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
Company not licensed by a particular state to sell and service insurance policies within that state. ...
Exposure present only at certain times of the year. For example, resort property faces a business interruption risk only from damage that cannot be repaired in time for the resort season. ...
Coverage to indemnify an owner for whom work was done if the completed work is not free of worker's liens for labor and material. ...
Something that cannot be changed. In life insurance, a beneficiary who has been named as irrevocable cannot be changed without his or her formal (written) permission. ...
Particular type of inland marine insurance. ...
Provision for coverage for buildings and personal property within the simplified commercial lines portfolio policy (sclp). The buildings and personal property coverage may be classified in ...
Clearinghouse and forum of information concerning the environment used by local governments. Included in the information are topics on drinking water systems, pesticide management, public ...
Largest property and casualty insurance company trade association in the world (international membership)whose objectives include the service of its membership through positive legislation ...
Income averaged over a specified period of years. For example, to calculate benefits in a pension plan, it is common to average the highest three years or five years of earnings. ...
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