(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, all insurers issuing policies or contracts of insurance against the liability for compensation under this chapter shall comply with the following provisions. Each insurer's basic rate for policies or contracts of insurance against the liability for compensation under this chapter shall not exceed the insurer's effective rate approved by and on file with the Commissioner of Insurance as of April 22, 1982. These rates shall remain in effect until April 1, 1983.

(b) There shall be no exception to the requirements of subsection (a) of this Code section unless the Commissioner of Insurance finds, after a hearing upon the written request of an insurer, that the use of the rates required under subsection (a) of this Code section by the insurer will result in rates which are inadequate to the extent that:

(1) Such rates do not properly reflect the insurer's loss experience in this state to the extent that its earned premiums would not equal its incurred losses or expenses; or

(2) Such rates jeopardize the solvency of the insurer required to use such rates.

(c) The insurer shall have the burden of showing that the use of the rate required under subsection (a) of this Code section will result in rates which are inadequate to the extent that they do not properly reflect the insurer's loss experience in this state or that their use would jeopardize its solvency. No insurer shall be relieved of using the required rates if its most recently available experience on such lines of business shows a net underwriting gain unless, on the basis of statistical data, pertinent judgment, and trend factors, no other reasonable conclusion would be appropriate.

(d) Upon conclusion of any hearing held pursuant to this chapter, the Commissioner of Insurance shall enter his order specifying the rates required to be used by the insurer. The Commissioner shall indicate in his order all the factors entering into a decision relieving an insurer from full compliance with this Code section. The provisions of Chapter 2 of Title 33 shall apply to hearings held under this Code section.

(e) Any insurer appealing from a final order of the Commissioner of Insurance may continue to use its rates then in effect during the pendency of the appeal, provided arrangements satisfactory to the Commissioner are made to secure the repayment to the insurer's policyholders of the difference between the rates used by the insurer and that rate which would be lower as required by this Code section. Upon final adjudication the insurer shall repay any excess premium collected from its policyholders plus interest at the rate of 12 percent per annum.