Bulletin No. LH 2010-06: Oklahoma Small Employer Health Reinsurance Program

OKLAHOMA INSURANCE DEPARTMENT STATE OF OKLAHOMA Five Corporate Plaza, 3625 NW 56th, Suite 100 • OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 73112 • (405) 521-3681 • IN STATE 1-800-522-0071 • FAX (405) 522-3761 BULLETIN NO. LH 2010-06 TO: ALL INSURERS WRITING HEALTH INSURANCE ALL HMOS OFFERING HEALTH PRODUCTS RE: OKLAHOMA SMALL EMPLOYER HEALTH REINSURANCE PROGRAM FROM: OKLAHOMA INSURANCE DEPARTMENT DATE: DECEMBER 21, 2010 In 2010, Oklahoma amended the Oklahoma Small Employer Health Insurance Reform Act, 36 O.S. §§ 6511 et seq., in order to terminate the Small Employer Health Reinsurance Program. The Reinsurance Program, enacted in 1994, has been inactive for several years. Note that while the reinsurance program is being terminated, the balance of the Oklahoma Small Employer Health Insurance Reform Act remains in effect. The legislation amended 36 O.S. § 6522 to require the Oklahoma Small Employer Health Insurance Program Board to wind up the affairs of the program, to account for the funds and expenses of the program, and to reimburse any remaining funds or monies from the initial assessment to the reinsuring carriers. In order to identify those insurers that paid assessments into the program, the Chairman of the Program Board, Dean Gallaher, recently sent a letter to Oklahoma licensed health insurers. Although that letter states that the Small Employer Insurance Reform Act has been repealed, that is incorrect. Only the reinsurance program is being terminated. If a company, or its predecessor, paid an assessment to the Oklahoma Small Employer Health Reinsurance Program, please contact Mr. Gallaher. He may be reached by phone at 405-485-2928, by email addressed to dgallaher@pldi.net or by mail addressed to: Dean Gallaher Chairman Oklahoma Small Employer Reinsurance Program 1409 Pecan Drive Blanchard, OK 73010 Bulletin No. LH 2010-06 Page Two 2 Questions or comments applicable to this bulletin should be directed to Susan Dobbins, Assistant General Counsel, Oklahoma Insurance Department, Five Corporate Plaza, 3625 NW 56th, Suite 100, Oklahoma City, OK 73112, susan.dobbins@oid.ok.gov. The Oklahoma Insurance Department encourages readers of this notice to periodically check the Department’s web site http://www.ok.gov/oid/ for news and updates to Bulletins and other relevant material.