Ch. 5

2004 LAWS OF MARYLAND

certain report to the Legislative Policy Committee on or before a certain date of
each year; applying a certain tax to premiums of certain health maintenance
organizations and managed care organizations under certain circumstances;
requiring certain reporting of gross receipts by a managed care organization;
prohibiting an authorized medical professional liability insurer from paying a
commission that exceeds a certain rate paid by that insurer on a certain date,
minus a certain percentage of the insurance premium; prohibiting an authorized
insurer that was not active in the State on a certain date the Medical Mutual
Liability Insurance Society of Maryland from paying a commission that exceeds
a certain rate; requiring the Society to directly offer renewals of certain policies
under certain circumstances; prohibiting an insurer from including in a medical
professional liability insurance policy coverage for the defense of an insured in
disciplinary hearings; authorizing a medical professional liability insurer to
offer certain coverage for the defense of an insured in disciplinary hearings;
requiring the Medical Mutual Liability Insurance Society of Maryland to report,
not later than a certain date each year, to the Commissioner and the General
Assembly certain salaries and other compensation, certain financial statements,
and a certain financial evaluation; requiring any rate filing by the Society to
include information from the Society's report; requiring the Commissioner to
make a certain determination before a certain rate filing may become effective;
requiring the Commissioner, in the event a certain determination is made, to
order rates filed to be reduced; requiring the Society to provide a certain
analysis to the Commissioner, before the Society may pay a dividend or similar
distribution; requiring the Commissioner to order the Society to make a certain
payment to the State, if the Society's analysis makes a certain determination;
requiring the amount paid to the State to be determined based on a certain
ratio; authorizing the Commissioner to determine that the surplus of the Society
is excessive under certain circumstances; prohibiting the Commissioner from
approving a rate increase sought by the Society under certain circumstances;
prohibiting the Society from denying, cancelling, or refusing to renew medical
professional liability insurance coverage to a physician under certain
circumstances; establishing a People's Insurance Counsel Division in the Office
of the Attorney General; providing for the appointment, qualifications, and
compensation of the People's Insurance Counsel; requiring the Attorney General's
Office to provide money in its annual budget for the People's Insurance Counsel
Division; authorizing the Division to retain or hire certain experts; requiring the
People's Insurance Counsel to administer and operate the People's Insurance
Counsel Division; establishing the People's Insurance Counsel Fund; requiring
the Maryland Insurance Commissioner to collect a certain assessment from
certain insurers and deposit the amounts collected into the People's Insurance
Counsel Fund; establishing the duties of the Division; establishing certain rights
of the Division in appearances before the Commissioner and courts on behalf of
insurance consumers; authorizing the Division to appear before any unit of State
or federal government to protect the interest of insurance consumers; providing
that the Division shall have full access to certain records under certain
circumstances; providing that the Division is entitled to the assistance of certain
staff under certain circumstances; authorizing the Division to recommend certain
legislation to the General Assembly; requiring the Division to report on its

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