Commissioner Lara unveils first wave of proposed regulatory reforms to help safeguard the integrity of the state’s insurance market
News: 2024 Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Advancing his Sustainable Insurance Strategy announced last September, Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara today announced the first of several regulatory rule change packages aimed at streamlining the Department’s rate approval process. The California Office of Administrative Law published that rulemaking today and the Department invites public comment in advance of a public hearing on March 26.
These proposed changes are intended to modernize the submission requirements for auto, home, business, and other property and casualty insurance rate applications, ensuring that insurance companies adhere to clear guidelines and provide comprehensive information from the outset for the Department’s review.
“Our goal is to safeguard the integrity of the insurance market comprised of consumers, homeowners, and businesses. My proposed regulations represent a crucial step towards fostering a fair, transparent, and efficient rate approval process,” stated Commissioner Lara. “By updating submission procedures and clarifying requirements for insurance companies, we aim to eliminate confusion, reduce delays, and enhance public participation in the rate-making process. This will help our Department’s experts make sure that no policyholder is paying more than is required.”
The proposed amendments aim to address critical issues surrounding insurance companies’ rate application submissions under Proposition 103. The existing regulations, created in an age of pagers and payphones, lack clarity and fail to specify the exact materials and information required in a complete rate filing application given the change in times and increased complexity of filings. This ambiguity can lead to confusion among insurance companies and delays in the review process, ultimately impacting consumers’ access to fair and appropriate insurance rates and insurers’ level of certainty on their filings and the review process.
Key highlights of the proposed regulations include:
- Clarity in Submission Requirements: Insurance companies will now have clearer instructions about what must be submitted with a complete rate application, with necessary materials and information clearly specified by regulations. This clarity will provide insurance companies with certainty regarding the documentation required for initial rate submissions.
- Front-Loading the Delivery of Key Information: The proposed regulation will eliminate lengthy exchanges between the Department and insurers about incomplete applications before the rate review process may actually begin. These amendments will also provide consumer representatives more opportunity to timely review insurer rate applications in order to decide whether to intervene in the rate review process.
- Inclusion of Criteria and Guidelines: The proposed amendments mandate what insurers must provide so the Insurance Commissioner may assess whether requested rates are appropriate and not excessive, inadequate, or unfairly discriminatory. This includes any and all criteria, guidelines, systems, manuals, models, and algorithms used to assess risks or modify coverage options, as set forth in California Insurance Code section 1861.05.
Commissioner Lara emphasized that these regulations are crucial for the effective evaluation of rate applications, enabling the Department’s experts to assess proposed rate changes accurately and promptly without compromising on quality. Moreover, these proposed amendments promote transparency by making all rate application materials public, allowing consumer representatives and regulatory authorities to review submissions in a timely manner, as set forth in California Insurance Code section 1861.07.
“We want to promote efficiency, accountability, and fairness in the property and casualty insurance market,” concluded Commissioner Lara. “We look forward to continued public input to help modernize our policies and practices so we can continue to safeguard the integrity of the insurance market.”
Commissioner Lara is now receiving public comment on the regulations. Anybody may submit written comments to the Department until March 26, 2024, at which time the Commissioner will hold a public hearing.
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Media notes:
Led by Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, the California Department of Insurance is the consumer protection agency for the nation's largest insurance marketplace and safeguards all of the state’s consumers by fairly regulating the insurance industry. Under the Commissioner’s direction, the Department uses its authority to protect Californians from insurance rates that are excessive, inadequate, or unfairly discriminatory, oversee insurer solvency to pay claims, set standards for agents and broker licensing, perform market conduct reviews of insurance companies, resolve consumer complaints, and investigate and prosecute insurance fraud. Consumers are urged to call 1-800-927-4357 with any questions or contact us at www.insurance.ca.gov via webform or online chat. Non-media inquiries should be directed to the Consumer Hotline at 800-927-4357. Teletypewriter (TTY), please dial 800-482-4833.
