California Insurance coverage Commissioner Ricardo Lara on Friday introduced he needs to make sure reforms to the state’s insurance coverage regulation, Proposition 103, together with altering the controversial intervenor course of.

Prop. 103, handed by voters in 1988, is the state’s bedrock insurance coverage regulation that outlines what can and might’t be included in fee filings. The intervenor follow is a part of the submitting course of, through which outdoors teams can take part in fee hearings on behalf of shoppers and cost a charge for his or her companies.

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In response to Lara, some stakeholders have expressed issues that the method lacks transparency, is dominated by a small variety of recurring members and might result in delays and extra prices for shoppers and taxpayers.

Probably the most prolific intervenors is Shopper Watchdog, whose founder authored Prop. 103. The group has been reached out to for remark.

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Lara mentioned the proposed modifications will make clear how intervenor participation is evaluated and compensated, making certain that customers, policyholders, and taxpayers solely fund the contributions to the general public curiosity. They may also make the method extra open and accessible, stopping any single group from monopolizing the method, based on Lara.

Modifications would come with:

Clarifying the “substantial contribution” normal for intervenor compensation.
Requiring public reporting on intervenor exercise and compensation.
Establishing timelines and tasks for administrative regulation judges, together with necessary 30-day standing updates on pending circumstances to the general public.
Requiring the California Division of Insurance coverage to publish public paperwork on-line – together with listening to calendars and choices – making them accessible to all Californians and changing outdated bodily viewing rooms.

“Shoppers are pissed off with hidden charges, particularly when insurance coverage prices are already exorbitant and unaffordable for a lot of. California’s insurance coverage disaster calls for robust choices and accountability from everybody concerned – insurance coverage corporations, intervenors, and the Division itself,” Lara said. “To stabilize our market, we’d like a fee evaluate system that delivers well timed, truthful, correct, and thorough choices, slightly than one which will get slowed down in course of or delays actual options.”

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