(1) In the event of an adverse underwriting decision, the insurer or insurance producer responsible for the decision must:
(a) Either provide the consumer proposed for coverage with the specific reason or reasons for the adverse underwriting decision in writing or advise the consumer that upon written request the consumer may receive the specific reason or reasons in writing; and
(b) Provide the consumer proposed for coverage with a summary of the rights established under subsection (2) of this section and ORS 746.640 and 746.645.
(2) Upon receipt of a written request within 90 business days from the date of the mailing of notice or other communication of an adverse underwriting decision to a consumer proposed for coverage, the insurer or insurance producer shall furnish to the consumer within 21 business days from the date of receipt of the written request:
(a) The specific reason or reasons for the adverse underwriting decision, in writing, if this information was not initially furnished in writing pursuant to subsection (1) of this section;
(b) The specific items of personal information and privileged information that support these reasons, subject to the following:
(A) The insurer or insurance producer is not required to furnish specific items of privileged information if the insurer or insurance producer has a reasonable suspicion, based upon specific information available for review by the Director of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, that the consumer proposed for coverage has engaged in criminal activity, fraud, material misrepresentation or material nondisclosure; and
(B) Specific items of individually identifiable health information supplied by a health care provider shall be disclosed either directly to the consumer about whom the information relates or to a health care provider designated by the consumer and licensed to provide health care with respect to the condition to which the information relates, whichever the insurer or insurance producer prefers; and
(c) The names and addresses of the institutional sources that supplied the specific items of information described in paragraph (b) of this subsection. However, the identity of any health care provider must be disclosed either directly to the consumer or to the designated health care provider, whichever the insurer or insurance producer prefers.
(3) The obligations imposed by this section upon an insurer or insurance producer may be satisfied by another insurer or insurance producer authorized to act on its behalf.
(4) When an adverse underwriting decision results solely from an oral request or inquiry, the explanation of reasons and summary of rights required by subsection (1) of this section may be given orally.
(5) Notwithstanding subsection (1) of this section, when an adverse underwriting decision is based in whole or in part on credit history or insurance score, the insurer or insurance producer responsible for the decision must provide the consumer proposed for coverage with the specific reason or reasons for the adverse underwriting decision in writing. The notice must include the following:
(a) A summary of no more than four of the most significant credit reasons for the adverse underwriting decision, listed in decreasing order of importance, that clearly identifies the specific credit history or insurance score used to make the adverse underwriting decision. An insurer or insurance producer may not use “poor credit history” or a similar phrase as a reason for an adverse underwriting decision.
(b) The name, address and telephone number, including a toll-free telephone number, of the consumer reporting agency that provided the information for the consumer report.
(c) A statement that the consumer reporting agency used by the insurer or insurance producer to obtain the credit history of the consumer did not make the adverse underwriting decision and is unable to provide the consumer with specific reasons why the insurer or insurance producer made an adverse underwriting decision.
(d) Information on the right of the consumer:
(A) To obtain a free copy of the consumer’s consumer report from the consumer reporting agency described in paragraph (b) of this subsection, including the deadline, if any, for obtaining a copy; and
(B) To dispute the accuracy or completeness of any information in a consumer report furnished by the consumer reporting agency.
(6) Notwithstanding subsection (1) of this section, an insurer or insurance producer responsible for an adverse underwriting decision that is based in whole or in part on credit history or insurance score must provide the notice required by subsection (5) of this section only when the insurer or insurance producer makes the initial adverse underwriting decision regarding a consumer.
(7) Notwithstanding subsection (1) of this section, when an adverse underwriting decision relating to homeowner insurance is based in whole or in part on a loss history report, the insurer or insurance producer responsible for the decision must provide the consumer proposed for coverage with the specific reason or reasons for the adverse underwriting decision in writing. The notice must include the following:
(a) A description of a specific claim or claims that are the basis for the specific loss history report used to make the adverse underwriting decision.
(b) The name, address and telephone number, including a toll-free telephone number, of the consumer reporting agency that provided the information for the loss history report.
(c) A statement that the consumer reporting agency used by the insurer or insurance producer to obtain the loss history report of the consumer did not make the adverse underwriting decision and is unable to provide the consumer with specific reasons why the insurer or insurance producer made an adverse underwriting decision.
(d) Information on the right of the consumer:
(A) To obtain a free copy of the consumer’s loss history report from the consumer reporting agency described in paragraph (b) of this subsection, including the deadline, if any, for obtaining a copy; and
(B) To dispute the accuracy or completeness of any information in a loss history report furnished by the consumer reporting agency.
(8) When an adverse underwriting decision relating to homeowner insurance is based in part on credit history and in part on a loss history report, the insurer or insurance producer responsible for the adverse underwriting decision may provide the notices required by subsections (5) and (7) of this section in a single notice. [1981 c.649 §12; 2003 c.87 §15; 2003 c.364 §161; 2003 c.788 §2a; 2005 c.489 §7]
Section: Previous 746.620 746.625 746.630 746.632 746.635 746.640 746.645 746.650 746.655 746.660 746.661 746.662 746.663 746.665 746.668 NextLast modified: August 7, 2008