Around the PIA Western Alliance States – Week of April 21, 2025

Idaho — Mandatory Property Insurance Market Data Call: This is from the Idaho Department of Insurance.

1. AUTHORITY

Pursuant to the authority granted to the Director of the Idaho Department of Insurance (DOI) under Idaho Code §§ 41-219 (Examinations) and 41-247 (Inquiry powers), the DOI hereby issues this mandatory data call to insurers writing homeowners and dwelling fire property insurance business in the state of Idaho.

2. PURPOSE

The DOI is collecting detailed policy and claims information to conduct an analysis of the property insurance market within Idaho, specifically as it relates to wildfire. This data will enhance the Department’s understanding of affordability, availability, market dynamics, and insurer exposures, enabling the DOI to fulfill its statutory obligations to regulate the insurance industry and protect consumers. The DOI has designated Insurance Services Office, Inc. (ISO), a Verisk business, as its agent for the collection and processing of data submitted in response to this bulletin.

3. APPLICABILITY AND SCOPE

This data call applies to all insurance groups and individual insurance companies (collectively “insurers”) authorized to write homeowners and dwelling fire property insurance coverages in Idaho:

This data call applies only to insurers who meet either of the following criteria in 2022, which is consistent with the 2024 property and casualty market intelligence data call:

Insurers that wrote over $200 million in premium nationwide and have Idaho policies, or

Insurers that wrote over $1.5 million in premium within Idaho.

A list of required reporting entities will be provided to ISO. ISO will contact the companies required to respond to this data call.

4. DATA REQUESTED

Insurers are required to submit the data elements as specified in the DOI’s 2025 Idaho Property Insurance Market Data Call Reporting Template. This template, along with detailed instructions and data definitions, will be provided by the DOI’s designated agent, ISO.

The data requested pertains to Idaho-specific exposures, premiums, claims, and related information for the period January 1, 2018, through December 31, 2024. Claims should be those reported as of March 31, 2025.

5. REPORTING DEADLINE

Completed data submissions, following the format specified in the reporting template and instructions, are due no later than May 20, 2025.

6. REPORTING PROCEDURE

Submission Method: Data must be submitted electronically via Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) directly to ISO. Email submissions will not be accepted.

Registration: Insurers must register with ISO to obtain SFTP credentials and submission instructions if they do not already have an established SFTP process with ISO for catastrophe or other data reporting. Please contact ISO at to initiate registration or confirm existing credentials.

Reporting Template: Insurers must use the 2025 Idaho Property Insurance Market Data Call Reporting Template available from DOI or ISO.

Company Level Reporting: Data must be submitted at the individual NAIC company code level. Group-level aggregate submissions are not

Zero Reporting: Insurers subject to this data call that have no data responsive to the request (e.g., did not write the specified lines of business in Idaho during the reporting period) must still submit the reporting template indicating zero activity via the ISO SFTP process by the deadline.

Technical Questions: Questions regarding the SFTP submission process, data template format, or technical specifications should be directed to ISO at catastrophereporting@iso.com.

7. CONFIDENTIALITY

Sections 41-227, 48-801, and 74-107, Idaho Code, provide for the confidentiality of trade secret and examination information obtained by or disclosed to the Idaho Department of Insurance (DOI) and exempts such information from public disclosure under Idaho’s public records law. To facilitate and coordinate the submission of the trade secret and confidential information obtained through the data call issued by the DOI, and to ensure the proper handling, protection, and return of such information, the DOI and its designated agent, ISO, have entered into confidentiality agreements consistent with the protections afforded under Idaho law. Therefore, the DOI has authorized ISO to collect data on its behalf, and such data will only be used as consented to by the Director in furtherance of the Director’s duties pursuant to sections 41-247 and 41-219, Idaho Code.

8. COMPLIANCE

Failure to provide a timely and complete response to this mandatory data call may subject the insurer to administrative action by the DOI, including penalties as provided under Idaho Code Title 41.

This Bulletin is not new law but is an agency interpretation of existing law, except as authorized by law or as incorporated into a contract. Requests for additional information or other inquiries regarding the scope, purpose, or requirements of this data call (excluding technical submission questions) should be directed to Shannon Hohl at Shannon.Hohl@doi.idaho.gov, 208-334-4315.

View this bulletin as a PDF — bit.ly/3GfQVkn

Montana — Montana authorizes comp treatment changes: Montana Governor Greg Gianforte has signed legislation that allows physician assistants and physical therapists to treat injured workers.

This can only happen when no licensed physician is in the geographic area.

Source link: Business Insurance — bit.ly/42qhgoA

New Mexico — Subpoena Power for the Superintendent of Insurance: The New Mexico Legislature has passed Senate Bill 124 that gives the superintendent of insurance the power to issue subpoenas when investigating violations of the state’s insurance code. With that power, the superintendent can get documents, testimony and other items important to an investigation before a formal proceeding.

People, businesses or companies not complying can be forced to do so if the superintendent goes to the court system.

Permissible emergency actions include:

• grace periods for premium payments and performance of other insured duties

        premium refunds

• waivers of cost sharing or deductibles
• temporary postponement of cancellations and non-renewals
• reporting requirement adjustments for claims
• the suspension of compliance with statutes, rules, or contracts if strict compliance would hinder emergency response

However, these emergency rules are explicitly limited in scope. Each must:

• specify the line of insurance affected
• define the geographic area of applicability
• state effective and termination dates

The law also ensures that:

• emergency orders “shall not apply retroactively”
• “shall not apply outside the geographic area designated in the governor's order”
• “shall not extend beyond the end date of the governor’s order”

Source link: Insurance Business America — https://bit.ly/42GcCS7

Oregon — Oregon Division of Financial Regulation issues cease-and-desist order against money transmitter: The Oregon Division of Financial Regulation (DFR) has issued a cease-and-desist order against a money transmitter and its owner. With the holiday weekend upon us, DFR is making consumers aware of the need to work with a licensed money transmitter when sending money domestically or internationally.

Brenda Lili Barrera Orantes, the owner and operator of La Popular, was arraigned in federal court in Portland on Thursday after being charged for laundering drug proceeds. More information on the arraignment is available on the U.S. Attorney’s Office website.

The division is ordering the business and Barrera Orantes to cease and desist all criminal and regulatory violations related to money transmission.

La Popular has several locations in Oregon, including Hillsboro, Canby, Odell, Woodburn, and Beaverton.

Washington — New OIC website: After more than a decade, we’ve rebuilt our website from the ground up based on feedback and testing from our users: Consumers, insurance agents and adjusters and the companies we regulate.

We started the project in July 2023 by asking our users what they wanted and learned that many:

• Struggled to find what they were looking for.
• Found it difficult to complete the tasks they came to do.
• Were overwhelmed by the amount of content on the site.

We also needed to modernize our web management tools and make our site easier for our staff to do their jobs.

How did we do it? By putting our ‘user’ at the center of every decision and using a ‘user-centered design’ approach.

Our new website officially launches on Monday, April 21, but you can check it out now. And watch a quick video tour of the coming changes:

This short video highlights the key features of the OIC’s new website.

Our homepage is the welcome mat for everyone, but we’ve also:

• Created better landing pages for our industry users, with top tasks and quick tips to help you find exactly what you need.
• Streamlined our content and made it easier to get help.
• Rebuilt and improved our search tool.
• Improved our News section so you can see what we’re up to and connect with us.
• Enhanced our Laws & Rules area so you can easily get the status of a change and more easily get involved.

We’d love to hear what you think. And please let us know if you see anything that needs fixing. Here is the website address: https://www.insurance.wa.gov/