NAIC Plans Enhancements for SERFF

Enhancements to the System for Electronic Rate and Form Filings (SERFF), the filing system that is used by insurers and state regulators, will include third-party interface refinements and the ability to open filings that have inadvertently been closed, according to a status report presented by Julie Fritz, director of insurance products and services for the NAIC (National Association of Insurance Commissioners, Kansas City, Mo.). Her report was part of the organization's Speed-to-Market Task Force session at the NAIC's spring meeting, which took place last week in New York City.

Aside from the planned enhancements, further improvements to the system have also been discussed, reports Susan Eckler Kerns, vice chairperson of the SERFF board of directors. Currently, the group is considering implementations of form component headers, uniform transactional headers and tab-less interfaces, she reports.

At the top of the board's list is a form component header enhancement that will give users the ability to attach all filings forms to a single component for submission, according to Eckler Kerns. The SERFF system will have the ability to separate these forms on the back end so that they can be appropriately filed. "This will be a huge time saver, especially for multi-form filers," asserts Eckler Kerns.

Eckler Kerns also explains that a uniform transactional header could cut down on the number of multiple state-specific forms that are needed. Although SERFF's initial objective was to eliminate the need to file multiple state forms altogether, Eckler Kerns concedes that multiple state forms are still used with the system. It is the NAIC's hope that a uniform transactional header implementation will bring the organization one step closer to simplifying the filing process, she explains.

The NAIC also hopes to enhance SERFF through use of a tab-less interface that has the capability to "improve performance through the use of links rather than tabs," Eckler Kerns adds.

In an effort to educate users about the SERFF system and its enhancements, the NAIC offers 45 minute tutorials for industry and state users via WebEx Conferencing (McLean, Va.), relates Eckler Kerns.

The NAIC reports that SERFF usage by state regulators and insurers continues to increase. During 2003, more than 76,000 filings were channeled through SERFF. This is a nearly 300 percent increase over filings made in 2002. Between 140,000 and 150,000 filings are anticipated in 2004. Currently, 49 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico are accepting SERFF filings.