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
Actual price paid for property when it was acquired. The original cost might apply to a piece of jewelry, to a piece of equipment, or to a building. For insurance purposes, original cost is ...
Insurance coverage purchased on the same item from two or more insurance companies. ...
Clause in some disability income insurance policies under which there is a maximum an insured can receive from all sources of disability income benefits. For example, the clause may ...
Provision in many property insurance policies that excludes coverage for floods and backup from sewers or drains and underground water. Because floods and hurricanes are generally confined ...
Person who has the responsibility for examining the risk to determine whether or not to insure it. ...
Risk management technique for identifying risks and taking steps to minimize losses. ...
Insurance company that has no outstanding shares of stock, such as a mutual insurance 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 ...
The term pro rata comes from Latin and translates to in proportion, proportionally, the proportion of, proportionately determined, or according to a specific rate. It is often used in legal ...
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