2010 Arkansas Code
Title 23 - Public Utilities and Regulated Industries
Subtitle 3 - Insurance
Chapter 101 - Creditor-Placed Insurance
§ 23-101-108 - Filing, approval, and withdrawal of forms and rates.

23-101-108. Filing, approval, and withdrawal 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 thereto shall be filed with the Insurance 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) of this section.

(c) (1) If the commissioner disapproves a form or schedule of premium rates in accordance with subsection (b) of this section, 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.

(2) (A) An insurer aggrieved by any order or decision of the commissioner made without a hearing, within thirty (30) days after notice to the insurer or organization, may make written request to the commissioner for a hearing thereon.

(B) The commissioner shall hear the party or parties within twenty (20) days after receipt of the request and shall give not less than ten (10) days' written notice of the time and place of the hearing.

(C) The hearing shall be concluded within fifteen (15) days from its commencement, except that the commissioner, for good cause shown and with notice to the interested parties, may grant additional time, not to exceed thirty (30) days. Within fifteen (15) days after the hearing, the commissioner shall affirm, reverse, or modify his or her previous action, specifying his or her reasons therefor.

(D) Pending the hearing and decision thereon, the commissioner may suspend or postpone the effective date of his or her previous action.

(d) Unless the commissioner disapproves the form or schedule of premium rates in accordance with subsections (b) and (c) of this section 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) (1) The schedules of premium rates shall not be excessive, inadequate, or unfairly discriminatory.

(2) 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, and other acquisition costs including insurance tracking costs, reserves, taxes, licenses, fees and assessments, reasonable insurer profit, and other relevant data.

(3) 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) (1) 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.

(2) Within thirty (30) days after receiving the written notification of the withdrawal, an insurer adversely affected by a withdrawal may request a hearing in the manner provided in subsection (c) of this section to determine whether the withdrawal should be annulled, modified, or confirmed.

(3) Unless the commissioner grants an extension in writing in the withdrawal or subsequently grants an extension, the withdrawal shall become effective, in the absence of a request for hearing, 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.