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<section article="gin" article_name="Insurance" number="27-608" title_number="27" title_name="Unfair Trade Practices and Other Prohibited Practices" subtitle_number="6" subtitle_name="Cancellations, Nonrenewals, Premium Increases, and Reductions in Coverage">
  <level label="a">
    <level label="1">
      <text>This section applies to:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>policies of commercial insurance; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>policies of workers’ compensation insurance.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>This section does not apply to policies:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>issued to exempt commercial policyholders, as defined in § 11–206(j) of this article; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>for which the renewal policy premium is an increase over the expiring policy premium of 15% or less.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>Unless an insurer has given notice of its intention not to renew a policy subject to this section, if the insurer seeks to increase the renewal policy premium, the insurer shall send a notice to the named insured and insurance producer, if any, not less than 45 days prior to the renewal date of the policy.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>Subject to subsection (d) of this section, a notice under this section shall include:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>both the expiring policy premium and the renewal policy premium; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>the telephone number for the insurer or insurance producer, if any, together with a statement that the insured may call to request additional information about the premium increase.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <level label="1">
      <text>If an insurer seeks to increase the renewal policy premium and the insurer’s rating methodology requires the insured to provide information to calculate the renewal policy premium, an insurer shall provide a reasonable estimate of the renewal policy premium if:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>the insurer has requested the required information from the insured; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>the insurer has not received the requested information.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>A reasonable estimate under this subsection shall be based upon the information available to the insurer at the time the notice is sent.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <text>The requirements of this section do not apply to the extent that the premium increase results from:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>an increase in the units of exposure;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>the application of an experience rating plan;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>the application of a retrospective rating plan;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>a change made by the insured that increases the insurer’s exposure; or</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>an audit of the insured.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <text>A notice required by this section shall be sent by first–class mail and may be sent together with the renewal policy.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="g">
    <text>An insurer may not be required to comply with any notice requirement of this section if, not less than 45 days before the effective date of the renewal policy, the insurer has sent:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <level label="i">
        <text>to the named insured, a renewal policy that includes the renewal policy premium; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>to the independent insurance producer, if any:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>a copy of the renewal policy that includes the renewal policy premium through postal or electronic mail; or</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>at the same time as the insurer sends the renewal policy to the insured, a notice of the availability of the renewal policy through the insurer’s online electronic system;</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>to the named insured and insurance producer, if any, a written notice of renewal or continuation of coverage that includes the renewal or continuation premium; or</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>to the named insured and insurance producer, if any, a renewal offer that includes a reasonable estimate of the renewal policy premium.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
