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This page contains notices of proposed rulemaking by the Insurance Division. For each rulemaking, you will find the hearing date (if any) and the deadline for comment, as well as the notice of hearing and the text of the proposal.

These proposed rules:

• Modify filing requirements to allow Oregon Large Risk Alternative Rating Plans to include workers' compensation insurance, provided the insured has countrywide workers' compensation standard premium in excess of $500,000.
• Allow large deductible rating plans to reduce the minimum employer eligibility from $750,000 to $500,000 in countrywide workers' compensation standard premium. Because large deductible rating plans can be written as Large Risk Alternative Rating Plans, the proposed rule amendments will avert inconsistencies within the rules governing workers' compensation rating plans.

This rulemaking permanently adopts temporary rules that expire on March 26, 2010 and makes some clarifications in response to questions raised as HB 2116 was implemented. House Bill 2116 was enacted by the Legislative Assembly in June 2009 and took effect September 28, 2009.  The bill establishes a one percent assessment on health insurers based on the gross amount of premiums earned by the insurer during each calendar quarter.  The bill includes an option for the insurers to include the amount of the assessment in their premium rates.  For existing approved rates, insurers were allowed to include an additional one percent beginning October 1, 2009, without submitting their premium rate to the Insurance Division for review and approval.  If an insurer opted to include the additional one percent, the insurer was required to include a notice with all consumer billings explaining the increase. 

These rules are necessary to fully implement the provisions of chapter 867, Oregon Laws 2009, including clarification of certain terms and information about reporting requirements relating to the assessment and requirements for an insurer that chooses to add the one percent assessment to an existing approved rate.

The Agency requests public comment on whether other options should be considered for achieving the rule’s substantive goals while reducing the negative economic impact of the rule on business.