State Supervision And Regulation
Primary responsibility for overseeing the insurance industry that has rested with individual states since 1945, after Congress passed the MCCARRAN-FERGUSON ACT (PUBLIC LAW 15). In addition to supervision and regulation, states receive taxes and fees paid by the industry that amount to several billion dollars a year. State insurance laws are administered by state insurance departments that are responsible for making certain that (1) rates are adequate, not unfairly discriminatory, and not unreasonably high, and (2) insurance companies in the state are financially sound and able to pay future claims. To this end, states set requirements for company reserves, require annual financial statements, and examine company books. Each state has an insurance commissioner or superintendent who is either elected or appointed by the governor, with responsibility for investigating company practices, approving rates and policy forms, and ordering liquidation of insolvent insurers. The NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF INSURANCE COMMISSIONERS (NAIC) has drafted model legislation and worked for policy uniformity, but regulations vary widely from state to state.
Whether insurers should be regulated by the states or the federal government remains at issue, but so far insurers and the NAIC lobbying have been effective in resisting federal regulation. Nevertheless, the federal government has a profound effect on the insurance industry through its taxes and a variety of regulations.
Popular Insurance Terms
States that preclude the placement of surplus lines with particular insurance companies. ...
In general, a civil wrong, other than breach of contract, for which a court will provide a remedy in the form of a suit for damages. Torts include negligent acts or omissions on the part of ...
Statement by an auditor or certified public accountant indicating if a company's financial statements fairly present its true financial condition. A statement of opinion may be unqualified, ...
Types of reinsurance instruments under which the amount of risk transferred is more limited than under traditional risk reinsurance instruments. The limitations on risk transfer take the ...
Addition to a property policy providing coverage for a specified amount. This endorsement is typically used for an unusual or valuable piece of property that does not fit standard ...
Instrument that uses noncombustible substances such as carbon dioxide to deprive a fire of oxygen, thereby extinguishing it. ...
Total amount of insurance coverage available for an insured. ...
Improvements or renovations to a leased business or residential property made by a tenant to meet its particular needs. Loss of use of these improvements as a result of damage is covered by ...
Model act written and published by the national association of insurance commissioners (naic) whose purpose it is to regulate brokers who control insurance companies. The act permits the ...
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