When people open their insurance bills and wonder why premiums keep climbing, they’d never think to blame an obscure nonprofit organization based in Kansas City. But they should. 

A nonprofit organization called the National Association of Insurance Commissioners is responsible for the rules that ultimately affect consumers’ insurance premiums. These rules and standards govern consumers’ health, home, auto, life, and retirement insurance. Premiums for these insurance products have been rising at historic rates in recent years — far outpacing wage growth.