Annual filings.

(1) Each rating organization filing rates for, and each insurer writing, any line of property or casualty insurance to which this part applies, except:

(a) Workers’ compensation and employer’s liability insurance;

(b) Insurance as defined in ss. 624.604 and 624.605, limited to coverage of commercial risks other than commercial residential multiperil and medical malpractice insurance that is subject to s. 627.062(2)(a) and (f); or

(c) Travel insurance, if issued as a master group policy with a situs in another state where each certificateholder pays less than $30 in premium for each covered trip and where the insurer has written less than $1 million in annual written premiums in the travel insurance product in this state during the most recent calendar year,

shall make an annual base rate filing for each such line with the office no later than 12 months after its previous base rate filing, demonstrating that its rates are not inadequate.

(2)(a) Deviations filed by an insurer to any rating organization’s base rate filing are not subject to this section.

(b) The office, after receiving a request to be exempted from the provisions of this section, may, for good cause due to insignificant numbers of policies in force or insignificant premium volume, exempt a company, by line of coverage, from filing rates or rate certification as required by this section.

(3) The filing requirements of this section shall be satisfied by one of the following methods:

(a) A rate filing prepared by an actuary which contains documentation demonstrating that the proposed rates are not excessive, inadequate, or unfairly discriminatory pursuant to the applicable rating laws and pursuant to rules of the commission.

(b) If no rate change is proposed, a filing which consists of a certification by an actuary that the existing rate level produces rates which are actuarially sound and which are not inadequate, as defined in s. 627.062.

(4) An insurer may satisfy the annual filing requirements of this section by being a member or subscriber of a licensed rating organization which complies with the requirements of this section.

(5) If an insurer does not employ or otherwise retain the services of an actuary, the insurer’s rate filing or certification that rates are actuarially sound shall be prepared by insurer personnel or consultants with a minimum of 5 years’ experience in insurance ratemaking. A rate filing or certification prepared by a consultant must be reviewed and signed by an employee of the insurer who is authorized to approve rate filings.

(6) If at the time a filing is required under this section an insurer is in the process of completing a rate review, the insurer may apply to the office for an extension of up to an additional 30 days in which to make the filing. The request for extension must be received by the office no later than the date the filing is due.

(7) Nothing in this section limits the office’s authority to review rates at any time or to find that a rate or rate change is excessive, inadequate, or unfairly discriminatory pursuant to s. 627.062.

(8) As used in this section, the term “actuary” means an individual who is a member of the Casualty Actuarial Society.

(9) If an insurer fails to meet the filing requirements of this section and does not submit the filing within 60 days after the date the filing is due, the office may, in addition to any other penalty authorized by law, order the insurer to discontinue the issuance of policies for the line of insurance for which the required filing was not made until such time as the office determines that the required filing is properly submitted.