Wisconsin Rate Review Grants Award List

Cycle I Grant Application Summary

Wisconsin Grantee: Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance
Award Date: August 16, 2010
Award Amount: $1,000,000

• Additional Legislative Authority: Grant funds will be used to assess the need to pursue additional statutory authority to collect and review on an ongoing basis detailed rate information for the large group market.
• Expand the Scope of the Review Process: The State will expand health insurance premium review of non-group and group markets.
• Improve the Review Process: Wisconsin currently reviews health insurance premium filings for the individual market using actuaries, but only in a limited way. Grant funds will be used for actuarial consulting to develop more rigorous standardized requirements. Funding will also be used to assess the need for additional legislation or regulations.
• Increase Transparency and Accessibility: Wisconsin currently publishes health insurance premium filings on their website and insurers are required to provide 60 days notice to consumers for increases. Using grant funds, the State will develop a public hearing and comment process and create more understandable information and explanations for consumers.
• Develop and Upgrade Technology: Wisconsin will establish a data center to compile and publish fee schedule information.
  

Cycle II Grant Application Summary

Wisconsin Grantee: Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance
Award Date: September 20, 2011
Total Award: $3,958,844
Baseline Award: $3,000,000
Workload Award Amount: $358,844
Performance Award Amount: $600,000

• Expand scope of rate review: Wisconsin introduced legislation in Cycle I (still pending) to apply its individual market standards (including disapproval of rates) to the small group market.
• Improve rate filing requirements: Wisconsin will implement the enhanced rate review process developed in Cycle I and will conduct annual market surveys of the individual and small group markets.
• Improve transparency and consumer interfaces: The Wisconsin website will accept and review comments from consumers, post rate filing consumer summaries, and allow consumers to sign up for notifications of submission of rate filings.
• Hire new staff: Wisconsin will continue to support the 5 positions created with Cycle I grant funds throughout Cycle II.
• Improve IT: Wisconsin will create an online system for insurers to submit relevant rate filing data. The State will also enhance its Rate Tracking System by expanding the scope of information collected and automating the collection that is currently done manually, including the capability to run standard reports.

Cycle IV Grant Application Summary

Wisconsin Grantee:  Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance
Award Date: September 19, 2014
Total Award: $1,179,000

• Improve the Quality/Efficiency of Rate Review: Wisconsin will develop dashboards in a business intelligence tool that will enable it to integrate data received in rate filings, and produce an annual health insurer market survey and financial reports. The integration of these previously distinct data sets will provide company and market level context to rate filings review.
• Enhance Consumer Outreach: Wisconsin will create a Community Services Specialist position that will be responsible for providing outreach services to the public, which include educating consumers on the factors that go into health insurance rates.
• IT and Other Technology Based Improvements: Wisconsin will perform enhancements to the Market Analysis System database in response to requirement changes and will track product and plan level data elements.

Back to Map