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
Annuity that provides income payments for a number of years provided the annuitant is alive to receive them. All income payments cease upon the death of the annuitant. ...
Coverage usually provided for large businesses in four areas: Section I (Property) The building (s) and contents are covered against either any peril (ALL RISKS basis) or only perils listed ...
Buy-sell agreements found in partnerships, sole proprietorships, and close corporations. Either the business entity or the surviving members of the business agree to buy out the interest of ...
Size of the losses used as a factor in calculating premium rates. For example, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics studies the number of days lost by injured employees per million ...
Coverage that can be converted into permanent insurance regardless of an insured's physical condition and without a medical examination. The individual cannot be denied coverage or charged ...
Surcharge, in retrospective rating of property and liability insurance, added to the basic premium rate charged to reflect fixed cost of adjusting or settling losses. ...
Number of individuals exposed to the risk of illness, sickness, and disease at each age, and the actual number of individuals who incurred an illness, sickness, and disease at each age. ...
Same as term Bankers Blanket Bond: coverage for a bank in the event of loss due to dishonest acts of its employees or individuals external to the bank. For example, if a teller goes to ...
Largest property and casualty insurance company trade association in the world (international membership)whose objectives include the service of its membership through positive legislation ...
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