56-49-108 - Commissioner approval of forms and rates.
56-49-108. Commissioner approval of forms and rates.
(a) All policy forms and certificates of insurance to be delivered or issued for delivery in this state and the schedules of premium rates pertaining to the policy forms or certificates shall be filed with the commissioner.
(b) The commissioner shall within thirty (30) days after the filing of the policy forms and certificates of insurance disapprove a form that does not conform to this chapter or to other applicable provisions of the insurance statutes and regulations and shall, within thirty (30) days of filing, disapprove a schedule of premium rates pertaining to the form if it does not conform to the standard set forth in subsection (e).
(c) If the commissioner disapproves a form or schedule of premium rates in accordance with subsection (b), the commissioner shall promptly notify the insurer in writing of the disapproval, and it shall be unlawful for the insurer to issue or use the form or schedule. In the notice, the commissioner shall specify the reasons for disapproval and state that a hearing will be granted upon request pursuant to the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act, compiled in title 4, chapter 5.
(d) Unless the commissioner disapproves the form or schedule of premium rates in accordance with subsections (b) and (c) or gives written approval of the form or schedule within thirty (30) days after the filing, the form or schedule shall be deemed approved on the thirty-first day after the filing.
(e) The schedule of premium rates shall not be excessive, inadequate or unfairly discriminatory. In determining whether a schedule of premium rates is excessive, inadequate or unfairly discriminatory, the commissioner shall take into account past and prospective loss experience, general and administrative expenses, loss settlement and adjustment expenses, reasonable creditor compensation and other acquisition costs including insurance tracking costs, reserves, taxes, licenses, fees and assessments, reasonable insurer profit and other relevant data. Rates are not unfairly discriminatory because different premiums result for different policyholders, including group policyholders, with similar loss exposures but different expense factors or similar expense factors but different loss exposures, nor are rates unfairly discriminatory if they are averaged broadly among all persons insured in this state or all persons insured under a group insurance policy.
(f) The commissioner may withdraw approval of an approved form or schedule of premium rates when the commissioner would be required to disapprove the form or schedule of premium rates if it were filed at the time of the withdrawal. The withdrawal shall be in writing and shall specify the reasons for withdrawal and the effective date of the withdrawal. An insurer adversely affected by a withdrawal may, within thirty (30) days after receiving the written notification of the withdrawal, request a hearing pursuant to the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act, compiled in title 4, chapter 5, to determine whether the withdrawal should be annulled, modified or confirmed. Unless the commissioner grants an extension in writing in the withdrawal or subsequently grants an extension, the withdrawal shall, in the absence of a request for hearing, become effective, prospectively and not retroactively, on the ninety-first day following delivery of the notice of withdrawal and, if the request for hearing is filed, on the ninety-first day following delivery of written notice of the commissioner's determination.
(g) Forms and rates filed and approved in accordance with this section shall be deemed to be in compliance in all respects with the laws of this state.
[Acts 1999, ch. 144, § 8.]