14VAC5-310 Rules Governing Actuarial Opinions and Memoranda

REGULATIONS

Vol. 26 Iss. 5 - November 09, 2009

TITLE 14. INSURANCE

STATE CORPORATION COMMISSION

Chapter 310

Proposed Regulation

Titles of Regulations: 14VAC5-310. Rules Governing Actuarial Opinions and Memoranda (amending 14VAC5-310-90).

14VAC5-321. Use of the 2001 CSO Mortality Table in Determining Reserve Liabilities and Nonforfeiture Benefits (amending 14VAC5-321-30).

Statutory Authority: §§ 12.1-13 and 38.2-223 of the Code of Virginia.

Public Hearing Information: A public hearing will be scheduled upon request.

Public Comment Deadline: November 29, 2009.

Agency Contact: Raquel C. Pino-Moreno, Principal Insururance Analyst, Bureau of Insurance, State Corporation Commission, 1300 E. Main Street, P.O. Box 1157, Richmond, VA 23218, telephone [phone], FAX [phone], or email [e-mail].

Summary:

The revisions allow the Bureau of Insurance to authorize insurance companies to use the 2001 CSO Mortality Table for policies issued on or after January 1, 2004 (14VAC5-321), the current provision is applicable for policies issued on or after July 1, 2004. The proposed revisions also require an appointed actuary to produce a report attesting to the fact that a company has booked reserves satisfying the minimum reserve requirements and describing how they reached their conclusion regarding adequacy (14VAC5-310). The proposed revisions to the rules are based on the National Association of Insurance Commissioner's (NAIC) revisions to its Actuarial Opinion and Memorandum Regulation Model, which was adopted by the NAIC on September 23, 2009, and its Recognition of the 2001 CSO Mortality Table for Use in Determining Minimum Reserve Liabilities and Nonforfeiture Benefits Model Regulation, which was adopted by the NAIC in 2002.

AT RICHMOND, OCTOBER 21, 2009

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA

At the relation of the

STATE CORPORATION COMMISSION

CASE NO. INS-2009-00230

Ex Parte: In the matter of Adopting
Revisions to the Rules Governing
Actuarial Opinions and Memoranda
and Use of the 2001 CSO Mortality Table
in Determining Reserve Liabilities
and Nonforfeiture Benefits

ORDER TO TAKE NOTICE

Section 12.1-13 of the Code of Virginia provides that the State Corporation Commission ("Commission") shall have the power to promulgate rules and regulations in the enforcement and administration of all laws within its jurisdiction, and § 38.2-223 of the Code of Virginia provides that the Commission may issue any rules and regulations necessary or appropriate for the administration and enforcement of Title 38.2 of the Code of Virginia. The rules and regulations issued by the Commission pursuant to § 38.2-223 of the Code of Virginia are set forth in Title 14 of the Virginia Administrative Code.

The Bureau of Insurance ("Bureau") has submitted to the Commission proposed amendments to the regulations set forth in Chapter 310 and 321 of Title 14 of the Virginia Administrative Code entitled "Rules Governing Actuarial Opinions and Memoranda" and "Use of the 2001 CSO Mortality Table in Determining Reserve Liabilities and Nonforfeiture Benefits."

The proposed amendments to the Rules Governing Actuarial Opinions and Memoranda are based on the National Association of Insurance Commissioners' ("NAIC") revisions to the model regulation on the same subject which were adopted on September 23, 2009. The proposed amendments to the Use of the 2001 CSO Mortality Table in Determining Reserve Liabilities for Nonforfeiture Benefits are based on the NAIC's revisions to the model regulations on the same subject which were adopted in 2002.

The Commission is of the opinion that the proposed amendments submitted by the Bureau and set out at 14 VAC 5-310-90 and 14 VAC 5-321-30 should be considered for adoption with an effective date of December 31, 2009.

Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED THAT:

(1) The proposed regulations entitled "Rules Governing Actuarial Opinions and Memoranda" and "Use of the 2001 CSO Mortality Table in Determining Reserve Liabilities and Nonforfeiture Benefits," which amend the regulations at 14 VAC 5-310-90 and 14 VAC 5‑321‑30, be attached hereto and made a part hereof.

(2) All interested persons who desire to comment in support of or in opposition to, or request a hearing to oppose the adoption of the proposed regulations, shall file such comments or hearing request on or before November 29, 2009, in writing, with Joel H. Peck, Clerk, State Corporation Commission, c/o Document Control Center, P.O. Box 2118, Richmond, Virginia 23218, and shall refer to Case No. INS-2009-00230. Interested persons desiring to submit comments electronically may do so by following the instructions available at the Commission's website: http://www.scc.virginia.gov/case.

(3) If no written request for a hearing on the proposed regulations is filed on or before November 29, 2009, the Commission, upon consideration of any comments submitted in support of or in opposition to the proposed regulations, may adopt the proposed regulations as submitted by the Bureau.

(4) The Commission's Division of Information Resources forthwith shall cause a copy of this Order, together with the proposed regulations, to be forwarded to the Virginia Registrar of Regulations for appropriate publication in the Virginia Register of Regulations and shall make available this Order and the attached proposed regulations on the Commission's website, http://www.scc.virginia.gov/case.

(5) AN ATTESTED COPY hereof, together with a copy of the proposed regulations, shall be sent by the Clerk of the Commission to the Bureau in care of Deputy Commissioner Douglas C. Stolte, who forthwith shall give further notice of the proposed adoption of the amended regulations by mailing a copy of this Order, together with the proposed regulations, to all licensed life insurers, burial societies, fraternal benefit societies, qualified reinsurers, and certain interested parties designated by the Bureau.

(6) The Bureau shall file with the Clerk of the Commission an affidavit of compliance with the notice requirements of Ordering Paragraph (5) above.

14VAC5-310-90. Description of actuarial memorandum issued for an asset adequacy analysis and regulatory asset adequacy issues summary.

A. The following general provisions shall apply with respect to the preparation and submission of the asset adequacy memorandum required by § 38.2-3127.1 of the Code of Virginia.

1. In accordance with § 38.2-3127.1 of the Code of Virginia, the appointed actuary shall prepare a memorandum to the company describing the analysis done in support of his opinion regarding the reserves. The memorandum shall be made available for examination by the commission upon its request but shall be returned to the company after such examination and shall not be considered a record of the Bureau of Insurance or subject to automatic filing with the commission.

2. In preparing the memorandum, the appointed actuary may rely on, and include as a part of his memorandum, memoranda prepared and signed by other actuaries who are qualified within the meaning of 14VAC5-310-50 B, with respect to the areas covered in such memoranda, and so state in their memoranda.

3. If the commission requests a memorandum and no such memorandum exists or if the commission finds that the analysis described in the memorandum fails to meet the standards of the Actuarial Standards Board or the standards and requirements of this chapter, the commission may designate a qualified actuary to review the opinion and prepare such supporting memorandum as is required for review. The reasonable and necessary expense of the independent review shall be paid by the company but shall be directed and controlled by the commission.

4. The reviewing actuary shall have the same status as an examiner for purposes of obtaining data from the company and the work papers and documentation of the reviewing actuary shall be retained by the commission; provided, however, that any information provided by the company to the reviewing actuary and included in the work papers shall be considered as material provided by the company to the commission and shall be kept confidential to the same extent as is prescribed by law with respect to other material provided by the company to the commission pursuant to the statute governing this chapter. The reviewing actuary shall not be an employee of a consulting firm involved with the preparation of any prior memorandum or opinion for the insurer pursuant to this chapter for any one of the current year or the preceding three years.

5. In accordance with § 38.2-3127.1 of the Code of Virginia, the appointed actuary shall prepare a regulatory asset adequacy issues summary, the contents of which are specified in subsection C of this section. The regulatory asset adequacy issues summary shall be submitted no later than March 15 of the year following the year for which a statement of actuarial opinion based on asset adequacy is required. The regulatory asset adequacy issues summary is to be kept confidential to the same extent and under the same conditions as the actuarial memorandum.

B. A section of the memorandum shall document asset adequacy testing by demonstrating that the analysis has been done in accordance with the standards for asset adequacy referred to in 14VAC5-310-50 D and any additional standards under this chapter. It shall specify:

1. For reserves:

a. Product descriptions including market description, underwriting and other aspects of a risk profile, and the specific risks the appointed actuary deems significant;

b. Source of liability in force;

c. Reserve method and basis;

d. Investment reserves;

e. Reinsurance arrangements;

f. Identification of any explicit or implied guarantees made by the general account in support of benefits provided through a separate account policy or contract and the methods used by the appointed actuary to provide for the guarantees in the asset adequacy analysis; and

g. Documentation of assumptions to test reserves for (i) lapse rates, whether base or excess, (ii) interest crediting rate strategy, (iii) mortality, (iv) policyholder dividend strategy, (v) competitor or market interest rate, (vi) annuitization rates, (vii) commission and expenses, and (viii) morbidity.

The documentation of the assumptions shall be such that an actuary reviewing the actuarial memorandum could form a conclusion as to the reasonableness of the assumption.

2. For assets:

a. Portfolio descriptions, including a risk profile disclosing the quality, distribution and types of assets;

b. Investment and disinvestment assumptions;

c. Source of asset data;

d. Asset valuation bases; and

e. Documentation of assumptions made for (i) default costs, (ii) bond call function, (iii) mortgage prepayment function, (iv) determining market value for assets sold due to disinvestment strategy, and (v) determining yield on assets acquired through the investment strategy.

The documentation of the assumptions shall be such that an actuary reviewing the actuarial memorandum could form a conclusion as to the reasonableness of the assumption.

3. For the analysis basis:

a. Methodology;

b. Rationale for inclusion or exclusion of different blocks of business and how pertinent risks were analyzed;

c. Rationale for degree of rigor in analyzing different blocks of business, including the rationale for the level of "materiality" that was used in determining how rigorously to analyze different blocks of business;

d. Criteria for determining asset adequacy, including in the criteria the precise basis for determining if assets are adequate to cover reserves under "moderately adverse conditions" or other conditions as specified in relevant actuarial standards of practice; and

e. Whether the impact of federal income taxes was considered and the method of treating reinsurance in the asset adequacy analysis.

4. Summary of material changes in methods, procedures, or assumptions from prior year's asset adequacy analysis;

5. Summary of results; and

6. Conclusion.

C. The regulatory asset adequacy issues summary shall contain the name of the company for which the regulatory asset adequacy issues summary is being supplied and shall be signed and dated by the appointed actuary rendering the actuarial opinion. The regulatory asset adequacy issues summary also shall include each of the following:

1. Descriptions of the scenarios tested, including whether those scenarios are stochastic or deterministic, and the sensitivity testing done relative to those scenarios. If negative ending surplus results under certain tests in the aggregate, the actuary should describe those tests and the amount of additional reserve as of the valuation date which, if held, would eliminate the negative aggregate surplus values. Ending surplus values shall be determined by either extending the projection period until the in-force and associated assets and liabilities at the end of the projection period are immaterial or by adjusting the surplus amount at the end of the projection period by an amount that appropriately estimates the value that reasonably can be expected to arise from the assets and liabilities remaining in force;

2. The extent to which the appointed actuary uses assumptions in the asset adequacy analysis that are materially different from the assumptions used in the previous asset adequacy analysis;

3. The amount of reserves and the identity of the product lines that had been subjected to asset adequacy analysis in the prior opinion but were not subject to analysis for the current opinion;

4. Comments on any interim results that may be of significant concern to the appointed actuary. For example, the impact of the insufficiency of assets to support the payment of benefits and expenses and the establishment of statutory reserves during one or more interim periods;

5. The methods used by the actuary to recognize the impact of reinsurance on the company's cash flows, including both assets and liabilities, under each of the scenarios tested; and

6. Whether the actuary has been satisfied that all options whether explicit or embedded, in any asset or liability, including but not limited to those affecting cash flows embedded in fixed income securities, and equity-like features in any investments have been appropriately considered in the asset adequacy analysis.

D. The actuarial methods, considerations, and analyses shall conform to appropriate standards of practice and the memorandum shall include the following statement:

"Actuarial methods, considerations and analyses used in the preparation of this memorandum conform to the appropriate Standards of Practice as promulgated by the Actuarial Standards Board, which standards form the basis for this memorandum."

E. An appropriate allocation of assets in the amount of Interest Maintenance Reserve (IMR), whether positive or negative, shall be used in any asset adequacy analysis. Analysis of risks regarding asset default shall include an appropriate allocation of assets supporting the Asset Valuation Reserve (AVR); these AVR assets shall not be applied for any other risks with respect to reserve adequacy. Analysis of these and other risks shall include assets supporting other mandatory or voluntary reserves available to the extent not used for risk analysis and reserve support. The amount of the assets used for the AVR shall be disclosed in the Table of Reserves and Liabilities of the opinion and in the memorandum. The method used for selecting particular assets or allocated portions of assets shall be disclosed in the memorandum.

14VAC5-321-30. 2001 CSO Mortality Table.

A. At the election of the insurer for any one or more specified plans of insurance and subject to the conditions stated in this chapter, the 2001 CSO Mortality Table may be used as the minimum standard for policies issued on or after July January 1, 2004, and before the date specified in subsection B of this section to which subdivision 1 of § 38.2-3130 and § 38.2-3209 of the Code of Virginia are applicable. If the insurer elects to use the 2001 CSO Mortality Table, it shall do so for both valuation and nonforfeiture purposes.

B. Subject to the conditions stated in this chapter, the 2001 CSO Mortality Table shall be used in determining minimum standards for policies issued on and after January 1, 2009, to which subdivision 1 of § 38.2-3130 and § 38.2-3209 of the Code of Virginia are applicable.

C. A table from the 2001 CSO Preferred Class Structure Mortality Table used in place of a 2001 CSO Mortality Table, pursuant to the requirements of 14VAC5-322, will be treated as part of the 2001 CSO Mortality Table only for purposes of reserve valuation pursuant to the requirements of this chapter.

VA.R. Doc. No. R10-2018; Filed October 21, 2009, 11:15 a.m.