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2011 House Bill 1220: Regulating insurance rates
  1. Introduced by Rep. Christine Rolfes (Bainbridge Island) (D) on January 17, 2011, to repeal the insurance commissioner’s authority to review individual insurance rates, and to open previously exempt information to public inspection, such as actuarial formulas, statistics, and assumptions; insurance scoring systems; and other items required to be filed with the insurance commissioner by insurers, rating organizations, or title insurers. (Companion:SB 5120).
    • Referred to the House State Government & Tribal Affairs Committee on January 17, 2011.
      • Substitute offered in the House on February 10, 2011, requires that rate filings for individual and small group health benefit plans are not open to public inspection until the effective date set forth in the filing. The substitute bill also removes the provision that repeals the termination date on the Insurance Commissioner's authority to review individual market rates. The substitute passed by voice vote in the House on February 10, 2011.
    • Referred to the House Health Care & Wellness Committee on January 21, 2011.
    • Referred to the House Rules Committee on February 16, 2011.
      • Amendment offered by Rep. Christine Rolfes (Bainbridge Island) (D) on March 4, 2011, to offer a striking amendment which protects the following information from public inspection: Numeric values of each rating factor used by a health carrier in its individual or small group health benefit plan rate filings. The amendment also preserves the exceptions to public inspection allowed under current law (i.e., actuarial formulae, statistics, and assumptions associated with the rate filing) for new products that are distinct and unique from a carrier's currently or previously offered plans (this exception lasts for one year or the date of the next filing, whichever occurs first); a carrier must make a written request to the Insurance Commissioner, which must be approved in writing in order for this exception to apply. The striking amendment also offers additional modifications from the original bill. The amendment passed by voice vote in the House on March 4, 2011.
      • Amendment offered by Rep. Bill Hinkle, (R-Cle Elum) (R) on March 4, 2011, to prohibit health carriers in the small group market from requiring an employer to pay more than 40% of an employee's premium. The amendment passed by voice vote in the House on March 4, 2011.
      • Amendment offered by Rep. Joe Schmick, (Colfax) (R) on March 4, 2011, to make the publicly-available portions of a rate filing available to the public on the effective date set forth in the filing, as opposed to 10 days after the Insurance Commissioner determines that the rate filing is complete. The amendment failed by voice vote in the House on March 4, 2011.
  2. Passed 57 to 40 in the House on March 4, 2011, to make the entirety of an individual or small group market health benefit plan rate filing open to public inspection, except for the numeric values of each rating factor used by the health carrier. Requires health insurers in the individual and small group markets to submit a publicly-available rate disclosure summary form along with their rate filings.
    Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"

  3. Received in the Senate on March 7, 2011.
    • Referred to the Senate Health & Long-Term Care Committee on March 7, 2011.
      • Amendment offered in the Senate on March 22, 2011, to remove the exception from disclosure provided for numeric values of each rating factor used by a health carrier in the individual and small group products. Separates the summary information to be provided by the carriers and the commissioner into two subsections. Modifies the carrier summary information to remove the top three drivers contributing to the change in premiums. The amendment failed by voice vote in the Senate on March 22, 2011.
    • Referred to the Senate Rules Committee on March 22, 2011.
      • Amendment offered by Sen. Randi Becker (Eatonville) (R) on April 7, 2011, to offer a striking amendment concerning the establishment of individual and small group rates consistent with state law. The amendment passed by voice vote in the Senate on April 7, 2011.
  4. Passed 48 to 1 in the Senate on April 7, 2011, makes the entirety of an individual or small group market health benefit plan rate filing open to public inspection, except for the numeric values of each rating factor used by the health carrier. Requires health insurers in the individual and small group markets to submit a publicly-available rate disclosure summary form along with their rate filings. Newly created rates must be consistent with state law.
    Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"

  5. Received in the House on April 13, 2011.
  6. Passed 95 to 1 in the House on April 13, 2011, House concurred with Senate amendments. This bill makes the entirety of an individual or small group market health benefit plan rate filing open to public inspection, except for the numeric values of each rating factor used by the health carrier. Requires health insurers in the individual and small group markets to submit a publicly-available rate disclosure summary form along with their rate filings. Newly created rates must be consistent with state law.
    Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"

  7. Signed by Gov. Christine Gregoire on May 11, 2011.

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