58-47-65. Licensing; qualification for approval.

(a) No group shall self-insure its workers' compensation liabilities under the Act unless it is licensed by the Commissioner under this Part. Any self-insured group that was organized and approved under the North Carolina law before July 1, 1995, and whose authority to self-insure its workers' compensation liabilities under the Act has not terminated after that date, shall not be required to be reapproved to be licensed under this Article.

(b) An applicant for a license shall file with the Commissioner the information required by subsection (f) of this section on a form prescribed by the Commissioner at least 90 days before the proposed licensing date. The applicant shall furnish to the Commissioner satisfactory proof of the proposed group's financial ability, through its members, to comply with the Act. No application is complete until the Commissioner has received all required information.

(c) The group shall comprise two or more employers who are members of and are sponsored by a single bona fide trade or professional association. The association shall (i) comprise members engaged in the same or substantially similar business or profession within the State, (ii) have been incorporated in North Carolina, (iii) have been in existence for at least five years before the date of application to the Commissioner to form a group, and (iv) submit a written determination from the Internal Revenue Service that it is exempt from taxation under 26 U.S.C. 501(c). This subsection does not apply to a group that was organized and approved under North Carolina law before July 1, 1995.

(d) Only an applicant whose members' employee base is actuarially sufficient in numbers and provides an actuarially appropriate spreading of risk may apply for a license. The Commissioner shall consider (i) the financial strength and liquidity of the applicant relative to its ability to comply with the Act, (ii) the applicant's criteria and procedures regarding the review and monitoring of members' financial strength, (iii) reliability of the financial information, (iv) workers' compensation loss history, (v) underwriting guidelines, (vi) claims administration, (vii) excess insurance or reinsurance, and (viii) access to excess insurance or reinsurance.

(e) Before issuing a license to any applicant, the Commissioner shall require, in addition to the other requirements provided by law, that the applicant file an affidavit signed by the association's board members that it has not violated any of the applicable provisions of this Part or the Act during the last 12 months, and that it accepts the provisions of this Part and the Act in return for the license.

(f) The license application shall comprise the following information:

(1) Biographical affidavits providing the education, prior occupation, business experience, and other supplementary information submitted for each promoter, incorporator, director, trustee, proposed management personnel, and other persons similarly situated.

(2) A forecast for a five-year period based on the initial capitalization of the proposed group and its plan of operation. The forecast shall be prepared by a certified public accountant, a qualified actuary, or both, be in sufficient detail for a complete analysis to be performed, and be accompanied by a list of the assumptions utilized in making the forecast.

(3) An individual application, under G.S. 58-47-125, of each member applying for coverage in the proposed group on the inception date of the proposed group, with a current GAAP financial statement of each member. The financial statements are confidential, but the Commissioner may use them in any judicial or administrative proceeding.

(4) A breakdown of all forecasted administrative expenses for the proposed group's fiscal year in a dollar amount and as a percentage of the estimated annual premium.

(5) The proposed group's procedures for evaluating the current and continuing financial strength of members.

(6) Evidence of the coverage required by G.S. 58-47-95.

(7) Demonstration provided by the board, satisfactory to the Commissioner, that the proposed group's member employee base is actuarially sufficient in numbers and provides an actuarially appropriate spreading of risk.

(8) An assessment plan under G.S. 58-47-135(a).

(9) A listing of the estimated premium to be developed for each member individually and in total for the proposed group. Payroll data for each of the three preceding years shall be furnished by risk classification.

(10) An executed agreement by each member showing the member's obligation to pay to the proposed group not less than twenty-five percent (25%) of the member's estimated annual premium not later than the first day of coverage afforded by the proposed group.

(11) Composition of the initial board.

(12) An indemnity agreement on a form prescribed by the Commissioner.

(13) Proof, satisfactory to the Commissioner, that either the applicant has within its own organization ample facilities and competent personnel to service its program for underwriting, claims, and industrial safety engineering, or that the applicant will contract for any of these services. If the applicant is to perform any servicing, biographical affidavits of those persons who will be responsible for or performing servicing shall be included with the information in subdivision (1) of this subsection. If a group contracts with a service company or TPA to administer and adjust claims, the group shall provide proof of compliance with the other provisions of this Part.

(14) A letter stipulating the applicant's acceptance of membership in the North Carolina Self-Insurance Security Association under Article 4 of Chapter 97 of the General Statutes.

(15) Any other specific information the Commissioner considers relevant to the organization of the proposed group.

(g) Every applicant shall execute and file with the Commissioner an agreement, as part of the application, in which the applicant agrees to deposit with the Commissioner cash or securities acceptable to the Commissioner.