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
Reduction in the amount that the insured receives from the insurer, after having incurred a property loss, because the insurer failed to carry the amount of coverage required by the ...
Addition to a life insurance policy stating that when an insured becomes disabled for at least six months, premiums due are waived. Depending on the rider, the insured may begin to receive ...
Rate applied to risks with similar characteristics or to a specified class of risk. ...
Individual retirement account established under the tax reform act of 1986, for a spouse who has unearned income. The maximum annual combined contribution into the worker's and spouse's IRA ...
Resident patient of a medical installation. Previously, health insurance benefits were limited to in-patient care. Today health insurance policies provide an extensive list of out-patient ...
Coverage for damage due to peril! of war, usually written as part of an ocean marine insurance policy. ...
Value or property given by an individual to a trustee who holds and administers it for the benefit of the donee (recipient of the gift). For example, a father entrusts a life insurance ...
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 ...
Fee charged to a policyowner when a life insurance policy or annuity is surrendered for its cash value. This fee reflects insurance company expenses incurred by placing the policy on its ...
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