South Carolina § 38-72-75 - Long-term care insurance providers; rate schedules.

§ 38-72-75. Long-term care insurance providers; rate schedules.

(A) All premium rate schedules for long-term care insurance must be filed with the department and are subject to the prior approval of the director or his designee.

(1) An insurer may not charge a premium to an insured under a policy or contract of long-term care insurance before the applicable premium rate is filed with and approved by the director or his designee.

(2) An insurer may not change the premium charged to an insured under a policy or contract of long-term care insurance until the applicable premium rate change has been filed with and approved by the director or his designee.

(3) The director or his designee may disapprove or modify premium rates if he determines that the benefits provided are unreasonable in relation to the premiums charged, appear to be inadequate, unfairly discriminatory, or excessive in relation to benefits or appear to have assumptions that are unreasonable in the aggregate or for each assumption individually. The director or his designee shall notify the insurer of his decision in writing as soon as is practicable. In the event of disapproval, the notice must contain the reasons for disapproval, and the insurer is entitled to appeal the decision or determination of disapproval before the Administrative Law Court as provided by law. If no action has been taken to approve or disapprove the premium rates after they have been filed for ninety days, they are deemed to be approved. This period may be extended by the director or his designee for an additional period or periods not to exceed ninety days per period if he gives written notice within the waiting period to the insurer which made the filing that he needs additional time for the consideration of the filing. Upon written application by the insurer, the director or his designee may authorize a filing which he has reviewed to become effective before the expiration of the waiting period or any extension thereof.

(4) The director may disapprove a previously approved filing at any time following notice to the insurer.

(B)(1) Any applicable premium rate or premium rate change of an insurer must be filed with the director or his designee in accordance with guidance issued by the director or his designee by bulletin, regulation, or other method.

(2) In addition to the factors set forth in this chapter and in regulation, the director or his designee shall consider the following to the extent appropriate when determining whether to disapprove or modify a premium rate filing of an insurer:

(a) past and prospective loss experience in and outside the State;

(b) underwriting practice and judgment;

(c) a reasonable margin for reserve needs;

(d) past and prospective expenses, both countrywide and those specifically applicable to the State;

(e) prior approved rate changes; and

(f) any other relevant factors necessary including the factors set forth in the regulation.

(C) The director or his designee may hold a public hearing or solicit public comments as a part of the process to review long-term care insurance rate filings received by the director or his designee. The director or his designee shall provide all individuals present at a public hearing held pursuant to this section an opportunity to offer testimony or written comments. The director or his designee may place time limits on the testimony.

(D)(1) Each premium rate filing and any supporting information filed under this chapter and subject to disclosure must be open to public inspection after the filing becomes effective.

(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of item (1), if the director or his designee holds a public hearing or solicits public comments on a premium rate filing pursuant to subsection (D), he may open to public inspection some or all portions of the filing that are subject to disclosure as a part of the public hearing or solicitation of public comments.

(E) Each decision of the director or his designee about premium rates made under this section is subject to judicial review in accordance with Section 38-3-210.

HISTORY: 2019 Act No. 6 (S.360), SECTION 2, eff July 1, 2019.