On November 10, 2011, the California Department of Insurance (“CDI” or “Department”) conducted a workshop to consider potential changes to regulations that govern prior approval of property/casualty insurance rates and class plan applications. The list of topics discussed at the workshop is included in the CDI Notice of Workshop Regarding the Scope of Prior Approval dated September 21, 2011.

The workshop grew out of the 2010 MacKay v. Superior Court case in which the court held, among other things, that Insurance Code Section 1860.1 exempts approved rates from civil actions and that such rates are subject only to a limited prospective challenge by administrative procedure (under Insurance Code Section 1858 et seq.).