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
Purchasing bond investments that mature at different time intervals. ...
Time interval between the date benefits end under Social Security and the date these benefits resume. For example, survivor benefits are paid only as long as the parent (if less than age ...
Professional designation earned after the successful completion of four national examinations given by the insurance institute of America (IIA). Covers such areas of expertise as insurance ...
No limitation under a contributory pension plan of an employee's right to receive vested benefits, regardless of whether or not the employer withdraws contributions. ...
Income paid to a worker who is temporarily disabled by an injury or sickness that is not work related. Compare with workers compensation benefits, which are available only to workers ...
In property insurance, contract section providing for reimbursement for removal of debris resulting from an insured peril. The amount of reimbursement under the homeowners insurance policy ...
1961 federal legislation that allows the U.S. Export-Import Bank to set up insurance protection for U.S. exporters against credit risk and political risk in order to help make U.S. exports ...
Means of setting life insurance reserves based on expected mortality rates as reflected in a mortality table. ...
Amount of the loss absorbed by an insurance company after deducting any reinsurance applicable to the loss, as well as subrogation and ABANDONMENT AND SALVAGE rights. ...
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