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
Technique designed to permit the exchange of a life insurance policy that has an outstanding loan charged against it for another life insurance policy on a tax-free basis. The procedure is ...
Option under a participating life insurance policy by which the policy owner can elect to have the dividends purchase paid-up increments of permanent insurance. ...
Agreement concerning an insured individual, not the insured's property. A property and casualty insurance contract cannot be assigned, since it follows the insured, not the property. For ...
Rules stating that, under the tax EQUITY AND RESPONSIBILITY ACTS OF 1982 AND 1983 (TEFRA), a plan can not discriminate in favor of key employees regarding contributions and benefits if ...
Terms of a settlement of a life insurance or annuity contract under which monies are currently payable or used at least in part by the beneficiary to fund a new insurance policy. ...
Part of a business liability policy that covers an insured for bodily injury or property damage liability to members of the public while they are on his premises. This coverage is available ...
A form of assessment insurance for which a regular premium is charged. In addition to paying the regular stipulated premium, an insured and other members of a mutual assessment company may ...
Incidents covered under workers compensation benefit. ...
Insurance company whose premium rates are usually below that of other insurance companies and the rating bureau. ...
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