This is the Final Public Hearing on the adoption of proposed amendments to Rule 69O-164.030, Florida Administrative Code, published on November 4, 2005 in Vol. 31, No. 44, of the Florida Administrative Weekly. No notice of change was published. THE ...  

  •  

    DEPARTMENT OF FINANCIAL SERVICES

    The Financial Services Commission announces a public hearing, to which all persons are invited.

    DATE AND TIME: March 14, 2006, 9:00 a.m., during a regular meeting of the Financial Services Commission

    PLACE: Cabinet Meeting Room, Lower Level, The Capitol, Tallahassee, Florida

    GENERAL SUBJECT MATTER TO BE CONSIDERED: This is the Final Public Hearing on the adoption of proposed amendments to Rule 69O-164.030, F.A.C., published on November 4, 2005 in Vol. 31, No. 44, of the F.A.W. No notice of change was published.

    THE FULL TEXT OF THE PROPOSED RULE IS:

    69O-164.030               Application of Rule 69O-164.020, F.A.C., To Various Product Designs.

    (1) Purpose. The purpose of this rule is to provide direction as to the application of Rule 69O-164.020, F.A.C., to various product designs developed after March, 1999. Specifically, this rule provides examples of various policy features that constitute “guarantees” and gives directions on how to reserve for these guarantees in accordance with Rule 69O-164.020, F.A.C. Obviously, new policy designs will emerge subsequent to the development of this rule. No statute, rule, or guideline can anticipate every future product design, and common sense and professional responsibility are needed to assure compliance with both the letter and the spirit of the law. While Rule 69O-164.020, F.A.C., is a complex regulation, its intent is clear: reserves need to be established for the guarantees provided by a policy. Policy designs that are created to simply disguise those guarantees or exploit a perceived loophole must be reserved in a manner similar to more typical designs with similar guarantees.

    (2) Application. The list below specifies reserving approaches which the Office regards as being most consistent with the letter and spirit of Rule 69O-164.020, F.A.C. However, the specified reserving approaches should be modified as needed to comply with the intent of this rule that similar reserves be established for policy designs that contain similar guarantees.

    (a)1. Situation: An initial level premium rate is guaranteed for 10 years followed by increased guaranteed premiums for an additional 20 years. However, the company cannot increase premiums after year 10 (i.e., the initial premium continues to be charged) unless some specified event occurs.

    2. Application: The initial reserve segment is 30 years. Since the contract contains provisions that limit the company’s ability to increase premiums, then the initial premium should be treated as guaranteed for the entire 30 year period. It would be contrary to the conservative nature of statutory accounting to treat this policy the same as one in which the ability to raise premiums is unrestricted.

    (b)1. Situation: A term policy has an illustrated level premium for 30 years, the first 10 of which are guaranteed. Additionally, there is a refund option which provides that a specified refund will be paid if the premium ever increases. The refund must be requested within a limited time (e.g., 30 days) of receiving notice of the increase. Coverage terminates if the option is exercised.

    2. Application: This example differs from the one above in that there is no specified event that has to occur in order for the company to impose a premium increase; however, the company must provide an additional benefit to the policyholder if it exercises this right. Thus the company does not have an unrestricted right to impose an increase after 10 years. If the contract contains provisions that require that additional benefits be provided to the policyholder in the event of a premium increase, even if these benefits are lost if not claimed within a stated time frame, then the initial premiums should be treated as guaranteed for the entire 30 year period. It would be contrary to the conservative nature of statutory accounting to treat this policy the same as one in which the ability to raise premiums does not require that additional benefits be provided. Therefore, the initial segment for this policy is 30 years.

    (c)1. Situation: An initial level premium rate is guaranteed for 10 years followed by increased guaranteed premiums for an additional 20 years. However, after year 10 the policyholder is protected against premiums being increased above the initial level, with the protection provided by a second company through either reinsurance, a second policy issued to the consumer, or an agreement between the companies.

    2. Application: The combined reserves of the direct writer and the second company should be no less than the amount which the direct writer would hold if a) there were no second company and b) the initial reserve segment were 30 years. If this condition is not met, reserve credits for the direct writer should be disallowed. The reserve held by the direct writer should be based on the initial level premium being guaranteed for 30 years.

    (d)1. Situation: A product has relatively high gross premiums but with a guaranteed dividend or guaranteed refund schedule, or by some other means guarantees a low net cost to the policyholder.

    2. Application: The net amount of premium (i.e., gross premium less dividends or refunds) should be used in the reserve calculation. That represents the amount the insured actually pays for coverage. For products reinsured on either a coinsurance or modified coinsurance basis, the reinsurer’s reserve calculation should also be based on the net premium (i.e., gross premiums less dividends or refunds guaranteed to be paid to the policyholder).

    (e)1. Situation: A re-entry term product has an initial rate guarantee for 10 years, with loose or non-existent re-entry underwriting, allowing the policyholder to re-enter for an additional 20 years at specified favorable rates.

    2. Application: The reentry periods and premiums should be treated as a continuation of the initial guarantees for reserve calculation purposes. The initial reserve segment applicable to the original policy should be 30 years if the stipulated premium for the substitute policy is not high enough to trigger a new reserve segment. When the substitute policy is issued, reserves should be determined as if the coverage had been issued at the issue age and issue date of the original policy. Effectively, the company has guaranteed coverage for 30 years at the time the initial policy is issued, and the reserves established should reflect that guarantee.

    (f)1. Situation: A universal life policy has provisions such that, if the UL policy lapses prior to the 10th policy anniversary because the actual accumulation value (or cash value, depending on design) falls below zero but stipulated premiums have been paid, a substitute policy is guaranteed to be issued providing the same amount of insurance coverage at the same stipulated premium for the remainder of the 10-year period plus an additional 20 years.

    2. Application: The reentry periods and premiums should be treated as a continuation of the initial guarantees for reserve calculation purposes. The initial reserve segment applicable to the original policy should be 30 years if the stipulated premium for the substitute policy is not high enough to trigger a new reserve segment. When the substitute policy is issued, reserves should be determined as if the coverage had been issued at the issue age and issue date of the original policy. Effectively, the company has guaranteed coverage for 30 years at the time the initial policy is issued, and the reserves established should reflect that guarantee.

    (g)1. Situation: A reinsurance treaty provides for 30 years of level premiums on a current scale but directly guarantees those premiums for only the first 10 years. However, if the reinsurer increases the premiums after 10 years, the reinsurer agrees to increase the expense allowance such that the net payments (premium minus allowance) by the direct writer remains unchanged.

    2. Application: Relative to the reinsurer’s reserve calculation, the initial reserve segment should be 30 years and the valuation premium should be level over that period. In this instance, the additional “expense allowance” has no relationship to the expenses actually incurred by the direct writer in administering the reinsured policies. Although a bona fide expense allowance would typically not be considered in determining the valuation premiums and reserve segments, in this instance the additional “expense allowance” has no relationship to the expenses actually incurred by the direct writer in administering the reinsured policies.”

    (h)1. Situation: A universal life policy has a cumulative “premium catch-up provision” in which the coverage is guaranteed to remain in force as long as a stipulated premium is paid each year, and if the insured is paying less than is required to maintain the guarantee, there is an unlimited right to make up past premium deficiencies.

    2. Application: Rule 69O-164.020, F.A.C., requires that “when a policy contains more than one secondary guarantee, the minimum reserve shall be the greatest of the respective minimum reserves at that valuation date of each unexpired secondary guarantee, ignoring all other secondary guarantees.” Since secondary guarantees with “catch-up” provisions are capable of being reinstated up to the end of the secondary guarantee period, they constitute “unexpired secondary guarantees” which must be incorporated into the calculation of “the greatest of the respective minimum reserves at that valuation date of each unexpired secondary guarantee, ignoring all other secondary guarantees.”

    3. The basic and deficiency reserves for a secondary guarantee with a catch-up provision should be computed as if the stipulated premium requirement had been met. The basic reserve shall be reduced by the product of a) the “catch-up amount,” if any, which would be required on the valuation date and b) the ratio of the “initial” (i.e., before adjustment) basic reserve to the sum of the “initial” basic and deficiency reserves. In no event shall the “reduced” basic reserve be reduced below zero. The deficiency reserve shall be reduced by the product of a) the “catch-up amount,” if any, which would be required on the valuation date and b) the ratio of the “initial” deficiency reserve to the sum of the “initial” basic and deficiency reserves. In no event shall the “reduced” deficiency reserve be reduced below zero.

    4. If a universal life policy with a “premium catch up provision” has a shadow account below the level necessary to maintain the secondary guarantee, then the reserve for the secondary guarantee shall be valued according to this example. The basic and deficiency reserves, before deduction for the catch-up amount, shall be calculated as specified in subsection (i).

    (i) A universal life policy guarantees the coverage to remain in force as long as the accumulation of premiums paid satisfies the secondary guarantee requirement.

    1.For policies and certificates issued prior to July 1, 2005:

    a. First, the minimum gross premiums (determined at issue) that will satisfy the secondary guarantee requirement must be derived.

    b. Second, for purposes of applying paragraphs (7)(b) and (7)(c) of Rule 69O-164.020, F.A.C., the “specified premiums” are the minimum gross premiums derived in sub-subparagraph a.

    c. Third, a determination should be made of the amount of actual premium payments in excess of the minimum gross premiums. For policies utilizing shadow accounts, this will be the amount of the shadow account. For policies with no shadow accounts but which specify cumulative premium requirements, this excess will be the amount of the cumulative premiums paid in excess of the cumulative premium requirements; the cumulative premium payments and requirements should include any interest credited under the secondary guarantee (with interest credited at the rate specified under the secondary guarantee).

    d. Fourth, a determination should be made of the single payment necessary at the valuation date to fully fund the remaining secondary guarantee assuming that the minimum gross premiums have been paid, up through the valuation date, during the secondary guarantee period. The result from sub-subparagraph c. should be divided by this number.

    e. Fifth, compute the net single premium on the valuation date for the coverage provided by the secondary guarantee for the remainder of the secondary guarantee period, using any valuation table and select factors authorized in paragraph (5)(a) of Rule 69O-164.020, F.A.C.

    f. Sixth, the “net amount of additional premiums” is determined by multiplying the ratio from sub-subparagraph d. by the difference between the net single premium from sub-subparagraph e. and the basic and deficiency reserve, if any, computed in sub-subparagraph b.

    g. Seventh, a “reduced deficiency reserve” should be computed by multiplying the deficiency reserve, if any, by one minus the ratio from sub-subparagraph d., but not less than zero. This “reduced deficiency reserve” is the deficiency reserve to be used for purposes of subparagraph (7)(d)1. of Rule 69O-164.020, F.A.C.

    h. Eighth, the actual reserve used for purposes of subparagraph (7)(d)1. of Rule 69O-164.020, F.A.C., is the lesser of: (1) the net single premium from sub-subparagraph e., and (2) the amount of the excess from sub-subparagraph f., plus the basic reserve and the deficiency reserve, if any, computed in sub-subparagraph b. Reduce this result by the applicable policy surrender charges, i.e., the account value less the cash surrender value. If the resulting amount is less than the sum of the basic and deficiency reserve from sub-subparagraph b, then the basic and deficiency reserves to be used for the purposes of subparagraph (7)(d)1. of Rule 69O-164.020, F.A.C., are those calculated in sub-subparagraph b, and no further calculation is required.

    i. Ninth, an “increased basic reserve” should be computed by subtracting the “reduced deficiency reserve” in sub-subparagraph g. from the reserve computed in sub-subparagraph h. This “increased basic reserve” is the basic reserve to be used for purposes of subparagraph (7)(d)1. of Rule 69O-164.020, F.A.C.

    2. For policies and certificates issued on or after July 1, 2005:

    a. First, the minimum gross premiums (determined at issue) that will satisfy the secondary guarantee requirement must be derived.

    b. Second, for purposes of applying paragraphs (7)(b) and (7)(c) of Rule 69O-164.020, F.A.C., the “specified premiums” are the minimum gross premiums derived in sub-subparagraph a. Consistent with Rule 69O-164.020, F.A.C., the remaining sub-subparagraphs in this rule should be calculated on a segmented basis, using the segments that Rule 69O-164.020, F.A.C., defines for the product. Therefore, in the remaining sub-subparagraphs, the term “fully fund the guarantee” should be interpreted to mean fully funding the guarantee to the end of each possible segment. The term “remainder of the secondary guarantee period” should be interpreted to mean the remainder of each possible segment. The total reserve should equal the greatest of all possible segmented reserves.

    c. Third, a determination should be made of the amount of actual premium payments in excess of the minimum gross premiums. For policies utilizing shadow accounts, this will be the amount of the shadow account. For policies with no shadow accounts but which specify cumulative premium requirements, this excess will be the amount of the cumulative premiums paid in excess of the cumulative premium requirements; the cumulative premium payments and requirements should include any interest credited under the secondary guarantee (with interest credited at the rate specified under the secondary guarantee).

    d. Fourth, as of the valuation date for the policy being valued, for policies utilizing shadow accounts, determine the minimum amount of shadow account required to fully fund the guarantee. For policies with no shadow accounts but which specify cumulative premium requirements, determine the amount of the cumulative premiums paid in excess of the cumulative premium requirements that would result in no future premium requirements to fully fund the guarantee; the cumulative premium payments and requirements should include any interest credited under the secondary guarantee (with interest credited at the rate specified under the secondary guarantee). For any policy for which the secondary guarantee can not be fully funded in advance, solve for the minimum sum of any possible excess funding (either the amount in the shadow account or excess cumulative premium payments depending on the product design) and the present value of future premiums (using the maximum allowable valuation interest rate and the minimum mortality standards allowable for calculating basic reserves) that would fully fund the guarantee. The amount determined above for this sub-subparagraph is to then be divided by one minus a seven percent premium load allowance (0.93). The result from sub-subparagraph c should be divided by this number, with the resulting ratio capped at 1. The ratio is intended to measure the level of prefunding for a secondary guarantee which is used to establish reserves. Assumptions within the numerator and denominator of the ratio therefore must be consistent in order to appropriately reflect the level of prefunding. The denominator is allowed to be inconsistent only by the amount of the premium load allowance as defined in this sub-subparagraph. As used here, “assumptions” include any factor or value, whether assumed or known, which is used to calculate the numerator or denominator of the ratio.

    e. Fifth, compute the net single premium on the valuation date for the coverage provided by the secondary guarantee for the remainder of the secondary guarantee period, using any valuation table and select factors authorized in paragraph (5)(a) of Rule 69O-164.020, F.A.C.

    f. Sixth, the “net amount of additional premiums” is determined by multiplying the ratio from sub-subparagraph d by the difference between the net single premium from sub-subparagraph e. and the basic and deficiency reserve, if any, computed in sub-subparagraph b.

    g. Seventh, a “reduced deficiency reserve” should be computed by multiplying the deficiency reserve, if any, by one minus the ratio from sub-subparagraph d, but not less than zero. This “reduced deficiency reserve” is the deficiency reserve to be used for purposes of subparagraph (7)(d)1. of Rule 69O-164.020, F.A.C.

    h. Eighth, the actual reserve used for purposes of subparagraph (7)(d)1. of Rule 69O-164.020, F.A.C., is the lesser of: (1) the net single premium from sub-subparagraph e., and, (2) the amount of the excess from sub-subparagraph f. plus the basic reserve and the deficiency reserve, if any, computed in sub-subparagraph b. Reduce this result by the applicable policy surrender charges, i.e., the account value less the cash surrender value. Multiply the applicable policy surrender charge by the ratio of the net level premium for the secondary guarantee period divided by the net level premium for whole life insurance. Calculate both net premiums using the maximum allowable valuation interest rate and the minimum mortality standards allowable for calculating basic reserves. However, if no future premiums are required to support the guarantee period being valued, there is no reduction for surrender charges. If the resulting amount is less than the sum of the basic and deficiency reserve from sub-subparagraph b, then the basic and deficiency reserves to be used for the purposes of subparagraph (7)(d)1. of Rule 69O-164.020, F.A.C. are those calculated in sub-subparagraph b, and no further calculation is required.

    i. Ninth, an “increased basic reserve” should be computed by subtracting the “reduced deficiency reserve” in sub-subparagraph g. from the reserve computed in sub-subparagraph h. This “increased basic reserve” is the basic reserve to be used for purposes of subparagraph 69O-164.020(7)(d)1., F.A.C.

    (3) Effective Date.

    (a) The application of this rule shall be to policies issued on or after December 24, 2003.

    (b) Subparagraph (2)(i)2. shall apply to all policies and certificates issued on or after July 1, 2005.

    Specific Authority 624.308(1), 625.121(5) FS. Law Implemented 624.307(1), 625.121(5) FS. History–New______.

    Pursuant to the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, any person requiring special accommodations to participate in this program, please advise the contact person at least 5 calendar days before the program by contacting Kerry Krantz, e-mail: kerry.krantz@fldfs.com.