Rate Filings and Review
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Find Rate Filings from Health Insurers?
The California Department of Insurance posts rate filings online as soon as they become available. Visit Health Insurance Rate Filings and you can search for filings from a specific company or time period. You may also sign up to receive e-mail notices when new filings are available for viewing.
What is a Rate?
A rate is the price for health insurance. It is also referred to as a "premium" or "premium rate." Visit our Frequently Asked Questions page for more details.
What Are Health Rate Filings?
California law requires insurers to file and justify any proposed health insurance rate change for individual or small group (100 or fewer employees) health insurance policies. The law also requires the California Department of Insurance (CDI) to review those rate changes and publish them on our web site. The purpose of the review and publication is to protect consumers and promote accountability in the health insurance industry. While the Commissioner can request that the insurer amend the rate change or make an official determination that the proposed rate change is unreasonable, the Commissioner does not have the authority to deny or approve proposed rate changes.
How Does Rate Review Work?
When an insurance company files its rates with CDI, our experts known as actuaries review the filing to make sure any proposed rate increase is justified. The Commissioner has the authority to review rates for reasonableness, but cannot approve or deny rate increases. Visit our Frequently Asked Questions page for more details.
Individual and Small Group Market Aggregate Rate Information
Health insurers must annually report specified aggregate information on premiums, cost sharing, benefits, enrollment, and trend factors for all grandfathered and non-grandfathered products in the individual and small group markets (Assembly Bill 2118, 2020). Information regarding Small Group Market submissions.
Large Group Rate Increase Information and Notice Requirements
Health insurers must annually submit information regarding the aggregate weighted average rate increase of all their large group insurance policies to the Department of Insurance (Senate Bill 546, 2015). Information regarding Large Group Market submissions.
Health insurers must provide purchasers of large group health insurance (more than 100 employees), such as large employers, with notice of premium rate increases at least 60 days before the rate goes into effect. This notice must include a comparison of the rate increase with the average individual market rate increase for Covered California, as well as the average rate increase for the state employee retirement system, CalPERS.
The 2024 average rate increases for both CalPERS and Covered California are:
- CalPERS: 2024 average rate increase for basic products (HMO, PPO, ASN) = 10.9%
- Covered CA: 2024 average rate increase for individual market products = 9.6%
Public Meeting Regarding Prescription Drug Prices and Large Group Health Insurance Rates - (March 2024)
Pursuant to the requirements of Senate Bill 546 (Leno, 2015), AB 2118 (Kalra, 2020) and Senate Bill 17 (Hernandez, 2017), the Department holds a bi-annual meeting regarding prescription drug costs and changes in rates, benefits, and cost sharing in the health insurance markets, to provide information to the public and to hear testimony from members of the public regarding these topics.
The California Department of Insurance (CDI) will be presenting at the Department of Managed Health Care Health Care Rates and Prescription Drug Cost Transparency Meeting on March 13, 2024, which begins at 1pm. Pursuant to Insurance Code sections 10181.45, 10181.46 and 10123.205, CDI will be publicly presenting on changes in rates, benefits, and cost sharing in the health insurance market, and regarding prescription drug costs.
The public meeting will be conducted in a hybrid format, with the opportunity for public participation in person or virtually through video conference or teleconference.
The meeting will be held at:
Sacramento, CA 95814
In addition to on-street parking, you can also park at the Park Tower parking garage for a fee.
https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kfwSvXeY0, Meeting ID: 824 8228 2281 Password: 076560
For more information about this public meeting, please read the agenda or visit DMHC’s Annual Meetings webpage for meeting materials. Information regarding rates submitted by California insurance companies is available on CDI’s Large Group Aggregate Rate Submissions website, and Individual and Small Group Market Aggregate Rate Submissions website. CDI’s report regarding Prescription Drug Costs.
Axene Analysis
Copies of the 2010 Axene Health Partners reviews of insurer rate filings for the individual health market are available for public review.
- Axene Analysis of Revised Anthem Blue Cross Rate Filing (PDF, 1.3MB)
- Axene Analysis of Blue Shield of California Rate Filing (PDF, 466KB)
- Axene Analysis of HealthNet Rate Filing (PDF, 613KB)
- Axene Analysis of Aetna Life Insurance Company Rate Filing (PDF, 929KB)
