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
Methods for payment of the value of a policy. An insurance company can select one of three options in settlement of a loss: make a cash payment; take possession of damaged or destroyed ...
Smallest acceptable premium for which an insurance company will write a policy. This minimum charge is necessary to cover fixed expenses in placing the policy on the books. ...
U.S. government agency (formerly the Atomic Energy Commission) responsible for regulating the nuclear energy industry. The commission also provides supplemental insurance for nuclear ...
Same as term Convertible Term Life Insurance: coverage that can be converted into permanent insurance regardless of an insured's physical condition and without a medical examination. The ...
The term pro rata cancellation comes from the Latin term pro rata, which means in proportion or according to a certain rate. The term pro rata cancellation is used in the insurance business ...
Projections of future accidental losses based on analyses of historical loss patterns. A projected loss picture is used to determine the pure cost of protection and the resultant basic ...
Association of independent agents whose objective is to further the interests of these agents through education, lobbying, and professional ethics. ...
Relinquishment of rights in an insurance policy or pension plan. For example, by withdrawing contributions to a pension plan, an employee forfeits future retirement benefits under that plan. ...
Coverage for damage or destruction of property due to a crime, and property lost due to a burglary, whether successful or attempted. An endorsement provides coverage for robbery and theft ...
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