The 2012 NBA playoffs have brought great excitement to the state. The Thunder’s series with San Antonio has also come with some pretty amazing stats. If the Thunder wins Game 6, they’ll be just the 15th NBA team to come back from a 2-0 hole to win the series. In Game 4, Serge Ibaka went 11-for-11, the same night that Kevin Durant scored 16 straight points to help the Thunder secure a victory. Here at the Oklahoma Insurance Department, we also have some pretty impressive stats. It’s one way of making sure we’re doing all we can to protect Oklahomans.

Take a look at the numbers:

• Last year our office received 36,125 consumer assistance calls. We helped those citizens recover $4,828,578.
• We also received 1,147 complaints of fraud. Our investigators opened 408 cases and referred 87 of those for prosecution. Their efforts led to the recovery of $555,682.
• Our SHIP/SMP division conducted 893 presentations across the state, allowing them to reach 45,707 people. They also answered 11,367 calls for assistance and logged 4,503 hours of counseling time.
• 4,515 continuing education courses approved by our department were made available to Oklahoma insurance licensed professionals.
  Oklahomahas 135,832 insurance licenses on file, a sign of a very robust industry that benefits licensed agents, brokers and consumers.
• The OID generated $204,699,428 in taxes, licenses, permits, fees and services in 2011. More than half of that money went into the general revenue fund. $76,438,620 went to pensions for firefighters and police officers.

While there have been some concerns lately over severe weather affecting the ability to get and keep home insurance, these numbers show a robust market with a wide variety of choices. The Oklahoma insurance industry is thriving, thanks to h5 companies and hard-working insurance agents and brokers. Their success helps Oklahomans save money and rebound from tough times. The numbers don’t lie. A vibrant, competitive market is a slam dunk for consumers.