriting process. The legislation aims to ensure fairness and transparency in life insurance markets nationwide.
“Insurance must be a bridge to security, not a barrier to opportunity,” Carter said. “This model act is about protecting families from being penalized for conditions they cannot control. It’s about justice, dignity and leveling the playing field in the insurance world.”
On Saturday, Carter will moderate NCOIL’s marquee General Session on Long-Term Care Insurance, bringing together national experts to address affordability, access and elder protection in the face of America’s aging population. The session will spotlight policy solutions to rising costs and gaps in coverage that disproportionately impact seniors and low-income communities.
Carter’s presence at NCOIL comes at a critical time for state legislators shaping insurance policy. Her leadership ensures that Michigan’s working-class families — and the values of fairness, equity and accountability — are heard on the national stage.
Throughout the NCOIL Summer Meeting, Carter is also participating in discussions on Medicaid reform, mental health parity, fintech regulation and financial literacy initiatives — all key to her broader mission of fighting poverty, empowering families and creating pathways to financial freedom.
“Being in these rooms matters. I’m not here for photo ops. I’m here to make policy that protects people,” Carter added. “This work strengthens our legislative tools in Michigan and elevates the voices of communities too often left behind.”
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