SECTION 3.504. Geographic Rating Areas

(a) An issuer may vary rates based on rating area, which is determined:

(1) in the individual market, using the primary policyholder's or contract holder's address; and

(2) in the small group market, using the group policyholder's or contract holder's principal business address.

(b) For the purposes of this subchapter, rating areas for plan or policy years beginning on or after January 1, 2023, are established as follows.

(1) Rating area 1 (Abilene) consists of the following Texas counties:

(A) Brown;

(B) Callahan;

(C) Coleman;

(D) Comanche;

(E) Eastland;

(F) Fisher;

(G) Haskell;

(H) Jones;

(I) Kent;

(J) Mitchell;

(K) Nolan;

(L) Runnels;

(M) Scurry;

(N) Shackelford;

(O) Stephens;

(P) Stonewall;

(Q) Taylor; and

(R) Throckmorton.

(2) Rating area 2 (Amarillo) consists of the following Texas counties:

(A) Armstrong;

(B) Briscoe;

(C) Carson;

(D) Castro;

(E) Childress;

(F) Collingsworth;

(G) Dallam;

(H) Deaf Smith;

(I) Donley;

(J) Gray;

(K) Hall;

(L) Hansford;

(M) Hartley;

(N) Hemphill;

(O) Hutchinson;

(P) Lipscomb;

(Q) Moore;

(R) Ochiltree;

(S) Oldham;

(T) Parmer;

(U) Potter;

(V) Randall;

(W) Roberts;

(X) Sherman;

(Y) Swisher; and

(Z) Wheeler.

(3) Rating area 3 (Austin) consists of the following Texas counties:

(A) Bastrop;

(B) Blanco;

(C) Burnet;

(D) Caldwell;

(E) Fayette;

(F) Hays;

(G) Lee;

(H) Llano;

(I) Travis; and

(J) Williamson.

(4) Rating area 4 (Beaumont) consists of the following Texas counties:

(A) Angelina;

(B) Hardin;

(C) Houston;

(D) Jasper;

(E) Jefferson;

(F) Nacogdoches;

(G) Newton;

(H) Orange;

(I) Polk;

(J) Sabine;

(K) San Augustine;

(L) San Jacinto;

(M) Shelby;

(N) Trinity; and

(O) Tyler.

(5) Rating area 5 (Brownsville) consists of the following Texas counties:

(A) Cameron;

(B) Kenedy; and

(C) Willacy.

(6) Rating area 6 (College Station) consists of the following Texas counties:

(A) Brazos;

(B) Burleson;

(C) Grimes;

(D) Leon;

(E) Madison;

(F) Milam;

(G) Robertson; and

(H) Washington.

(7) Rating area 7 (Corpus Christi) consists of the following Texas counties:

(A) Aransas;

(B) Bee;

(C) Jim Wells;

(D) Kleberg;

(E) Live Oak;

(F) Nueces;

(G) Refugio; and

(H) San Patricio.

(8) Rating area 8 (Dallas) consists of the following Texas counties:

(A) Collin;

(B) Dallas;

(C) Ellis;

(D) Hunt;

(E) Kaufman;

(F) Navarro; and

(G) Rockwall.

(9) Rating area 9 (El Paso) consists of the following Texas counties:

(A) Brewster;

(B) Culberson;

(C) El Paso;

(D) Hudspeth;

(E) Jeff Davis; and

(F) Presidio.

(10) Rating area 10 (Houston) consists of the following Texas counties:

(A) Galveston; and

(B) Harris.

(11) Rating area 11 (Killeen/Temple) consists of the following Texas counties:

(A) Bell;

(B) Coryell;

(C) Hamilton;

(D) Lampasas;

(E) Mills; and

(F) San Saba.

(12) Rating area 12 (Laredo) consists of the following Texas counties:

(A) Duval;

(B) Jim Hogg;

(C) McMullen;

(D) Webb; and

(E) Zapata.

(13) Rating area 13 (Longview) consists of the following Texas counties:

(A) Gregg;

(B) Harrison;

(C) Marion;

(D) Panola;

(E) Rusk; and

(F) Upshur.

(14) Rating area 14 (Lubbock) consists of the following Texas counties:

(A) Bailey;

(B) Cochran;

(C) Crosby;

(D) Dickens;

(E) Floyd;

(F) Garza;

(G) Hale;

(H) Hockley;

(I) King;

(J) Lamb;

(K) Lubbock;

(L) Lynn;

(M) Motley;

(N) Terry; and

(O) Yoakum.

(15) Rating area 15 (McAllen) consists of the following Texas counties:

(A) Brooks;

(B) Hidalgo; and

(C) Starr.

(16) Rating area 16 (Midland/Odessa) consists of the following Texas counties:

(A) Andrews;

(B) Borden;

(C) Crane;

(D) Dawson;

(E) Ector;

(F) Gaines;

(G) Glasscock;

(H) Howard;

(I) Loving;

(J) Martin;

(K) Midland;

(L) Pecos;

(M) Reeves;

(N) Terrell;

(O) Upton;

(P) Ward; and

(Q) Winkler.

(17) Rating area 17 (San Angelo) consists of the following Texas counties:

(A) Coke;

(B) Concho;

(C) Crockett;

(D) Irion;

(E) Kimble;

(F) Mason;

(G) McCulloch;

(H) Menard;

(I) Reagan;

(J) Schleicher;

(K) Sterling;

(L) Sutton; and

(M) Tom Green.

(18) Rating area 18 (San Antonio) consists of the following Texas counties:

(A) Atascosa;

(B) Bandera;

(C) Bexar;

(D) Comal;

(E) Dimmit;

(F) Edwards;

(G) Frio;

(H) Gillespie;

(I) Gonzales;

(J) Guadalupe;

(K) Kendall;

(L) Kerr;

(M) Kinney;

(N) La Salle;

(O) Maverick;

(P) Medina;

(Q) Real;

(R) Uvalde;

(S) Val Verde;

(T) Wilson; and

(U) Zavala.

(19) Rating area 19 (Sherman/Dennison) consists of the following Texas counties:

(A) Cooke;

(B) Fannin; and

(C) Grayson.

(20) Rating area 20 (Texarkana) consists of the following Texas counties:

(A) Bowie;

(B) Camp;

(C) Cass;

(D) Delta;

(E) Franklin;

(F) Hopkins;

(G) Lamar;

(H) Morris;

(I) Red River; and

(J) Titus.

(21) Rating area 21 (Tyler) consists of the following Texas counties:

(A) Anderson;

(B) Cherokee;

(C) Henderson;

(D) Rains;

(E) Smith;

(F) Van Zandt; and

(G) Wood.

(22) Rating area 22 (Victoria) consists of the following Texas counties:

(A) Calhoun;

(B) DeWitt;

(C) Goliad;

(D) Jackson;

(E) Karnes;

(F) Lavaca; and

(G) Victoria.

(23) Rating area 23 (Waco) consists of the following Texas counties:

(A) Bosque;

(B) Falls;

(C) Freestone;

(D) Hill;

(E) Limestone; and

(F) McLennan.

(24) Rating area 24 (Wichita Falls) consists of the following Texas counties:

(A) Archer;

(B) Baylor;

(C) Clay;

(D) Cottle;

(E) Foard;

(F) Hardeman;

(G) Jack;

(H) Knox;

(I) Montague;

(J) Wichita;

(K) Wilbarger; and

(L) Young.

(25) Rating area 25 (Fort Worth) consists of the following Texas counties:

(A) Denton;

(B) Erath;

(C) Hood;

(D) Johnson;

(E) Palo Pinto;

(F) Parker;

(G) Somervell;

(H) Tarrant; and

(I) Wise.

(26) Rating area 26 (Houston SW) consists of the following Texas counties:

(A) Austin;

(B) Brazoria;

(C) Colorado;

(D) Fort Bend;

(E) Matagorda;

(F) Waller; and

(G) Wharton.

(27) Rating area 27 (Houston NE) consists of the following Texas counties:

(A) Chambers;

(B) Liberty;

(C) Montgomery; and

(D) Walker.

Source Note: The provisions of this §3.504 adopted to be effective June 16, 2022, 47 TexReg 3467