IDAHO PASSES CREDIT SCORING BILL

An Idaho State Senate committee recently approved a bill prohibiting insurers from charging a higher premium or deciding not to insure a person based primarily on his or her credit rating or history. In opposing SB 1408, National Association of Independent Insurers (NAII) Northwest Regional Manager Michael Harrold said his major concern is uncertainty over the word “primarily,” wording he stated “makes one think of a percentage emphasis, but companies don’t really place those types of weights on how they arrive at decisions to accept or rate an applicant.” Harrold previously testified against the same wording in the original version of the bill. Before reporting SB 1408 out, the Senate Commerce and Human Resources Committee rejected a proposal to amend it to substitute “solely” for “primarily” and to make it apply only to nonrenewals of insurance contracts.