836-011-0150 Designation of Independent Certified Public Accountant (1) Each insurer required by OAR 836-011-0120 to file an annual audited financial report, within 60 days after becoming subject to the requirement, must register with the Director in writing the name and address of the independent certified public accountant or accounting firm retained to conduct the annual audit set forth in OAR 836-011-0120 and 836-011-0150. An insurer not retaining an independent certified public accountant on July 1, 2008 shall register the name and address of its retained independent certified public accountant not less than six months before the date on which the first audited financial report is to be filed. (2) An insurer shall obtain a letter from the accountant retained by the insurer stating that the accountant is aware of the provisions of the Insurance Code and the rules of the Insurance Department of the state of domicile that relate to accounting and financial matters and affirming that the accountant will express the opinion of the accountant on the financial statements in terms of their conformity with the statutory accounting practices prescribed or otherwise permitted by that Department, specifying exceptions that the accountant believes appropriate. The insurer shall file a copy of the letter with the Director. (3) If the accountant who was the certified public accountant for the immediately preceding filed audited financial report is dismissed or resigns, the insurer shall so notify the Director not later than the fifth business day after the dismissal or resignation. The insurer shall also do the following: (a) Notify the Director in a separate letter, not later than the 10th business day after the date of the notice of dismissal or resignation, whether in the 24 months preceding the engagement there were any disagreements with the former accountant on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure or auditing scope or procedure that, if not resolved to the satisfaction of the former accountant, would have caused the former accountant to make reference to the subject matter of the disagreement in connection with the accountant's opinion. The disagreements required to be reported in response to this subsection include both those resolved to the former accountant's satisfaction and those not resolved to the former accountant's satisfaction, and are those disagreements that occur at the decision making level, between personnel of the insurer responsible for presentation of its financial statements and personnel of the accounting firm responsible for rendering its report. (b) Request the former accountant, in writing, to furnish a letter addressed to the insurer stating whether the accountant agrees with the statements contained in the insurer's letter and, if not, stating the reasons for which the accountant does not agree. (c) Furnish the Director the letter received from the former accountant under subsection (b) of this section together with a response by the insurer to that letter. Statutory/Other Authority: ORS 731.244 & 731.488 Statutes/Other Implemented: ORS 731.488 History: ID 11-2008, f. & cert. ef. 7-29-08 ID 9-2008, f. 6-30-08, cert. ef. 7-1-08 ID 22-2002, f. & cert. ef. 11-27-02 ID 4-1992, f. & cert. ef. 3-26-92