BILL REQ. #:  S-4431.1 

READ FIRST TIME 1/19/2006.   

     AN ACT Relating to health carrier information; and adding a new section to chapter 48.43 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   A new section is added to chapter 48.43 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) Each health carrier offering a health benefit plan shall submit to the commissioner on or before April 1st of each year a report that contains:
     (a) The following information for the preceding year that is derived from the carrier's annual statement, including the exhibit of premiums, enrollments, and utilization for its Washington business, and the additional data to the annual statement. The information must be shown for five categories, total, individual contracts, small group contracts, and large group contracts (excluding government contracts), and government contracts:
     (i) The total number of members;
     (ii) The total amount of revenue;
     (iii) The total amount of hospital and medical payments;
     (iv) The medical loss ratio, that is computed by dividing the total amount of hospital and medical payments by the total amount of revenues;
     (v) The average amount of premiums per member per month; and
     (vi) The percentage change in the average premium per member per month, measured from the previous year; and
     (b) The following aggregate financial information for the preceding year that is derived from the carrier's annual statement:
     (i) The total amount of claim adjustment expenses;
     (ii) The total amount of general administrative expenses, including identification of the five largest nonmedical administrative expenses and the assessment against the carrier for the Washington state health insurance pool;
     (iii) The total amount of the reserves maintained for unpaid claims;
     (iv) The total net underwriting gain or loss;
     (v) The carrier's net income after taxes;
     (vi) Dividends to stockholders;
     (vii) The net change in capital and surplus from the prior year; and
     (viii) The total amount of the capital and surplus.
     (2) A carrier shall electronically submit the information described in subsection (1) of this section in a format and according to instructions prescribed by the commissioner.
     (3) The commissioner shall make the information reported under this section available to the public in a format that allows comparisons among carriers through a searchable public web site on the internet.