2023 Montana Code Annotated › Title 33. Insurance and Insurance Companies › Chapter 2. Regulation of Insurance Companies › Part 17. Regulation of Reinsurance Intermediaries › 33-2-1705. Required contract provisions -- reinsurance intermediary-managers

33-2-1705. Required contract provisions -- reinsurance intermediary-managers.
Transactions between a reinsurance intermediary-manager and the reinsurer it represents in that capacity may only be entered into pursuant to a written contract specifying the responsibilities of each party. The contract must be approved by the reinsurer's board of directors. At least 30 days before the reinsurer assumes or cedes business through a producer, a true copy of the approved contract must be filed with the commissioner for approval. The contract must, at a minimum, include the following provisions:
(1) The reinsurer may terminate the contract for cause upon written notice to the reinsurance intermediary-manager. The reinsurer may immediately suspend the authority of the reinsurance intermediary-manager to assume or cede business during the pendency of any dispute regarding the cause for termination.
(2) The reinsurance intermediary-manager shall render accounts to the reinsurer accurately detailing all material transactions, including information necessary to support all commissions, charges, and other fees received by or owed to the reinsurance intermediary-manager, and shall remit all funds due under the contract to the reinsurer on not less than a monthly basis.
(3) All funds collected for the reinsurer's account will be held by the reinsurance intermediary-manager in a fiduciary capacity in a bank that is a qualified United States financial institution. The reinsurance intermediary-manager may not retain more than 3 months' estimated claims payments and allocated loss adjustment expenses. The reinsurance intermediary-manager shall maintain a separate bank account for each reinsurer that it represents.
(4) For at least 10 years after expiration of each contract of reinsurance transacted by the reinsurance intermediary-manager, the reinsurance intermediary-manager shall keep a complete record for each transaction showing:
(a) the type of contract, limits, underwriting restrictions, classes or risks, and territory;
(b) the period of coverage, including effective and expiration dates, cancellation provisions, notice required for cancellation, and disposition of outstanding reserves on covered risks;
(c) the reporting and settlement requirements of balances;
(d) the rate used to compute the reinsurance premium;
(e) the names and addresses of reinsurers;
(f) the rates of all reinsurance commissions, including the commissions on any retrocessions handled by the reinsurance intermediary-manager;
(g) related correspondence and memorandums;
(h) proof of placement;
(i) details regarding retrocessions handled by the reinsurance intermediary-manager, as permitted by 33-2-1707, including the identity of persons making the retrocessions and the percentage of each contract assumed or ceded;
(j) financial records, including but not limited to premium and loss accounts; and
(k) when the reinsurance intermediary-manager places a reinsurance contract on behalf of a ceding insurer:
(i) directly from any assuming reinsurer, written evidence that the assuming reinsurer has agreed to assume the risk; or
(ii) if placed through a representative of the assuming reinsurer, other than an employee, written evidence that the assuming reinsurer has delegated binding authority to the representative.
(5) The reinsurer will have access to and the right to copy all accounts and records maintained by the reinsurance intermediary-manager related to its business in a form usable by the reinsurer.
(6) The contract may not be assigned in whole or in part by the reinsurance intermediary-manager.
(7) The reinsurance intermediary-manager shall comply with the written underwriting and rating standards established by the insurer for the acceptance, rejection, or cession of all risks.
(8) The rates, terms, and purposes of commissions, charges, and other fees that the reinsurance intermediary-manager may levy against the reinsurer must be set forth.
(9) If the contract permits the reinsurance intermediary-manager to settle claims on behalf of the reinsurer:
(a) all claims must be reported to the reinsurer in a timely manner;
(b) a copy of the claim file must be sent to the reinsurer at its request or as soon as it becomes known that the claim:
(i) has the potential to exceed the lesser of an amount determined by the commissioner or the limit set by the reinsurer;
(ii) involves a coverage dispute;
(iii) may exceed the reinsurance intermediary-manager's claims settlement authority;
(iv) is open for more than 6 months; or
(v) is closed by payment of the lesser of an amount set by the commissioner or an amount set by the reinsurer;
(c) all claim files must be the joint property of the reinsurer and the reinsurance intermediary-manager. However, upon an order of liquidation of the reinsurer, the files become the sole property of the reinsurer or its estate. The reinsurance intermediary-manager must have reasonable access to and the right to copy the files on a timely basis.
(d) any settlement authority granted to the reinsurance intermediary-manager may be terminated for cause upon the reinsurer's written notice to the reinsurance intermediary-manager or upon the termination of the contract. The reinsurer may suspend the settlement authority during the pendency of the dispute regarding the cause of termination.
(10) If the contract provides for a sharing of interim profits by the reinsurance intermediary-manager, the interim profits may not be paid until:
(a) 1 year after the end of each underwriting period for property business;
(b) 5 years after the end of each underwriting period for casualty business;
(c) a later period set by the commissioner for specified lines of insurance; and
(d) the adequacy of reserves on remaining claims has been verified pursuant to 33-2-1707.
(11) The reinsurance intermediary-manager shall annually provide the reinsurer with a statement of its financial condition prepared by an independent certified accountant.
(12) The reinsurer shall, at least semiannually, conduct an onsite review of the underwriting and claims processing operations of the reinsurance intermediary-manager.
(13) The reinsurance intermediary-manager shall disclose to the reinsurer any relationship it has with any insurer prior to ceding or assuming any business with the insurer pursuant to the contract.
(14) Within the scope of its actual or apparent authority, the acts of the reinsurance intermediary-manager are considered to be the acts of the reinsurer on whose behalf it is acting.
History: En. Sec. 23, Ch. 596, L. 1993.