Reinsurance Focus

On September 7, 2012, the governor of California signed into law two bills implementing amendments to the NAIC Credit for Reinsurance Model Law and NAIC Insurance Holding Company System Regulatory Model Act. The former, SB 1216, allows full credit to insurers for insurance ceded to unauthorized reinsurers that satisfy certain financial strength ratings, without the need to post full collateral. It also contains provisions increasing oversight of the nature and extent of risk ceded by domestic insurers. The California law differs from the NAIC Model, however, by authorizing the insurance commissioner to disallow credit for reinsurance under certain circumstances, notwithstanding technical compliance with the new requirements.

The second bill, SB 1448, increases oversight over an insurer’s holding company system, specifically over “enterprise risk” defined as “any activity, circumstance, or event or series of events involving one or more affiliates of an insurer that, if not remedied promptly, is likely to have a material adverse effect upon the financial condition or liquidity of the insurer or its insurance holding company system as a whole.” The law requires, among other things, the filing of annual enterprise risk reports, and a statement that the insurer’s board of directors is responsible for overseeing corporate governance and internal controls, and that the insurer’s officers or senior management have approved, implemented, and continue to maintain and monitor corporate governance and internal control procedures. The law also authorizes the commissioner to establish and participate in a supervisory college to determine compliance for insurance holding company systems with international operations.

Both laws go into effect January 1, 2013. The credit for reinsurance law, however, will be deemed automatically repealed on January 1, 2016, unless separate legislation provides otherwise.

This post written by Michael Wolgin.

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