33-20-208. Mortality tables -- interest rate adjusted premiums. (1) (a) This section applies to all policies issued on or after the operative date of this section. Except as provided in subsection (7), the adjusted premiums for any policy are calculated on an annual basis and must be a uniform percentage of the respective premiums specified in the policy for each policy year, excluding amounts payable as extra premiums to cover impairments, special hazards, and any uniform annual contract charge or policy fee specified in the policy in a statement of the method to be used in calculating the cash surrender values and paid-up nonforfeiture benefits. The uniform percentage must represent the present value, at the date of issue of the policy, of all adjusted premiums that is equal to the sum of:

(i) the then present value of the future guaranteed benefits provided for by the policy;

(ii) 1% of either the amount of insurance, if the insurance is uniform in amount, or the average amount of insurance at the beginning of each of the first 10 policy years; and

(iii) 125% of the nonforfeiture net level premium as provided in subsection (2). A nonforfeiture net level premium is considered not to exceed 4% of either the amount of insurance, if the insurance is uniform in amount, or the average amount of insurance at the beginning of each of the first 10 policy years.

(b) The date of issue of a policy for the purpose of this subsection is the date as of which the rated age of the insured is determined.

(2) The nonforfeiture net level premium is equal to the present value, at the date of issue of the policy, of the guaranteed benefits provided for by the policy divided by the present value, at the date of issue of the policy, of an annuity of one per annum payable on the date of issue of the policy and on each anniversary of that policy on which a premium falls due.

(3) For policies that have on a basis guaranteed in the policy unscheduled changes in benefits or premiums or that provide an option for changes in benefits or premiums other than a change to a new policy, the adjusted premiums and present values are initially calculated on the assumption that future benefits and premiums do not change from those stipulated at the date of issue of the policy. At the time of any change in the benefits or premiums, the future adjusted premiums, nonforfeiture net level premiums, and present values must be recalculated on the assumption that future benefits and premiums do not change from those stipulated by the policy immediately after the change.

(4) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (7), the recalculated future adjusted premiums for any policy are a uniform percentage of the respective future premiums specified in the policy for each policy year, excluding amounts payable as extra premiums to cover impairments, special hazards, and any uniform annual contract charge or policy fee specified in the policy in a statement of the method to be used in calculating the cash surrender values and paid-up nonforfeiture benefits. The uniform percentage must be the present value, at the time of change to the newly defined benefits or premiums, of all future adjusted premiums that is equal to the excess of:

(a) the sum of:

(i) the then present value of the then future guaranteed benefits provided for by the policy; and

(ii) the additional expense allowance, if any; over

(b) the then cash surrender value, if any, or present value of any paid-up nonforfeiture benefit under the policy.

(5) The additional expense allowance, at the time of the change to the newly defined benefits or premiums, is the sum of:

(a) 1% of the excess, if positive, of the average amount of insurance at the beginning of each of the first 10 policy years subsequent to the change, over the average amount of insurance prior to the change at the beginning of each of the first 10 policy years subsequent to the time of the most recent previous change or, if there has been no previous change, the date of issue of the policy; and

(b) 125% of the increase, if positive, in the nonforfeiture net level premium.

(6) The recalculated nonforfeiture net level premium is equal to the result obtained by dividing the product of subsection (a) by the product of subsection (b):

(a) (i) the nonforfeiture net level premium applicable prior to the change multiplied by the present value of an annuity of one per annum payable on each anniversary of the policy on or subsequent to the date of the change on which a premium would have fallen due had the change not occurred; and

(ii) the present value of the increase in future guaranteed benefits provided for by the policy;

(b) the present value of an annuity of one per annum payable on each anniversary of the policy on or subsequent to the date of change on which a premium falls due.

(7) Adjusted premiums and present values for a substandard policy may be calculated as if the substandard policy were issued to provide higher uniform amounts of insurance on the standard basis, regardless of other provisions of this section for a policy issued on a substandard basis that provides reduced graded amounts of insurance so that, in each policy year, the policy has the same tabular mortality cost as an otherwise similar policy issued on the standard basis that provides higher uniform amounts of insurance.

(8) Except as provided below, all adjusted premiums and present values referred to in this part are for policies of ordinary insurance calculated on the basis of the commissioner's 1980 standard ordinary mortality table or, at the election of the insurer for any one or more specified plans of life insurance, the commissioner's 1980 standard ordinary mortality table with 10-year select mortality factors. All adjusted premiums and present values for policies of industrial insurance are calculated on the basis of the commissioner's 1961 standard industrial mortality table. All adjusted premiums and present values for all policies issued in a particular calendar year are calculated on the basis of a rate of interest not exceeding the nonforfeiture interest rate as provided in this subsection for policies issued in that calendar year; with the following exceptions and conditions:

(a) At the option of the insurer, calculations for all policies issued in a particular calendar year may be made on the basis of a rate of interest not exceeding the nonforfeiture interest rate, as provided in this subsection for policies issued in the immediately preceding calendar year.

(b) Under any paid-up nonforfeiture benefit, including any paid-up dividend additions, any cash surrender value available, whether or not required by 33-20-202, is calculated on the basis of the mortality table and rate of interest used in determining the amount of the paid-up nonforfeiture benefit and paid-up dividend additions, if any.

(c) An insurer may calculate the amount of any guaranteed paid-up nonforfeiture benefit, including any paid-up additions under the policy, on the basis of an interest rate no lower than that specified in the policy for calculating cash surrender values.

(d) In calculating the present value of any paid-up term insurance with accompanying pure endowment, if any, offered as a nonforfeiture benefit, the rates of mortality assumed may be not more than those shown in the commissioner's 1980 extended term insurance table for policies of ordinary insurance and not more than the commissioner's 1961 industrial extended term insurance table for policies of industrial insurance.

(e) For insurance issued on a substandard basis, the calculation of any adjusted premiums and present values may be based on appropriate modifications of the tables set forth in this subsection (8).

(f) (i) For policies issued prior to the operative date of the valuation manual as provided in 33-2-409, any commissioner's standard ordinary mortality tables adopted after 1980 by the national association of insurance commissioners that are approved by the commissioner by rule for use in determining the minimum nonforfeiture standard may be substituted for the commissioner's 1980 standard ordinary mortality table with or without 10-year select mortality factors or for the commissioner's 1980 extended term insurance table.

(ii) For policies issued on or after the operative date of the valuation manual as provided in 33-2-409, the commissioner may use the standard mortality table provided in the valuation manual for use in determining the minimum nonforfeiture standard instead of using either the commissioner's 1980 standard ordinary mortality table with or without 10-year select mortality factors or the commissioner's 1980 extended term insurance table.

(iii) A minimum nonforfeiture standard, if adopted by the commissioner by rule for the commissioner's standard mortality table adopted by the national association of insurance commissioners for use in determining the minimum nonforfeiture standard for policies issued on or after the operative date of the valuation manual, supersedes the valuation manual's nonforfeiture standard.

(g) (i) For policies issued prior to the operative date of the valuation manual, any industrial mortality tables adopted after 1980 by the national association of insurance commissioners that are approved by the commissioner by rule for use in determining the minimum nonforfeiture standard may be substituted for the commissioner's 1961 standard industrial mortality table or the commissioner's 1961 industrial extended term insurance table.

(ii) For policies issued on or after the operative date of the valuation manual, the valuation manual must provide the commissioner's standard mortality table for use in determining the minimum nonforfeiture standard that may be substituted for the commissioner's 1961 standard industrial mortality table or the commissioner's 1961 industrial extended term insurance table.

(iii) A minimum nonforfeiture standard, if adopted by the commissioner by rule for the commissioner's standard industrial mortality table adopted by the national association of insurance commissioners for use in determining the minimum nonforfeiture standard for policies issued on or after the operative date of the valuation manual, supersedes the valuation manual's nonforfeiture standard.

(9) (a) For policies issued prior to the operative date of the valuation manual, the annual nonforfeiture interest rate for any policy issued in a particular calendar year must be equal to 125% of the calendar year statutory valuation interest rate for such policy as defined in the standard valuation law, Title 33, chapter 2, part 5, rounded to the nearer 1/4 of 1%. However, the nonforfeiture interest rate provided for in this subsection (9)(a) may not be less than 4.00%.

(b) For policies issued on or after the operative date of the valuation manual, the annual nonforfeiture interest rate for any policy issued in a particular calendar year must be as provided in the valuation manual.

(10) Any refiling of nonforfeiture values or their methods of computation for any previously approved policy form that involves only a change in the interest rate or mortality table used to compute nonforfeiture values does not require refiling of any other provisions of that policy form.

(11) After October 1, 1983, any insurer may file with the commissioner a written notice of its election to comply with the provisions of this section after a specified date, before January 1, 1989, which is the operative date of this section for that insurer. If an insurer makes no election, the operative date of this section for the insurer is January 1, 1989.

History: En. Sec. 6, Ch. 498, L. 1983; amd. Sec. 38, Ch. 370, L. 2015.