Montana Code Annotated 2023

TITLE 33. INSURANCE AND INSURANCE COMPANIES

CHAPTER 12. INSURER INVESTMENTS

Part 3. Property and Casualty, Financial Guaranty, Mortgage Guaranty, Surety, Marine, and Title Insurers

Reserve Requirements -- Authority Of Commissioner

33-12-312. Reserve requirements -- authority of commissioner. (1) Subject to all other limitations and requirements of this title, a property and casualty, financial guaranty, mortgage guaranty, surety, marine, title, or accident and health insurer shall maintain an amount at least equal to 100% of adjusted loss reserves and loss adjustment expense reserves, 100% of adjusted unearned premium reserves, and 100% of statutorily required policy and contract reserves in:

(a) cash and cash equivalents;

(b) high-grade investments and medium-grade investments that qualify under 33-12-303 or 33-12-304;

(c) equity interests that qualify under 33-12-305 and that are traded on a qualified exchange;

(d) investments of the type set forth in 33-12-309 if the investments are rated in the highest generic rating category by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization recognized by the SVO for rating foreign jurisdictions and if any foreign currency exposure is effectively hedged through the maturity date of the investments;

(e) qualifying investments of the type set forth in subsection (1)(b), (1)(c), or (1)(d) that are acquired under 33-12-311;

(f) interest and dividends receivable on qualifying investments of the type set forth in subsections (1)(a) through (1)(e); or

(g) reinsurance recoverable on paid losses.

(2) (a) For purposes of determining the amount of assets to be maintained under this subsection (2), the calculation of adjusted loss reserves and loss adjustment expense reserves, adjusted unearned premium reserves, and statutorily required policy and contract reserves must be based on the amounts reported as of the most recent annual or quarterly statement date.

(b) Adjusted loss reserves and loss adjustment expense reserves must be equal to the sum of the amounts derived from the following calculations:

(i) the result of each amount reported by the insurer as losses and loss adjustment expenses unpaid for each accident year for each individual line of business; multiplied by

(ii) the discount factor that is applicable to the line of business and accident year published by the internal revenue service under Internal Revenue Code section 846 (26 U.S.C. 846), as amended, for the calendar year that corresponds to the most recent annual statement of the insurer; minus

(iii) accrued retrospective premiums discounted by an average discount factor. The discount factor must be calculated by dividing the losses and loss adjustment expenses unpaid after discounting (the product of subsections (2)(b)(i) and (2)(b)(ii)) by loss and loss adjustment expense reserves before discounting subsection (2)(b)(i).

(c) For purposes of the calculations in subsections (2)(b)(i) through (2)(b)(iii), the losses and loss adjustment expenses unpaid must be determined net of anticipated salvage and subrogation and gross of any discount for the time value of money or tabular discount.

(d) Adjusted unearned premium reserves must be equal to the result of the following calculation:

(i) the amount reported by the insurer as unearned premium reserves; minus

(ii) the admitted asset amounts reported by the insurer as:

(A) premiums in and agents' balances in the course of collection, accident and health premiums due and unpaid, and uncollected premiums for accident and health premiums;

(B) premiums, agents' balances, and installments booked but deferred and not yet due; and

(C) bills receivable, taken for premium.

(3) A property and casualty, financial guaranty, mortgage guaranty, surety, marine, title, or accident and health insurer shall supplement its annual statement with a reconciliation and summary of its assets and reserve requirements as required in (1). A reconciliation and summary showing that an insurer's assets as required in subsection (1) are greater than or equal to its undiscounted reserves referred to in subsection (1) must be sufficient to satisfy this requirement. Upon prior notification, the commissioner may require an insurer to submit a reconciliation and summary with any quarterly statement filed during the calendar year.

(4) If a property and casualty, financial guaranty, mortgage guaranty, surety, marine, title, or accident and health insurer's assets and reserves do not comply with subsection (1), the insurer shall notify the commissioner immediately of the amount by which the reserve requirements exceed the annual statement value of the qualifying assets, explain why the deficiency exists, and within 30 days of the date of the notice, propose a plan of action to remedy the deficiency.

(5) (a) If the commissioner determines that an insurer is not in compliance with subsection (1), the commissioner shall require the insurer to eliminate the condition causing the noncompliance within a specified time from the date the notice of the commissioner's requirement is mailed or delivered to the insurer.

(b) If an insurer fails to comply with the commissioner's requirement under subsection (5)(a), the insurer is considered to be in hazardous financial condition and the commissioner shall take one or more of the actions authorized by law with respect to insurers in hazardous financial condition.

History: En. Sec. 36, Ch. 304, L. 1999.