Virginia Law

Article 3. Reserves.

A. Every insurer licensed to transact the kinds of insurance specified in §§ 38.2-102, 38.2-106 and 38.2-109 and subject to the applicable provisions of this title, shall maintain:

1. Reserves on all of its life insurance policies or certificates and annuity contracts in force, computed according to the applicable tables of mortality and interest rates prescribed in this title;

2. Reserves for both reported and unreported (i) disability benefits, including reserves for disabled lives, and (ii) accidental death benefits; and

3. Any additional reserves prescribed by the Commission as necessary on account of the insurer's policies, certificates and contracts.

B. For all accident and sickness insurance policies the insurer shall maintain an active life reserve that shall (i) place a reasonable value on its liabilities under the policies, (ii) be not less than the reserve according to appropriate standards set forth in any regulations issued by the Commission and, (iii) be not less in the aggregate than the pro rata gross unearned premiums for those policies.

1952, c. 317, § 38.1-170; 1962, c. 562; 1986, c. 562.

A. Except for risks or policies for which reserves are required under §§ 38.2-1311 and 38.2-4610.1, each insurer licensed to transact business in this Commonwealth, subject to the applicable provisions of this title, shall maintain reserves not less than the unearned portions of the gross premiums charged on unexpired or unterminated risks and policies.

B. Premiums charged for bulk assumption reinsurance assumed from other insurers shall be included in gross premiums charged on the basis of the original premiums and the original terms of the policies of the ceding insurer.

C. No deduction shall be made from the gross unearned premiums except for premiums paid or credited for risks reinsured as provided in Article 3.1 (§ 38.2-1316.1 et seq.) of this chapter.

D. Reserves required by this section shall be computed, valued, and reported in conformity with guidance set forth in the National Association of Insurance Commissioners accounting practices and procedures manuals.

Code 1950, § 38-228; 1952, c. 317, § 38.1-171; 1982, c. 430; 1986, c. 562; 2000, c. 46.

Each insurer licensed to transact business in this Commonwealth shall, except for accident and sickness insurance as defined in § 38.2-109, maintain a complete and itemized record showing all losses and claims for which notice has been given. When necessary, the insurers shall maintain a record of all notices received of the occurrence of any event that may result in a loss.

1952, c. 317, § 38.1-172; 1986, c. 562.

Except as provided in §§ 38.2-1311 and 38.2-4609, each insurer licensed to transact the business of insurance in this Commonwealth shall maintain reserves:

1. In an amount estimated in the aggregate as being sufficient to provide for reported and unreported unpaid losses or claims arising on or prior to the date of any annual or other statement for which the insurer may be liable;

2. In an amount estimated to provide for loss adjustment expenses; and

3. For those classes of insurance specified by the Commission, any additional reserves for unpaid losses, policy obligations, or deficiencies in the unearned premium reserve as required by the Commission. Each insurer authorized to write these classes of insurance shall file with its annual statement, schedules of its experience for such insurance in the form the Commission requires and shall calculate the reserves required by this paragraph in the manner prescribed by the Commission.

Code 1950, §§ 38-229 through 38-232; 1952, c. 317, § 38.1-173; 1982, c. 430; 1986, c. 562; 1994, c. 503.

A. To protect against the effect of adverse economic cycles, each insurer transacting the business of mortgage guaranty insurance in this Commonwealth shall establish and maintain a contingency reserve equal to fifty percent of its earned premium.

B. Allocations to the contingency reserve shall be maintained for 120 months. That portion of the contingency reserve that has been maintained for more than 120 months shall be released and shall no longer constitute part of the contingency reserve and shall be allocated to surplus to policyholders.

C. Upon approval by the Commission, the contingency reserve shall be available for loss payments only when the incurred losses in any one twelve-month period, less any amounts already released from the contingency reserve during that period, exceed thirty-five percent of the corresponding earned premium.

D. In the event of release of the contingency reserve for payment of losses, the contributions required by subsection A of this section shall be treated on a first-in-first-out basis.

E. Whenever the laws of any other state require a greater unearned premium reserve than that set forth in § 38.2-1312, the mortgage guaranty insurance contingency reserve of mortgage guaranty insurers organized under the laws of that state may be an amount that, when added to such unearned premium reserve, will result in a reserve equal to the sum of the unearned premium reserve required by § 38.2-1312 and the contingency reserve required by this section.

F. The authority of the Commission under § 38.2-223 to issue rules and regulations includes the authority to require that a greater reserve be established for mortgage guaranty insurance on liens other than first liens.

1973, c. 250, §§ 38.1-173.1, 38.1-173.2; 1981, c. 209; 1986, c. 562; 1989, c. 236; 2000, c. 46.

A. Effective December 31, 2004, and except as otherwise provided by this section or Article 10 (§ 38.2-1365 et seq.) of Chapter 13, every insurer doing business in the Commonwealth shall annually submit an actuarial opinion that has been prepared by an appointed actuary and that satisfies at a minimum the standards set forth in the appropriate National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) annual statement instructions.

B. Every insurer domiciled in the Commonwealth that is required to submit an actuarial opinion pursuant to subsection A shall annually submit an actuarial opinion summary, also written by the insurer's appointed actuary. Every insurer domiciled in the Commonwealth that is required to submit an actuarial opinion pursuant to subsection A or § 38.2-1367, at the request of the Commission, shall submit underlying work papers and an actuarial report or memorandum that satisfies the minimum standards set forth in the appropriate NAIC annual statement instructions and complies with all additional standards or requirements established by statute or by the Commission in accordance with the provisions of this section or Article 10 (§ 38.2-1365 et seq.) of Chapter 13. A company licensed but not domiciled in the Commonwealth shall provide such summary, work papers, report, and memorandum upon request of the Commission. Any summary, work papers, report, or memorandum filed in accordance with the appropriate NAIC annual statement 13 instructions shall be considered as a document supporting the actuarial opinion required by subsection A or § 38.2-1367.

C. If the insurer fails to provide supporting work papers or a required report or memorandum at the request of the Commission, or the Commission determines that the work papers or report or memorandum are unacceptable, the Commission may engage a qualified actuary at the expense of the insurer to review the opinion and the basis for the opinion and to prepare supporting work papers, or a report or memorandum.

D. The appointed actuary shall not be liable for damages to any person, other than the insurer and the Commission for any act, error, omission, decision, or conduct with respect to the actuary's opinion, except in cases of fraud or willful misconduct on the part of the actuary.

E. An actuarial opinion provided with the annual statement in accordance with the appropriate NAIC annual statement instructions shall be open to public inspection in accordance with § 38.2-1306.

F. Documents, materials, or other information in the possession or control of the Commission that are considered an actuarial report, work papers, an actuarial opinion summary, or an actuarial opinion report or memorandum provided in support of the opinion, and any other material provided by the insurer to the Commission in connection with the report, work papers, or summary, shall be confidential by law and privileged, shall not be subject to inspection or review by the general public, shall not be subject to subpoena, and shall not be subject to discovery or admissible in evidence in any private civil action. However, this provision shall not be construed to limit the Commission's authority to release the documents to any actuarial board established for counseling or discipline so long as the material is required for the purpose of professional disciplinary proceedings and such board establishes procedures satisfactory to the Commission for preserving the confidentiality of the documents. Moreover, the Commission is authorized to use the documents, materials, or other information in furtherance of any regulatory or legal action brought as part of the Commission's official duties.

1. Neither the Commission nor any person who received documents, materials, or other information while acting under the authority of the Commission shall be permitted or required to testify in any private civil action concerning any confidential documents, materials, or information subject to this subsection.

2. In order to assist in the performance of the Commission's duties under this section, the Commission:

a. May share documents, material, or other information, including the confidential and privileged documents, materials, or information subject to this subsection, with other state, federal, and international regulatory agencies, with the NAIC, its affiliates, or subsidiaries, and with state, federal, and international law enforcement authorities, provided that the recipient agrees to maintain the confidentiality and privileged status of the document, material, or other information.

b. May receive documents, materials, or information, including otherwise confidential and privileged documents, materials, or information, from the NAIC, its affiliates, or subsidiaries and from regulatory and law-enforcement officials of other foreign or domestic jurisdictions, and shall maintain as confidential or privileged any document, material, or information received with notice or the understanding that it is confidential or privileged under the laws of the jurisdiction that is the source of the document, material, or information.

G. The Commission may waive or modify submission requirements for a foreign insurer that has been exempted by its domiciliary commissioner from filing an actuarial opinion under a substantially similar law in its state of domicile. The Commission may modify requirements in any year for an insurer that makes application, with good cause shown, for exemption due to the nature of business written or the size and volume of business activity, or because the insurer is under supervision or an order of conservation, or if the imposition of an annual filing requirement would create a financial hardship.

2004, c. 315; 2006, c. 320; 2014, c. 571.

Repealed by Acts 1991, c. 264.