Rate Filings

Time to Leave Behind Homegrown and Single-Purpose Regulatory Compliance Solutions

by Robert Cericola

As we launch this newsletter, it’s worth addressing a practical question many insurance organizations are actively considering: Should we build, buy, or rethink our current approach to regulatory compliance operations?

For many carriers, fronting companies, MGAs, and program managers, the default answer has historically been some combination of homegrown systems, state platforms like SERFF, bureau-generated materials and guidance, and single-purpose tools layered together over time. Historically, that approach worked reasonably well. But as organizations grow, expand into new states, and increase product complexity, the limitations become more apparent.

Homegrown systems, while tailored and often built with current technology, come with an ongoing burden. They require continuous internal investment, compete with other IT priorities, and depend heavily on a limited number of individuals who understand how they work. Enhancements are slow, regulatory updates require constant attention, and over time, the system becomes harder, not easier, to improve and scale.

Single-purpose tools offer a different tradeoff. They can improve a specific step in the process, but they rarely solve the broader problem. Instead, they introduce additional handoffs, often require duplicate data, and create new integration challenges. What begins as an efficiency gain in one area frequently creates inefficiency somewhere else.

Even when these approaches are combined, the result is typically the same: fragmented workflows, inconsistent data, and heavy reliance on manual coordination to fill gaps—especially around communication among stakeholders. That may be manageable at smaller scale, but it becomes a constraint on growth and a source of operational risk over time.

Licensing a platform like PK1Cloud represents a fundamentally different approach.

Rather than each organization building and maintaining its own environment, PK1Cloud centralizes that effort. Development, enhancements, bug fixes, and regulatory updates are handled once and delivered across the platform. This not only reduces cost, but ensures that the system is continuously improving and staying current with changing requirements.

At the same time, PK1Cloud is designed as an integrated operating platform, not a collection of tools. It brings together secure, centralized data, standardized workflows (which can be tailored to fit each organization’s needs), automated communication, broad integrations, and guardrailed AI within a single environment. The result is greater consistency, better visibility, less enterprise risk, and the ability to scale operations without a corresponding increase in complexity.

From a strategic standpoint, the decision is less about technology and more about focus. Organizations that choose to build and maintain their own systems are, in effect, taking on a software development business alongside their core insurance operations. Those that adopt a platform approach can redirect that time, capital, and talent toward core operational initiatives.

That is ultimately the value proposition of PK1Cloud: a more efficient, scalable, and durable way to operate in an increasingly complex environment.

Read on for a closer look at how PK1Cloud delivers these capabilities in practice.

Tim Perr, Chief Executive Officer

PK1Cloud Is Now Live.

Did you know that Perr&Knight has launched PK1Cloud, a unified operating platform designed to modernize and streamline Property & Casualty insurance operations?

PK1Cloud brings together analytics, product design, and compliance within a single, integrated environment. Built on Perr&Knight’s 30+ years of industry expertise, the platform is purpose designed to address the operational and regulatory complexity faced by insurers, program managers, and alternative risk finance organizations.

At its foundation, PK1Cloud aligns three critical dimensions of P&C operations: process, data, and communication.

From a process standpoint, PK1Cloud replaces fragmented, manual workflows with standardized, automated, AI-enabled applications. This reduces operational risk, removes single points of dependency, and improves consistency and control across the organization.

From a data perspective, PK1Cloud establishes a secure, enterprise-wide single source of truth. Built in versioning, validation, visualization, and integration capabilities ensure decisionmakers are working from accurate, trusted information—supporting transparency, scalability, and auditability.

Equally important, PK1Cloud enables more effective collaboration. Intelligent workflows and calendar-aware automation help teams manage dependencies, meet regulatory deadlines, and maintain alignment across stakeholders and functions.

Lastly, we are always adding to and improving the platform; PK1Cloud is designed for long-term evolution. The roadmap for 2026 includes an expanded forms library and the continued rollout of secure, purpose-built AI enhancing insight and decision-making while protecting client confidentiality and data integrity.

The objective is straightforward: to help organizations operate faster, with greater accuracy and confidence. PK1Cloud is a scalable foundation for continuous improvement and sustainable operational excellence in modern P&C insurance.

We invite you to explore PK1Cloud on our website to learn how we are redefining insurance operations.

Bob Cericola, Director, PK1Cloud

StateFilings.com Is Now PK1Cloud Filings.

Did you know that StateFilings.com is now PK1Cloud Filings and is now an integral part of the broader PK1Cloud software ecosystem?

PK1Cloud Filings continues to deliver the structured regulatory workflow capabilities clients rely upon, and is now aligned with Perr&Knight’s vision for coordinating regulatory work across the enterprise.

At its foundation, PK1Cloud Filings is built around a project-based structure that strengthens accountability and execution. Rather than managing filings in isolation, teams organize work into countrywide initiatives and monitor state-by-state progress from a centralized view. Defined process ownership, automated reminders, and centralized project tracking reduce regulatory risk and create more predictable execution across jurisdictions.

The platform also improves visibility across the organization. Real-time status updates, dashboards, reporting tools, and notifications allow actuarial, product, compliance, and leadership teams to track regulatory progress without relying on manual updates or disconnected tracking methods. This shared visibility improves coordination and decision making.

Looking ahead, PK1Cloud Filings will further integrate with other PK1Cloud applications, strengthening the connection between product development, actuarial work, and regulatory filings. This integration will streamline the transfer of product content such as forms, rates, and rules into the filings workflow within a fully auditable system. PK1Cloud Filings will also continue expanding secure AI capabilities designed to protect client data while improving efficiency and accuracy.

The transition to PK1Cloud Filings reflects Perr&Knight’s continued investment in modern regulatory operations, enabling organizations to move from tracking filings to managing regulatory execution at scale.

Rebecca Williams, Product Owner, PK1Cloud Software

PK1Cloud Has Product Built In.

Did you know that PK1Cloud includes an application designed to help insurers develop and manage their products? Introducing PK1Cloud Product.

Rather than relying on disconnected spreadsheets, document repositories, and manual tracking, Product brings forms, rates, rules, and regulatory intelligence together within one unified platform. The result is a more structured, collaborative, and transparent approach to product development.

PK1Cloud Product supports the entire insurance product lifecycle — from drafting and redlining to review, approval, and finalization. Teams work within a centralized, controlled workspace featuring version management, audit trails, and streamlined workflows. Regulatory insight is embedded directly into the drafting and review process, helping improve accuracy, reduce rework, and strengthen alignment across product, legal, compliance, and filings teams.

Product will continue to expand in 2026. Our roadmap includes access to state-specific checklists, transmittals, and required supporting documentation, enabling teams to prepare and manage filing materials in one place. Advanced comparison tools will allow users to evaluate differences in language, structure, and regulatory requirements across versions and jurisdictions. Secure AI-powered drafting, compliance checks, and intelligent document comparison will further enhance speed, precision, and insight.

PK1Cloud Product reflects our commitment to building a connected ecosystem designed to make insurance product development faster, more consistent, and more confident.

Bob Cericola, Director, PK1Cloud

PK1Cloud Has Reporting Built for the Real World.

Did you know that PK1Cloud Reporting is a powerful application designed to handle the complexity of statistical reporting?

PK1Cloud Reporting delivers reliable, compliant, bureau-ready results and is built specifically to manage the messy realities of client data while transforming it into clean, regulated data extracts. The platform ingests clients’ raw source data in multiple formats and sources and then aligns it to the specific requirements of each bureau and data collection organization. Whether it’s ISO, AAIS, MACAR, or NCCI, PK1Cloud Reporting is built to support reporting across jurisdictions and organizations with confidence.

When source data changes, updates do not require a development cycle. Teams can adjust core lookup table mappings directly, keeping reporting on track without delay.

For clients who prefer automation, PK1Cloud Reporting can securely pull or push files from a client managed repository, reducing manual steps and improving consistency.

Looking ahead, the 2026 roadmap includes key initiatives designed to reduce costs, increase data accuracy, and further streamline statistical reporting operations.

You can count on PK1Cloud to stay ahead of evolving statistical reporting requirements so your team can focus less on compliance risk and more on delivering value.

Nathan Dumont, Product Owner, PK1Cloud Software

Your Subscription Includes Monthly Customer Success Check-Ins.

Did you know that monthly check-ins with the PK1Cloud Customer Success Team are more than routine status meetings, they’re a dedicated opportunity to ensure you’re getting the most value from your PK1Cloud products while staying ahead of change?

These sessions are structured around your priorities. Time is set aside to answer questions, review top-priority or high-severity Service Desk tickets and align on what matters most to your team in the moment. Rather than reacting after an issue escalates, these conversations help proactively address needs before they become obstacles.

Monthly check-ins also provide early visibility into the PK1Cloud roadmap.

Customer Success Team Reviews offer regular opportunities to provide subscribers with demonstrations of recently released features, as well as share insights into upcoming enhancements and explain how new functionalities can be applied to real-world regulatory workflows. This allows you and your team to prepare for changes, adjust processes in advance, and adopt new features with confidence.

Just as importantly, these meetings create space to review existing processes and workflows. With a broad view of how customers across the industry use PK1Cloud, Customer Success Team Reviews can help identify efficiencies, reduce manual steps, and suggest better ways to accomplish everyday tasks using tools you may already have available. Small workflow improvements (such as view customizations, alert usage, or permission adjustments) often result in meaningful time savings over time.

Customers who participate consistently tend to see faster issue resolution, stronger feature adoption, and smoother regulatory operations.

If you’re not currently taking advantage of monthly check-ins, the Customer Success Team is happy to help get them scheduled and tailored to your needs.

Dana Pagliarulo, Director, PK1Cloud Software

PK1Cloud Is Built Around a Seamless User Experience.

Did you know PK1Cloud brings multiple applications together under one platform, and the user experience is intentionally designed to feel that way? A powerful ecosystem only delivers its full value when the interface is simple, consistent, and easy to navigate. That’s why our “One Experience” philosophy is grounded in thoughtful UI and UX design.

In 2026 we are aligning layouts, navigation structures, and visual elements across every application within PK1Cloud, creating a cohesive design language. Whether you’re working in Filings, Product, or Reporting, the platform looks and feels familiar and connected. Users shouldn’t have to re-learn the system; as they move between services, transitions are designed to feel natural and seamless.

By strengthening visual consistency and simplifying workflows, we reduce cognitive load and make it easier to focus on meaningful work. Clear dashboards, predictable navigation, and standardized interactions help teams move faster and operate with greater confidence.

Every update now moves in the same direction, toward a clearer and more cohesive experience across PK1Cloud.

This workflow reflects our commitment to building a unified system — one designed not only to support your work, but to make it more efficient and enjoyable.

Suchin Son, Senior UI/UX Designer, PK1Cloud Software

Analytics, product design, and compliance. All in One Platform

PK1Cloud is Perr&Knight’s integrated platform of insurance services, built to move products from concept to market with speed and certainty.

Learn more.

Key Facts About California’s New Dental Rate Filing Rules

by Alexander Brill

Since California’s Assembly Bill 1048 took effect on January 1, 2025, insurance companies and managed care organizations doing business in the state have had to update their processes for dental rate filings. Now, more than one year later, insurance companies are settling into a new normal for rate filings, one that places greater attention on rate adequacy and supporting documentation.

Before these changes, reporting requirements were less standardized, which made comparisons of medical loss ratios and rate adequacy more difficult. Now, insurance companies doing business in California are required to file annually, thereby standardizing data for comparison, and creating a framework for market oversight. Insurers regulated by either the California Department of Insurance or the California Department of Managed Health Care must comply with the new rules.

Here is a helpful overview of the updated requirements and what insurers should keep in mind when preparing filings.

What has changed?

AB1048 outlined various requirements for dental rate filings in California. Here are the key aspects of the changes:

  • Annual rate filings are required – Insurers must submit dental rate filings every year to the CDI or DMHC, regardless of whether new rates are proposed.
  • Separate dental rate filings required for each market –Insurance companies must submit a separate rate filing for each market (individual, small group, and large group).
  • Independent actuarial certification is mandatory – Certification by qualified third-party actuaries is required. This task can no longer be performed by in-house actuarial teams.
  • Enhanced review of rate adequacy – The bill established no official minimum loss ratio, so insurers will need to be ready to submit justification for all loss ratios.

What do these new California dental rate filing changes mean for insurers?

These new rules establish annual reporting and certification requirements for dental insurers in California. Here are some important steps to incorporate into your annual rate filing process:

Complete the Dental Rate Review Workbook annually

Companies are now required to submit California’s Dental Rate Review Workbook (AB 1048 Dental Workbook) as part of their filing. It’s a comprehensive spreadsheet that includes pricing details for various products, data on cost and utilization trends, rating factors and supporting methodology, and more.  

Partner with experienced actuaries

Third-party independent actuarial certification requirements mean that dental insurance companies operating in the state of California must work with independent actuaries for certification. Actuarial consulting partners can assist with accurate rate development or the calculation of proposed rates. Look for actuaries who have already filed dental rates in California on behalf of clients and who have experience completing the Dental Rate Review Workbook.

Leverage data collection for insights

One ancillary benefit of these changes is that insurance companies can now use the resulting data for internal business insights that can support profitability goals and marketing plans. Company leadership can share goals with their actuarial services partners, who can concurrently review collected data with the company’s internal objectives in mind.

Remember to submit a separate annual filing for all plans

Dental insurance is now coming into alignment with health plans, which are required to submit a separate rate filing for each market (individual, small group, and large group). If a company offers individual, small group, and large group plans, the company must submit an annual filing for each. An experienced actuarial support services partner can help lighten the load.

Rate filings are required for rate increases

Dental insurers may request a rate increase when submitting their annual filing. However, if an insurer submits an annual filing without requesting a rate increase, and then wants to increase rates later in the year, they must submit an additional rate filing (with the same requirements as an annual filing) no later than 120 days before implementing the change.

California’s updated dental rate filing requirements reflect the state’s focus on transparency and give regulators oversight over dental premiums. Keeping these requirements in mind while developing rates can help companies manage filings more efficiently and help support timely, complete, and well-documented filings. To meet these new standards, dental insurers will need reliable partners for the independent actuarial certification and review process.

Contact Perr&Knight today to discover how our team of experienced actuaries can help you navigate the changes related to AB 1048.

The Future of Rate Filings

by Tim Perr
Listen to a podcast-style summary of this blog post

Introduction: The Coming Transformation of Rate Filings

For too long, the rate filing process has depended on people rather than systems. Every insurer has lived with some version of the same problem: a small group of analysts and actuaries who “know how it’s done,” spreadsheets scattered across shared drives, and institutional knowledge that travels with employees when they change roles or leave. The result is fragility with single-point dependency risk and a chronic lack of a single source of truth for filings data, documentation, and workflow history.

Even with the introduction of insurance state filings software like SERFF in the early 2000s and its upcoming “modernization,” this issue remains unresolved. SERFF’s mandate is deliberately narrow, designed to facilitate transmission of filings between insurers and regulators, not to manage the broader, interconnected product development and filing lifecycle. Because it primarily serves state departments of insurance, it offers little help with the internal and cross-functional workflows that dominate the filing process. And even if its new version proves more efficient for filers, it will inevitably fall behind in the fast-moving technology cycle we now inhabit.

Complicating matters, filings touch several major functions within an insurance organization. Actuarial, compliance, marketing, claims, and IT all need to know what is being filed, what the filing introduces or changes, and when those changes will take effect. During the filing process, multiple areas may also need to support regulatory activities, including preparing actuarial exhibits, drafting form changes, and responding to regulatory inquiries. Without integrated systems, these interactions are often disjointed, relying on ad hoc communication and manual tracking.

The real transformation will come from integrated, intelligent systems that combine automation, analytics, and AI. These technologies will not only eliminate manual tasks like uploading, indexing, and data entry, they will also centralize knowledge, coordinate stakeholders, assist with compliance, and preserve a continuous institutional memory from concept to approval. As insurers evolve, filings will no longer depend on a key employee’s knowledge or disconnected spreadsheets. Instead, they will flow through unified insurance state filings software platforms that are fast, highly automated, and resilient—where expertise is amplified by technology and data resides uniformly in one system rather than scattered across disparate drives (or filing cabinets).

At Perr&Knight, this vision is reflected in the development of PK1Cloud, a unified digital platform built to address precisely these challenges and lead the industry toward a smarter, more connected future.

The Inefficiency of Today’s Filing Process

Despite decades of incremental improvements, the filings process remains one of the most labor-intensive, fragmented, and risk-prone activities within the insurance industry. For many organizations, more than half of the time and effort spent on a filing has nothing to do with actuarial analysis or regulatory interpretation; it is consumed by manual mechanics such as uploading documents, indexing exhibits, entering data into SERFF, tracking correspondence, and maintaining version control. Each of these tasks creates opportunities for delay, inconsistency, or error.

Because most companies rely on a patchwork of shared folders, email threads, and spreadsheets, even simple filings can require extensive coordination to confirm which version of a document is current or whether an exhibit was approved.

This fragmentation extends beyond the filings team itself. Product managers, actuaries, compliance staff, marketing, claims, and IT all depend on accurate, timely information about what’s being filed and when. In addition, critical components of the filing process—such as reviewing state insurance codes and comparing proposed filings to competitor submissions—are still largely manual exercises. These activities are essential for compliance and competitive positioning, yet they consume significant time and are highly susceptible to human oversight. With structured data and AI, both can be automated or accelerated, allowing teams to focus on interpretation rather than repetition.

The inefficiency is compounded during regulator interaction. Preparing responses to inquiries or objections frequently requires recreating or re-collecting the same data, exhibits, and rationale because the supporting material isn’t centralized. This often includes the same time-consuming steps of verifying code requirements or researching competitor filings to justify a company’s position. Institutional knowledge about past filings, including why decisions were made, what worked, and what didn’t, often disappears when employees move on, i.e., traveling knowledge risk.

Today’s process is workable, but it’s fragile. It relies on human continuity rather than system continuity, and on institutional memory rather than data intelligence. Until that balance shifts, insurers will remain constrained by legacy workflows that limit speed, accuracy, and adaptability.

From Automation to Integration: The Next Leap

Technology, including AI, will dramatically reduce the time and effort required to create, submit, and support rate, rule, and form filings. Much of today’s filing workload can be fully automated through integrated systems and insurance state filings software.

What once required days of effort will be completed in hours, freeing actuaries, product experts, and compliance professionals to focus on higher-value work such as pricing strategies and product innovation. Intelligent systems can generate exhibits, align documentation, and produce outputs in the exact structure required by regulators, improving accuracy and consistency while reducing rework.

Fully integrated filing environments take this a step further by connecting every stage of the process—preparation, review, submission, and regulatory response—within a single system. The process becomes visible, traceable, and consistent, transforming what has historically been a fragmented, manual function into one that operates with manufacturing-like discipline and data-driven accountability.

From Silos to Systems: Coordinating Stakeholders

Every filing touches multiple teams, and each has a distinct interest in what’s being filed and when. Marketing teams need to know what is being filed and when it will go live so they can prepare producer communications and policyholder notices. Claims needs visibility into coverage changes that could affect claim-handling procedures. The IT department must know which rate tables, rules, and forms are being revised so that the rating and issuance systems can be properly programmed and tested.

In the current environment, this coordination often depends on meetings, emails, and personal follow-up, which can be a slow and error-prone process. Modern, integrated filing systems, by contrast, allow for automated notifications, integrated calendars, and dependency tracking. Each department can see precisely what stage the filing is in, what it changes, and when implementation is expected. This ensures synchronization across the organization, reduces operational risk, and shortens the cycle from regulatory approval to market launch.

By connecting stakeholders through shared data and automated communication, the organization gains operational alignment where everyone is working from the same playbook, at the same pace, toward the same deadlines.

Archival and Institutional Memory

A modern state filings system doesn’t just manage filings; it remembers them. Unlike SERFF’s static, PDF-based recordkeeping, an integrated insurance state filings software platform can archive the entire workflow: correspondence, analyses, internal notes, version histories, decision rationales, and even bureau adoptions. This is far more valuable than a simple record of what was filed. It is a dynamic record of how it was done.

Such a system creates true institutional memory, enabling teams to retrieve not just the final product but the reasoning behind it. Future filings can draw upon this archive to anticipate regulatory questions, reuse templates, and ensure consistency across states and product lines. It transforms recordkeeping into knowledge management.

Building Resilience: Eliminating Single-Point Dependency

Modern filings platforms also strengthen organizational resilience. By systematizing the process, they remove single-point dependency risk: the exposure that arises when institutional knowledge resides in a single individual or small team. Insurance state filings software replaces this vulnerability with a single source of truth that is always accessible, always current, and always auditable.

The benefits extend beyond risk mitigation. When data, exhibits, and correspondence are centrally stored and version-controlled, employees can transition between roles without disrupting operations. Knowledge no longer travels with individuals; it stays with the organization. This continuity enhances both efficiency and governance, ensuring that expertise compounds over time.

The Human Factor: Evolving Roles

As automation handles the mechanics, the human role in filings will shift toward interpretation, judgment, and oversight. Actuaries will focus less on producing exhibits and more on validating assumptions and communicating analytical insights. Compliance experts will spend less time chasing documents and more time shaping strategy. Product teams will gain more bandwidth for innovation because their filing support will be faster and more reliable.

In this model, technology doesn’t replace expertise; it amplifies it. The professionals who understand the regulatory and actuarial nuances will remain indispensable, but they will operate in an environment that enables their insights to scale.

Conclusion: The Reimagined Filing Ecosystem

The next decade will redefine how rate filings are done. The combination of automation, integration, and AI will transform the process from a collection of disconnected manual tasks into a unified, intelligent workflow. Insurers that embrace this transformation will see faster cycle times, fewer errors, greater compliance, and ultimately a sustainable competitive advantage.

For regulators, modern insurer compliance systems will yield a clearer, more data-driven view of the filings they review, enabling faster approvals and more consistent oversight. For insurers, it will mean a world where filings are not just faster—they’re smarter. Compliance will be embedded, not appended, and systems (not solely people) will safeguard important knowledge.

At Perr&Knight, this vision is already coming to life through PK1Cloud, our unified platform designed to simplify complexity across the entire product and filing lifecycle. PK1Cloud centralizes data, automates key workflows, communicates key milestones to all stakeholders, and integrates AI-driven analytics to enhance accuracy, speed, and compliance. It also connects with trusted third-party data sources for insurance code validation and competitor rate and form filings, enabling real-time benchmarking and compliance verification.

The filings process has long been viewed as a necessary administrative burden. While regulation will always remain a fundamental part of the insurance landscape, the burden it imposes can be reduced. With solutions like PK1Cloud, that reduction is not theoretical—it’s already underway. Intelligent, integrated systems are transforming filings from a back-office necessity into an efficient capability that strengthens compliance, accelerates innovation, and connects insurers and regulators in a continuous cycle of improvement.

Contact us today to learn more about how Perr&Knight’s proprietary insurance state filings software, PK1Cloud, can help your organization get a head start on the future of filings.