26-14-106. Rate regulation.
(a) Rates in a noncompetitive market, when regulated, shall be regulated in accordance with W.S. 26-14-105 through 26-14-108 applicable to noncompetitive markets.
(b) The commissioner may regulate rates in an unregulated market if he determines that:
(i) The unregulated market is a noncompetitive market; and
(ii)Regulation will likely reduce rates for consumers in a total amount greater than the cost of regulation without substantially curtailing the availability of insurance in that market.
(c) The commissioner may declare a noncompetitive market competitive if he determines the noncompetitive market no longer meets the conditions of a noncompetitive market as defined in W.S. 26-14-103(a)(vii).
(d)To carry out the purpose of subsections (b) and (c) of this section, the commissioner, upon his own motion, may conduct a rate or other investigation. The commissioner shall conduct a rate or other investigation upon request of:
(i) Not less than ten percent (10%) of the insureds in any market;
(ii) Any organization representing not less than ten percent (10%) of the insureds in any market; or
(iii) Insurers selling at least thirty percent (30%) of the insurance in any market.
(e)The commissioner shall not be compelled to conduct an investigation of any line of insurance pursuant to subsection (d) of this section more than once in any three (3) year period for any line of insurance but may do so.
(f) As a part of any investigation under subsection (d) of this section the commissioner:
(i) May require any insurer to submit actuarial and expense data relating to any line of insurance;
(ii)May contract the services of an actuarial consultant and assess the cost thereof against the parties requesting the investigation or against the insurers affected if the investigation is conducted upon the commissioner’s motion;
(iii) Shall conduct a hearing upon not less than twenty (20) days written notice to affected parties, provided this requirement may be waived upon written agreement of the affected parties;
(iv) Depending upon the availability of data and the existence of sufficient experience to allow for an actuarially sound determination, may base any regulation of rates for any line of insurance under this section on experience or loss data for that line of insurance in:
(A) Wyoming alone;
(B) Wyoming and selected other states with reasonably similar characteristics; or
(C) The United States as a whole excluding states whose experience is atypical.
26-14-107. Filing of rates; supplementary rate information; supporting information; public inspection; consent to rates.
(a)In competitive markets, every insurer shall maintain all rates and supplementary rate information to be used in this state, in accordance with the provisions of W.S. 26-14-113(b), and such information shall be made available to the commissioner upon his request.
(b)In noncompetitive markets, every insurer shall file with the commissioner all rates, supplementary rate information and supporting information for noncompetitive markets at least thirty (30) days before the proposed effective date. The commissioner may give written notice, within thirty (30) days of the receipt of the filing, that he needs additional time, not to exceed thirty (30) days from the date of the notice, to consider the filing. Upon written application of the insurer, the commissioner may authorize rates to be effective before the expiration of the waiting period or an extension thereof. A filing shall be deemed to meet the requirements of this chapter and to become effective unless disapproved pursuant to W.S. 26-14-108 by the commissioner before the expiration of the waiting period or an extension thereof. Residual market mechanisms or advisory organizations may file residual market rates. The filing shall be deemed in compliance with the filing provisions of this section unless the commissioner informs the insurer within ten (10) days after receipt of the filing as to what supplementary rate information or supporting information is required to complete the filing.
(c)All information provided to the insurance commissioner under this chapter shall be open to public inspection. Copies may be obtained from the commissioner upon request and upon payment of a reasonable fee.
(d)Notwithstanding any other provisions of this section, upon written application of the insured, stating the reason therefor filed with the commissioner, a rate in excess of that otherwise applicable may be used on any specific risk.
26-14-108. Disapproval of rates; bases; procedures.
(a)The commissioner shall disapprove a rate for use in a noncompetitive market if he finds pursuant to subsection (b) of this section that the rate is excessive, inadequate or unfairly discriminatory.
(b) Disapproval of rates by the commissioner shall be subject to the following procedures:
(i)Prior to the expiration of the waiting period or an extension thereof of a filing made pursuant to W.S. 26-14-107(b), the commissioner may disapprove by written order rates filed pursuant to W.S. 26-14-107(b) without hearing. The order shall specify in what respects such filing fails to meet the requirements of this chapter. Any insurer whose rates are disapproved under this section shall be given a hearing upon written request made within thirty (30) days of disapproval;
(ii) If at any time the commissioner finds that a rate applicable to insurance sold in a noncompetitive market does not comply with the standards set forth in W.S. 26-14-105, he may, after a hearing held upon not less than twenty (20) days written notice, issue an order in accordance with subsection (c) of this section, disapproving the rate. Such notice shall be sent to every insurer and rate service organization which adopted the rate and shall specify the matters to be considered at the hearing. The order shall not affect any contract or policy made or issued prior to the expiration of the period set forth in the order.
(c)If the commissioner disapproves a rate pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, he shall issue an order within thirty (30) days of the close of the hearing specifying in what respects the rate fails to meet the requirements of this chapter. The order shall state an effective date no sooner than forty-five (45) business days after the date of the order when the use of the rate shall be discontinued. The order shall not affect any policy made before the effective date of the order.
