2023 Montana Code Annotated › Title 33. Insurance and Insurance Companies › Chapter 10. Insurance Guaranty Associations › Part 2. Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Associations › 33-10-235. Association election to continue reinsurance

33-10-235. Association election to continue reinsurance.
(1) Within 1 year after the coverage date, which is the date that the association becomes responsible for the obligations of a member insurer, the association may elect to succeed to the rights and obligations of a member insurer that accrued on or after the coverage date under an indemnity reinsurance agreement entered into by the member insurer as the ceding insurer. The association may not exercise an election with respect to a reinsurance agreement if the rehabilitator or liquidator of the member insurer has previously expressly disaffirmed the agreement.
(2) The election to succeed to the rights and obligations of the member insurer must be accomplished through notice to the supervisor, rehabilitator, or liquidator and to the affected reinsurers.
(3) If the association makes an election, the association:
(a) is responsible for all unpaid premiums due under the agreements for the periods before and after the coverage date and is responsible for the performance of all obligations to be performed after the coverage date in each contract covered, either in whole or in part, by the association. The association may charge contracts covered in part by the association the costs for reinsurance in excess of the obligations of the association, using reasonable allocation methods.
(b) is entitled to any amounts payable by the reinsurer under the agreements with respect to losses or events that occur in periods after the coverage date and that relate to contracts covered by the association, in whole or in part. In order to receive these amounts, the association must be obligated to pay the beneficiary of the underlying policy or contract a portion of the amount equal to the excess of the amount received by the association minus:
(i) the benefits paid by the association under the policy or contract; and
(ii) any amount properly retained by the impaired or insolvent insurer for the loss or event.
(c) shall calculate, within 30 days of the election, the net balance due to or from the association under each reinsurance agreement as of the date of the association's election, giving full credit to all items paid to either the member insurer, its rehabilitator or liquidator, or the indemnity reinsurer during the period between the coverage date and the date of the association's election. Either the association or the indemnity insurer shall pay the net balance due the other within 5 days of completion of the calculation. If the rehabilitator or liquidator has received any amount under this section, the rehabilitator or liquidator shall remit it to the association as soon as practicable.
(4) If, within 60 days of the election, the association pays the premiums due for the periods before and after the coverage date that relate to the contracts covered by the association, either in whole or in part, the reinsurer may not terminate the reinsurance agreement insofar as the agreement relates to contracts covered by the association, in whole or in part, and is not entitled to set off any unpaid premium due for periods prior to the coverage date against amounts due the association.
(5) The association may transfer any rights or obligations under this section to a third-party insurer under terms agreed upon by the association and the third-party insurer.
(6) Except as otherwise expressly stated in this section, this section may not be construed to alter or modify the terms and conditions of the reinsurance agreement of an insolvent member insurer. This section is not intended to:
(a) abrogate or limit any rights of a reinsurer to claim that it is entitled to rescind a reinsurance agreement; or
(b) give a policyowner or beneficiary an independent cause of action against an insurer that is not otherwise provided for in the reinsurance agreement.
History: En. Sec. 1, Ch. 195, L. 2003.