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
Bonds that are secured by mortgage securities classified as either interest only or principal only strips (separate trading of registered interest and principal of securities). Insurance ...
Coverage if transmission equipment is damaged or destroyed on an all risks basis excluding the perils of war, wear and tear, inherent defect, and nuclear damage, consequential loss ...
Investments restricted to short-term financial instruments issued by state, city, and county governments and agencies. Interest paid by those instruments are not subject to federal income ...
Coverage for equipment normally carried from location to location by a physician or surgeon; written on an all risks basis to include supplies and scientific books used in medical practice. ...
Compensation payable to the owner of a ship detained for reasons beyond his or her control who incurs a loss of earnings because of the delay. Detainment can be caused by a delay in the ...
Type of insurance providing all risks coverage for personal property of the crew and passengers aboard a ship. Marine cargo insurance does not cover personal property of the crew and ...
Payment to a broker, master general agent, general agent, or agent on any particular line of insurance written by other agents within a particular geographical area. ...
Limited special purposes policy that provides liability and physical damage insurance for owners and operators of trucks while engaged in business. This insurance is often purchased by a ...
Enacted on April 1, 1997; provides protection against creditors for irrevocable trusts provided that the trust has a grantor who is a discretionary beneficiary. In order for the statute of ...
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