33-2-407. Standard valuation of reserve liabilities law. (1) The commissioner shall annually value or cause to be valued the reserve liabilities (reserves) for all outstanding life insurance policies and annuity and pure endowment contracts of every life insurer doing business in this state issued on or before the operative date of the valuation manual. In calculating the reserves under this subsection, the commissioner may use group methods and approximate averages for fractions of a year or otherwise.

(2) The commissioner shall annually value or cause to be valued the reserve liabilities for all outstanding life insurance contracts, annuities, and pure endowment contracts, accident and health contracts, and deposit-type contracts of every company issued after the operative date of the valuation manual in accordance with the valuation manual.

(3) In lieu of the valuation of the reserves required in this section of any foreign or alien insurer, the commissioner may accept any valuation made or caused to be made by the insurance supervisory official of any state or other jurisdiction when the valuation complies with the minimum standard provided in this part.

(4) Any insurer that has adopted any standard of valuation producing greater aggregate reserves than those calculated according to the minimum standards provided in this part may, with the approval of the commissioner, adopt any lower standard of valuation but not lower than the minimum in this section. For the purposes of this section, the holding of additional reserves previously determined by an appointed actuary to be necessary to render the opinion required in subsections (5) and (6) may not be considered to be the adoption of a higher standard of valuation.

(5) (a) Each life insurer doing business in this state prior to the operative date of the valuation manual shall annually submit the opinion of a qualified actuary as to whether the reserves and related actuarial items held in support of the policies and contracts specified by the commissioner by rule are computed appropriately, are based on assumptions that satisfy contractual provisions, are consistent with prior reported amounts, and comply with applicable laws of this state. The commissioner by rule shall define the specifics of this opinion and add any other items considered necessary to its scope.

(b) Each life insurer, except as exempted by or pursuant to regulation, shall also annually include in the opinion required by subsection (5)(a) an opinion of the same qualified actuary as to whether the reserves and related actuarial items held in support of the policies and contracts specified by the commissioner by rule make adequate provision for the insurer's obligations under the policies and contracts, including but not limited to the benefits under and expenses associated with the policies and contracts. In developing the opinion, the qualified actuary shall consider the assets held by the insurer with respect to the reserves and related actuarial items, including but not limited to the investment earnings on the assets and the considerations anticipated to be received and retained under the policies and contracts.

(c) The commissioner may provide by rule for a transition period for establishing any higher reserves that the qualified actuary may consider necessary in order to render the opinion required by this subsection (5).

(d) Each opinion required by this subsection (5) must be governed by the following provisions:

(i) A memorandum, in form and substance acceptable to the commissioner as specified by rule, must be prepared to support each actuarial opinion.

(ii) If the insurer fails to provide a supporting memorandum at the request of the commissioner within a period specified by rule or if the commissioner determines that the supporting memorandum provided by the insurer fails to meet the standards prescribed by the rules or is otherwise unacceptable to the commissioner, the commissioner may engage a qualified actuary at the expense of the insurer to review the opinion and the basis for the opinion and to prepare any supporting memorandum as is required by the commissioner.

(iii) The opinion must be submitted with the annual statement reflecting the valuation of the reserve liabilities for each year ending on or after December 31, 1996.

(iv) The opinion must apply to all business in force, including individual and group health insurance plans, in form and substance acceptable to the commissioner as specified by rule.

(v) The opinion must be based on standards adopted from time to time by the actuarial standards board and on additional standards as the commissioner may prescribe by rule.

(vi) In the case of an opinion required to be submitted by a foreign or alien insurer, the commissioner may accept the opinion filed by that insurer with the insurance supervisory official of another state if the commissioner determines that the opinion reasonably meets the requirements applicable to a company domiciled in this state.

(vii) Except in cases of fraud or willful misconduct, the qualified actuary is not liable for damages to any person, other than the insurer and the commissioner, for any act, error, omission, decision, or conduct with respect to the actuary's opinion.

(viii) Disciplinary action by the commissioner against the insurer or the qualified actuary must be defined in rules by the commissioner.

(6) (a) After the operative date of the valuation manual, each life insurer doing business in this state shall annually submit the opinion of a qualified actuary regarding whether the reserves and related actuarial items held in support of the policies and contracts specified by the commissioner by rule are:

(i) computed appropriately;

(ii) based on assumptions that satisfy contractual provisions;

(iii) consistent with prior reported amounts; and

(iv) in compliance with the applicable laws of this state.

(b) A qualified actuary shall prepare a memorandum in support of each actuarial opinion under this subsection (6). The memorandum must be in the form and substance specified in the valuation manual and as provided by the commissioner.

(c) The opinion under this subsection (6):

(i) must be submitted with the annual statement reflecting the valuation of the reserve liabilities for each year ending on or after the operative date of the valuation manual;

(ii) must apply to all policies and contracts subject to this subsection (6) and to other actuarial liabilities identified in the valuation manual; and

(iii) must be based on the actuarial standards board's standards and any additional standards prescribed in the valuation manual.

(d) If the insurer fails to provide a supporting memorandum at the request of the commissioner within a period specified in the valuation manual or if the commissioner determines that the supporting memorandum provided by the insurer fails to meet the standards prescribed by the valuation manual or is otherwise unacceptable to the commissioner, the commissioner may engage a qualified actuary at the expense of the insurer to review the opinion and the basis for the opinion and prepare the supporting memorandum required by the commissioner.

(e) For an opinion required to be submitted by a foreign or alien insurer, the commissioner may accept the opinion filed by that insurer with the insurance supervisory official of another state if the commissioner determines that the opinion reasonably meets the requirements applicable to an insurer domiciled in this state.

(f) (i) Except as provided in subsection (6)(f)(ii), the appointed actuary is not liable for damages to any person other than the insurer and the commissioner for any act, error, omission, decision, or conduct with respect to the appointed actuary's opinion.

(ii) The provisions of subsection (6)(f)(i) do not apply in cases of fraud or willful misconduct.

(g) The commissioner shall define by rule any disciplinary action that may be taken by the commissioner against the insurer or the appointed actuary.

History: En. Sec. 92, Ch. 286, L. 1959; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 61, L. 1961; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 41, L. 1965; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 341, L. 1973; R.C.M. 1947, 40-3011(1); amd. Sec. 13, Ch. 379, L. 1995; amd. Sec. 14, Ch. 472, L. 1999; amd. Sec. 17, Ch. 370, L. 2015; Sec. 33-2-521, MCA 2013; redes. 33-2-407 by Sec. 40, Ch. 370, L. 2015.