Authorization Classes

Authorization classes can be confusing to someone not familiar with regulation of the insurance industry. In some cases, an authorization class specifies a category of insurance products that may be sold by more than one type of insurance company. In other cases, "authorization class" implies a specific type of firm or organization as well as type of insurance business. The following outline indicates which authorization classes are associated with which types of insurer.

Property and casualty (P&C) companies may be authorized in one or more of the following classes:

  • Property
  • Casualty, including workers' compensation (This and the following class are mutually exclusive.)
  • Casualty, excluding workers' compensation
  • Marine and transportation
  • Surety
  • Health
  • Health only --P&C (For P&C companies who may sell only health insurance in Oregon)
  • Limited -- P&C (For a P&C company authorized to sell only a single specialized product in Oregon).

Life companies may be authorized in one or more of the following classes:

  • Life (for life and annuity products, excluding variable annuities)
  • Life with variable products (for life and annuity products, including variable annuities)
  • Health
  • Limited -- Life (for a life company authorized to sell only a single specialized product in Oregon.

Fraternal benefit societies may provide life, annuity, or health insurance products to their members. The following classes apply:

  • Fraternal Benefit Society (distinguishes fraternal organizations from others authorized for the same class)
  • Life (for life and annuity products)
  • Health

Each of the following classes indicates a specific type of insurer authorized for a specific type of business:

  • Mortgage
  • Title
  • Home Protection
  • HCSC (Health Care Service Contractor) includes Hospital, Medical, and Dental Service or Indemnity -- e.g., Regence BlueCross BlueShield and Health Maintenance Organization -- e.g., Kaiser Permanente
  • Legal Expense Organization (to provide legal services to its members)
  • MEWA (Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangement -- for retirement income plans).
  • Nonprofit/Education
  • Risk Retention Group (for sharing professional liability risk)
  • Exempt (to provide limited insurance benefits to members but not to sell policies; subject to limited regulation)
  • Life Settlement (also known as "Viatical")

Note about health classes:

Three authorization classes pertain to health insurance: Health, Health only --P&C, and HCSC. These three classes are mutually exclusive. Therefore, if you want a query to list all insurers who provide health coverage, you must select all three classes.

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DCBS Insurance Company Section (503) 947-7267

This document was last revised 03/04/2002