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
Membership organization representing professional actuaries in all insurance fields in Canada including life and health, casualty, consulting and fraternal actuaries. A member must reside ...
Organization formed to encourage research in insurance and to foster an exchange of ideas and research methodology among the society members. ...
INSURANCE health insurance policy providing coverage for an insured's medical expenses except those that are specifically excluded. This may be the most advantageous medical expense policy ...
Trust named from a private-letter ruling by the IRS that involved a trust established by a Jewish congregation on behalf of its rabbi. The operation of the trust involves the employer's ...
Bonds issued by the United States Treasury that earn a fixed interest rate plus the rate of inflation. These bonds are sold at face value in denominations of $50 up to $5000 and may earn ...
Activities of interest in underwriting an application for life insurance to determine the rate classification (premium) for the applicant. For example, a sky diver is at greater personal ...
Documents completed by the agent to effect authorization to act on behalf of the company. ...
Automobile purchased or leased by the insured or the insured's spouse that is in addition to the insured or the insured spouse's present car as covered under the personal automobile policy ...
In property insurance, amount that an insured does not have to pay when a loss exceeds a predetermined sum; here the insurance company pays more than 100% of the loss, so that the ...
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