S.P. 657 - L.D. 1879
An Act Authorizing the Bureau of Insurance to Release Aggregate Ratios of Consumer Complaints to the Public
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 24-A MRSA §216, sub-§2, as amended by PL 1989, c. 269, §5, is further amended to read:
2. All records of the bureau shall be are subject to public inspection, except as otherwise expressly provided by law as to particular matters; and except that records, correspondence and reports of investigation in connection with actual or claimed violations of this Title or prosecution or disciplinary action therefor shall be for those violations are confidential. The confidential nature of any such record, correspondence or report shall may not limit or affect use of the same by the superintendent in any such prosecution or action. This subsection shall does not preclude participation by the superintendent in the establishment of an interstate complaint handling system which that may involve the sharing of information with insurance regulatory officials in other jurisdictions and with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, provided that as long as the names of the complainant and insured remain confidential. This subsection does not preclude the dissemination of aggregate ratios of substantiated consumer complaints to the public by the superintendent. Only complaints received in writing are included in the calculation of the complaint ratio. A complaint received by electronic means is considered a written complaint. A substantiated consumer complaint includes any matter in which the resolution results in a favorable outcome to the consumer, including, but not limited to, the recovery of premium refunds, additional amounts paid on claims or policy reinstatements. A matter in which the actions of an insurer are in violation of this Title is deemed a substantiated complaint. The superintendent shall adopt rules necessary to define the method for calculating complaint ratios. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are major substantive rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter II-A.
Sec. 2. Rule-making authority. The Superintendent of Insurance has authority to adopt rules in accordance with the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, chapter 375 to implement Title 24-A, section 216, subsection 2, as amended by this Act. Such rules must be provisionally adopted and submitted to the Legislature for review as major substantive rules pursuant to Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter II-A no later than January 1, 1998.
Effective September 19, 1997, unless otherwise indicated.
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