Section 379.321

Title XXIV BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS

Chapter 379

Effective - 28 Aug 2002, 3 histories, see footnote   (history) 

  379.321.  Rating plans to be filed with director, when — informational filings. — 1.  Every insurer shall file with the director, except as to commercial property or commercial casualty insurance as provided in subsection 6 of this section, every manual of classifications, rules, underwriting rules and rates, every rating plan and every modification of the foregoing which it uses and the policies and forms to which such rates are applied.  Any insurer may satisfy its obligation to make any such filings by becoming a member of, or a subscriber to, a licensed rating organization which makes such filings and by authorizing the director to accept such filings on its behalf, provided that nothing contained in section 379.017 and sections 379.316 to 379.361 shall be construed as requiring any insurer to become a member of or a subscriber to any rating organization or as requiring any member or subscriber to authorize the director to accept such filings on its behalf.  Filing with the director by such insurer or licensed rating organization within ten days after such manuals, rating plans or modifications thereof or policies or forms are effective shall be sufficient compliance with this section.

  2.  Except as to commercial property or commercial casualty insurance as provided in subsection 6 of this section, no insurer shall make or issue a policy or contract except pursuant to filings which are in effect for that insurer or pursuant to section 379.017 and sections 379.316 to 379.361.  Any rates, rating plans, rules, classifications or systems, in effect on August 13, 1972, shall be continued in effect until withdrawn by the insurer or rating organization which filed them.

  3.  Upon the written application of the insured, stating his or her reasons therefor, filed with the insurer, a rate in excess of that provided by a filing otherwise applicable may be used on any specific risk.

  4.  Every insurer which is a member of or a subscriber to a rating organization shall be deemed to have authorized the director to accept on its behalf all filings made by the rating organization which are within the scope of its membership or subscribership, provided:

  (1)  That any subscriber may withdraw or terminate such authorization, either generally or for individual filings, by written notice to the director and to the rating organization and may then make its own independent filings for any kinds of insurance, or subdivisions, or classes of risks, or parts or combinations of any of the foregoing, with respect to which it has withdrawn or terminated such authorization, or may request the rating organization, within its discretion, to make any such filing on an agency basis solely on behalf of the requesting subscriber; and

  (2)  That any member may proceed in the same manner as a subscriber unless the rating organization shall have adopted a rule, with the approval of the director:

  (a)  Requiring a member, before making an independent filing, first to request the rating organization to make such filing on its behalf and requiring the rating organization, within thirty days after receipt of such request, either:

  a.  To make such filing as a rating organization filing;

  b.  To make such filing on an agency basis solely on behalf of the requesting member; or

  c.  To decline the request of such member; and

  (b)  Excluding from membership any insurer which elects to make any filing wholly independently of the rating organization.

  5.  Any change in a filing made pursuant to this section during the first six months of the date such filing becomes effective shall be approved or disapproved by the director within ten days following the director's receipt of notice of such proposed change.

  6.  Commercial property and commercial casualty requirements differ as follows:

  (1)  All commercial property and commercial casualty insurance rates, rate plans, modifications, and manuals of classifications, where appropriate, shall be filed with the director for informational purposes only.  Such rates are not to be reviewed or approved by the department of insurance, financial institutions and professional registration as a condition of their use.  Nothing in this subsection shall require the filing of individual rates where the original manuals, rates and rules for the insurance plan or program to which such individual policies conform have already been filed with the director;

  (2)  If an insurer will only renew a commercial casualty or commercial property insurance policy with an increase in premium of twenty-five percent or more, a "premium alteration requiring notification" notice must be mailed or delivered by the insurer at least sixty days prior to the expiration date of the policy, except in the case of an umbrella or excess policy the coverage of which is contingent on the coverage of an underlying policy of commercial property or casualty insurance, in which case notice of an increase in premium of twenty-five percent or more shall be mailed or delivered at least thirty days prior to the expiration date of the policy.  Such notice shall be mailed or delivered to the agent of record and to the named insured at the address shown in the policy.  If the insurer fails to meet this notice requirement, the insured shall have the option of continuing the policy for the remainder of the notice period plus an additional thirty days at the premium rate of the existing policy or contract.  This provision does not apply if the insurer has offered to renew a policy without such an increase in premium or if the insured fails to pay a premium due or any advance premium required by the insurer for renewal.  For purposes of this section, "premium alteration requiring notification" means an annual increase in premium of twenty-five percent or more, exclusive of premium increases due to a change in the operations of the insured which increases either the hazard insured against or the individual loss characteristics, or due to a change in the magnitude of the exposure basis, including, without limitation, increases in payroll or sales.  For commercial multiperil policies, no "premium alteration requiring notification" shall be required unless the increase in premium for all of a policyholder's policies taken together amounts to a twenty-five percent or more annual increase in premium;

  (3)  Commercial property and commercial casualty policy forms shall be filed with the director as provided pursuant to subsection 1 of this section.  However, if after review, it is determined that corrective action must be taken to modify the filed forms, the director shall impose such corrective action on a prospective basis for new policies.  All policies previously issued which are of a type that is subject to such corrective action shall be deemed to have been modified to conform to such corrective action retroactive to their inception date;

  (4)  For purposes of this section, "commercial casualty" means "commercial casualty insurance" as defined in section 379.882.  For purposes of this section, "commercial property" means property insurance, which is for business and professional interests, whether for profit, nonprofit or public in nature which is not for personal, family or household purposes, and shall include commercial inland marine insurance, but does not include title insurance;

  (5)  Nothing in this subsection shall limit the director's authority over excessive, inadequate or unfairly discriminatory rates.

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(L. 1972 S.B. 547 § 4, A.L. 1999 S.B. 386, A.L. 2001 S.B. 186, A.L. 2002 H.B. 1468)