Section 375.539

Title XXIV BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS

Chapter 375

Effective - 28 Aug 2010   

  375.539.  Hazardous operation, discontinuation determination, standards for — issuance of order by director, hearing procedure. — 1.  The director of the department of commerce and insurance may deem an insurance company to be in such financial condition that its further transaction of business would be hazardous to policyholders, creditors, and the public, if such company is a property or casualty insurer, or both a property and casualty insurer, which has in force any policy with any single net retained risk larger than ten percent of that company's capital and surplus as of the December thirty-first next preceding.

  2.  The following standards, either singly or a combination of two or more, may be considered by the director to determine whether the continued operation of any insurer transacting an insurance business in this state might be deemed to be hazardous to its policyholders, creditors, or the general public:

  (1)  Adverse findings reported in financial condition and market conduct examination reports, audit reports, and actuarial opinions, reports, or summaries;

  (2)  The National Association of Insurance Commissioners Insurance Regulatory Information System and its other financial analysis solvency tools and reports;

  (3)  Whether the insurer has made adequate provision, according to presently accepted actuarial standards of practice, for the anticipated cash flows required by the contractual obligations and related expenses of the insurer, when considered in light of the assets held by the insurer with respect to such reserves and related actuarial items including, but not limited to, the investment earnings on such assets, and the considerations anticipated to be received and retained under such policies and contracts;

  (4)  The ability of an assuming reinsurer to perform and whether the insurer's reinsurance program provides sufficient protection for the insurer's remaining surplus after taking into account the insurer's cash flow and the classes of business written as well as the financial condition of the assuming reinsurer;

  (5)  Whether the insurer's operating loss in the last twelve-month period or any shorter period of time, including but not limited to net capital gain or loss, change in nonadmitted assets, and cash dividends paid to shareholders, is greater than fifty percent of the insurer's remaining surplus as regards to policyholders in excess of the minimum required;

  (6)  Whether the insurer's operating loss in the last twelve-month period or any shorter period of time, excluding net capital gains, is greater than twenty percent of the insurer's remaining surplus as regards to policyholders in excess of the minimum required;

  (7)  Whether a reinsurer, obligor, or any entity within the insurer's insurance holding company system, is insolvent, threatened with insolvency or delinquent in payment of its monetary or other obligations, and which in the opinion of the director may affect the solvency of the insurer;

  (8)  Contingent liabilities, pledges, or guaranties which either individually or collectively involve a total amount which in the opinion of the director may affect the solvency of the insurer;

  (9)  Whether any controlling person of an insurer is delinquent in the transmitting to, or payment of, net premiums to the insurer.  As used in this subdivision, the term "controlling" shall have the same meaning assigned to it in subdivision (2) of section 382.010;

  (10)  The age and collectibility of receivables;

  (11)  Whether the management of an insurer, including officers, directors, or any other person who directly or indirectly controls the operation of the insurer, fails to possess and demonstrate the competence, fitness, and reputation deemed necessary to serve the insurer in such position;

  (12)  Whether management of an insurer has failed to respond to inquiries relative to the condition of the insurer or has furnished false and misleading information concerning an inquiry;

  (13)  Whether the insurer has failed to meet financial and holding company filing requirements in the absence of a reason satisfactory to the director;

  (14)  Whether management of an insurer either has filed any false or misleading sworn financial statement, or has released false or misleading financial statement to lending institutions or to the general public, or has made a false or misleading entry, or has omitted an entry of material amount in the books of the insurer;

  (15)  Whether the insurer has grown so rapidly and to such an extent that it lacks adequate financial and administrative capacity to meet its obligations in a timely manner;

  (16)  Whether the insurer has experienced or will experience in the foreseeable future cash flow or liquidity problems;

  (17)  Whether management has established reserves that do not comply with minimum standards established by state insurance laws, regulations, statutory accounting standards, sound actuarial principles and standards of practice;

  (18)  Whether management persistently engages in material underreserving that results in adverse development;

  (19)  Whether transactions among affiliates, subsidiaries, or controlling persons for which the insurer receives assets or capital gains, or both, do not provide sufficient value, liquidity, or diversity to assure the insurer's ability to meet its outstanding obligations as they mature;

  (20)  Any other finding determined by the director to be hazardous to the insurer's policyholders, creditors, or general public.

  3.  For the purposes of making a determination of an insurer's financial condition under this section, the director may:

  (1)  Disregard any credit or amount receivable resulting from transactions with a reinsurer that is insolvent, impaired, or otherwise subject to a delinquency proceeding;

  (2)  Make appropriate adjustments including disallowance to asset values attributable to investments in or transactions with parents, subsidiaries, or affiliates consistent with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners Accounting Policies and Procedures Manual, state laws and regulations;

  (3)  Refuse to recognize the stated value of accounts receivable if the ability to collect receivables is highly speculative in view of the age of the account or the financial condition of the debtor;

  (4)  Increase the insurer's liability in an amount equal to any contingent liability, pledge, or guarantee not otherwise included if there is a substantial risk that the insurer will be called upon to meet the obligation undertaken within the next twelve-month period.

  4.  If the director determines that the continued operation of the insurer licensed to transact business in this state may be hazardous to its policyholders, creditors, or the general public, then the director may, to the extent authorized by law and in accordance with any procedures required by law, issue an order requiring the insurer to:

  (1)  Reduce the total amount of present and potential liability for policy benefits by reinsurance;

  (2)  Reduce, suspend, or limit the volume of business being accepted or renewed;

  (3)  Reduce general insurance and commission expenses by specified methods;

  (4)  Increase the insurer's capital and surplus;

  (5)  Suspend or limit the declaration and payment of dividend by an insurer to its stockholders or to its policyholders;

  (6)  File reports in a form acceptable to the director concerning the market value of an insurer's assets;

  (7)  Limit or withdraw from certain investments or discontinue certain investment practices to the extent the director deems necessary;

  (8)  Document the adequacy of premium rates in relation to the risks insured;

  (9)  File, in addition to regular annual statements, interim financial reports on the form adopted by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners or in such format as promulgated by the director;

  (10)  Correct corporate governance practice deficiencies, and adopt and utilize governance practices acceptable to the director;

  (11)  Provide a business plan to the director in order to continue to transact business in the state;

  (12)  Notwithstanding any other provision of law limiting the frequency or amount of premium rate adjustments, adjust rates for any nonlife insurance product written by the insurer that the director considers necessary to improve the financial condition of the insurer.

  5.  An insurer subject to an order under subsection 4 of this section may request a hearing before the director in accordance with the provisions of chapter 536.  The notice of hearing shall be served upon the insurer pursuant to section 536.067.  The notice of hearing shall state the time and place of hearing and the conduct, condition, or ground upon which the director based the order.  Unless mutually agreed between the director and the insurer, the hearing shall occur not less than ten days nor more than thirty days after notice is served and shall be either in Cole County or in some other place convenient to the parties designated by the director.  The director shall hold all hearings under this subsection privately, unless the insurer requests a public hearing, in which case the hearing shall be public.

  6.  This section shall not be interpreted to limit the powers granted the director by any laws or parts of laws of this state, nor shall this section be interpreted to supercede any laws or parts of laws of this state, except that if the insurer is a foreign insurer, the director's order under subsection 4 of this section may be limited to the extent expressly provided by any laws or parts of laws of this state.

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(L. 2010 S.B. 583)