§ 40-953 — Same; excessive, inadequate or unfairly discriminatory rates or rates resulting in destruction of competition, standards

Rates shall not be excessive, inadequate or unfairly discriminatory, nor shall an insurer charge any rate which if continued will have or tend to have the effect of destroying competition or creating a monopoly. Rates are presumed not to be excessive if a reasonable degree of market competition exists at the consumer level with respect to the class of business to which they apply. Rates in a noncompetitive market are excessive if they are producing or are likely to produce unreasonably high profits for the insurance provided or if expenses are unreasonably high in relation to services rendered. A competitive market in a type of insurance subject to this act is presumed to exist unless the commissioner after notice of hearing determines and orders that a reasonable degree of competition does not exist in the market. Such order shall expire no later than one year after issuance unless the commissioner renews the rule after a hearing and a finding of the continued lack of a reasonable degree of competition. In determining whether a reasonable degree of market competition exists, the commissioner shall consider all relevant tests, including: (1) The number, market share, and concentration of insurers, as measured by the 1992 horizontal merger guidelines published in the Federal Register September 10, 1992 (57 FR 41552), actively engaged in the class of business; (2) the existence of rate differentials in that class of business; (3) ease of entry into the market; and (4) whether long-run profitability for insurers in that class of business is unreasonably high in relation to its riskiness. If such competition does not exist, rates are excessive if they are likely to produce a long run profit that is unreasonably high in relation to the riskiness of the class of business, or if expenses are unreasonably high in relation to the services rendered.
Rates are inadequate if they are clearly insufficient, together with the investment income attributable to them, to sustain projected losses and expenses in the class of business to which they apply.
One rate is unfairly discriminatory in relation to another in the same class if it clearly fails to reflect equitably the differences in expected losses and expenses. Rates are not unfairly discriminatory because different premiums result for policyholders with like loss exposures but different expense factors or like expense factors but different loss exposures, so long as the rates reflect the differences with reasonable accuracy. Rates are not unfairly discriminatory if they are averaged broadly among persons insured under a group, franchise, mass marketed plan or blanket policy.

Legislative History

L. 1997, ch. 154, § 3; July 1.