§1984. Commissioner of insurance to conduct financial and market analysis of insurers and regulated entities

A. In addition to those examinations performed by the commissioner of insurance pursuant to R.S. 22:1981, the commissioner of insurance shall conduct financial and market analysis review of all insurers authorized to do business in this state and may conduct regulatory reviews of entities regulated by this Title or the Department of Insurance except for trusts established and operated under R.S. 22:46(9)(b), (c), or (d). Such reviews may include the annual statement and the market conduct annual statement of the insurer or regulated entity reviewed, company financial reports rendered pursuant to good and acceptable accounting practices, results of insurance solvency standards testing as performed by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, results of prior examinations and office reviews, management changes, consumer complaints, and such other relevant information as from time to time may be required by the commissioner.

B. In lieu of conducting a financial or market analysis under this Section of any foreign or alien insurer licensed in this state, the commissioner may rely upon the financial or market analysis conducted by the insurance department for the company's state of domicile or port-of-entry state accredited under the National Association of Insurance Commissioners' Financial Regulation Standards and Accreditation Program.

C. Failure by an insurer or regulated entity to supply information requested by the Department of Insurance during the course of financial or market analysis may subject the insurer or regulated entity to revocation or suspension of its license, or, in lieu thereof, a fine not to exceed ten thousand dollars per occurrence. Every insurer or regulated entity shall produce and make freely accessible to the commissioner of insurance the accounts, records, documents, and files in its possession or control.

D. All work papers, recorded information, documents, and copies thereof produced by, obtained by, or disclosed to the commissioner, or any other person in the course of conducting a regulatory review, financial, or market analysis, including market conduct annual statement information, performed under this Section, as well as the review and analysis of such information, shall be given confidential treatment and are not subject to subpoena or to discovery and may not be made public by the commissioner or any other person, except that access may be granted to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, insurance department of other states, international, federal, or state law enforcement agencies or international, federal, or state regulatory agencies with statutory oversight over the financial services industry, if the recipient agrees to maintain the confidentiality of those documents which are confidential under the laws of this state. Any documents, materials, or other information which are disclosed by the commissioner to a third party shall not be admissible in evidence in a private civil action and shall be exempt from any applicable freedom of information law, public records law, or similar statute. No person or entity which receives or has access to documents, materials, or other information under this Section shall be permitted or required to testify in a private civil action concerning such documents, materials, or other information. No waiver of an applicable privilege or a claim of confidentiality in the documents, materials, or other information shall occur as a result of disclosure to the commissioner or to any other person granted access under this Section as a result of sharing such documents, materials, or other information as provided in this Section. Nothing in this Section shall require an insurer to disclose documents, materials, or other information to a third party that is not otherwise required by law to be disclosed.

E. In conducting financial or market analysis, the examiner or examiners shall observe those guidelines and procedures set forth in the Financial Analysis Handbook or Market Regulation Handbook adopted by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. The commissioner may also employ such other guidelines or procedures as the commissioner may deem appropriate.

F. Nothing contained in this Chapter shall be construed to limit the commissioner's authority to use any final or preliminary analysis findings, any Department of Insurance or company work papers or other documents, or any other information discovered or developed during the course of any analysis in the furtherance of any legal or regulatory action which the commissioner may, in his sole discretion, deem appropriate.

G. Any insurer or regulated entity against whom a fine has been levied shall be given thirty days notice of such action. Upon receipt of this notice, the aggrieved insurer or regulated entity may apply for and shall be entitled to a hearing pursuant to R.S. 22:2191 et seq.

Acts 1958, No. 125; Acts 1990, No. 259, §1; Redesignated from R.S. 22:1303 by Acts 2008, No. 415, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2009; Acts 2010, No. 968, §1; Acts 2012, No. 271, §1.

NOTE: See Acts 1990, No. 259, §§2 and 3, for effectiveness and applicability.