RCW 48.76.050 Calculation of adjusted premiums—Operative date of section.

(1) This section does not apply to policies issued on or after the operative date of subsection (7) of this section. Except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, the adjusted premiums for any policy shall be calculated on an annual basis and shall be such uniform percentage of the respective premiums specified in the policy for each policy year, excluding amounts stated in the policy as extra premiums to cover impairments or special hazards, that the present value, at the date of issue of the policy, of all such adjusted premiums shall be equal to the sum of:

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

(b) Two percent of the amount of insurance, if the insurance is uniform in amount, or of the equivalent uniform amount, as defined, if the amount of insurance varies with duration of the policy;

(c) Forty percent of the adjusted premium for the first policy year;

(d) Twenty-five percent of either the adjusted premium for the first policy year or the adjusted premium for a whole life policy of the same uniform or equivalent uniform amount with uniform premiums for the whole of life issued at the same age for the same amount of insurance, whichever is less.

However, in applying the percentages specified in (c) and (d) of this subsection, no adjusted premium shall be deemed to exceed four percent of the amount of insurance or level amount equivalent thereto. The date of issue of a policy for the purpose of this section shall be the date as of which the rated age of the insured is determined.

(2) In the case of a policy providing an amount of insurance varying with duration of the policy, the equivalent level amount thereof for the purpose of this section shall be deemed to be the level amount of insurance provided by an otherwise similar policy, containing the same endowment benefit or benefits, if any, issued at the same age and for the same term, the amount of which does not vary with duration and the benefits under which have the same present value at the inception of the insurance as the benefits under the policy: PROVIDED HOWEVER, That in the case of a policy providing a varying amount of insurance issued on the life of a child under age ten, the equivalent uniform amount may be computed as though the amount provided by the policy prior to the attainment of age ten were the amount provided by such policy at age ten.

(3) The adjusted premiums for any policy providing term insurance benefits by rider or supplemental policy provision shall be equal to:

(a) The adjusted premiums for an otherwise similar policy issued at the same age without such term insurance benefits, increased, during the period for which premiums for such term insurance benefits are payable, by

(b) The adjusted premiums for such term insurance, with (a) and (b) of this subsection being calculated separately and as specified in subsections (1) and (2) of this section except that, for the purposes of subsection (1)(b), (c), and (d) of this section, the amount of insurance or equivalent uniform amount of insurance used in the calculation of the adjusted premiums referred to in (b) of this subsection shall be equal to the excess of the corresponding amount determined for the entire policy over the amount used in the calculation of the adjusted premiums in (a) of this subsection.

(4) Except as otherwise provided in subsections (5) and (6) of this section, all adjusted premiums and present values referred to in this chapter shall for all policies of ordinary insurance be calculated on the basis of the commissioner's 1941 standard ordinary mortality table: PROVIDED, That for any category of ordinary insurance issued on female risks on or after July 1, 1957, adjusted premiums and present values may be calculated according to an age not more than six years younger than the actual age of the insured and such calculations for all policies of industrial insurance shall be made on the basis of the 1941 standard industrial mortality table. All calculations shall be made on the basis of the rate of interest, not exceeding three and one-half percent per annum, specified in the policy for calculating cash surrender values and paid-up nonforfeiture benefits: PROVIDED, That 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 one hundred thirty percent of the rates of mortality according to such applicable table: PROVIDED, FURTHER, That for insurance issued on a substandard basis, the calculation of any such adjusted premiums and present values may be based on such other table of mortality as may be specified by the company and approved by the commissioner.

(5) This subsection does not apply to ordinary policies issued on or after the operative date of subsection (7) of this section. In the case of ordinary policies issued on or after the operative date of this section, all adjusted premiums and present values referred to in this chapter shall be calculated on the basis of the commissioner's 1958 standard ordinary mortality table and the rate of interest specified in the policy for calculating cash surrender values and paid-up nonforfeiture benefits provided that such rate of interest shall not exceed three and one-half percent per annum except that a rate of interest not exceeding four percent per annum may be used for policies issued on or after July 16, 1973, and before September 1, 1979, and a rate of interest not exceeding five and one-half percent per annum may be used for policies issued on or after September 1, 1979, except that for any single premium whole life or endowment insurance policy a rate of interest not exceeding six and one-half percent per annum may be used and provided that for any category of ordinary insurance issued on female risks, adjusted premiums and present values may be calculated according to an age not more than six years younger than the actual age of the insured: PROVIDED, That 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 1958 extended term insurance table: PROVIDED FURTHER, That for insurance issued on a substandard basis, the calculation of any such adjusted premiums and present values may be based on such other table of mortality as may be specified by the company and approved by the commissioner.

After June 11, 1959, any company may file with the commissioner a written notice of its election to comply with the provisions of this section. After the filing of such notice, then upon such specified date (which shall be the operative date of this section for such company), this subsection shall become operative with respect to the ordinary policies thereafter issued by such company. If a company makes no such election, the operative date of this section for such company shall be January 1, 1966.

(6) This subsection does not apply to industrial policies issued on or after the operative date of subsection (7) of this section. In the case of industrial policies issued on or after the operative date of this chapter, all adjusted premiums and present values referred to in this chapter shall be calculated on the basis of the commissioner's 1961 standard industrial mortality table and the rate of interest specified in the policy for calculating cash surrender values and paid-up nonforfeiture benefits provided that such rate of interest shall not exceed three and one-half percent per annum, except that a rate of interest not exceeding four percent per annum may be used for policies issued on or after July 16, 1973, and prior to September 1, 1979, and a rate of interest not exceeding five and one-half percent per annum may be used for policies issued on or after September 1, 1979, except that for any single premium whole life or endowment insurance policy a rate of interest not exceeding six and one-half percent per annum may be used: PROVIDED, That 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 1961 industrial extended term insurance table: PROVIDED FURTHER, That for insurance issued on a substandard basis, the calculations of any such adjusted premiums and present values may be based on such other table of mortality as may be specified by the company and approved by the commissioner.

After July 10, 1982, any company may file with the commissioner a written notice of its election to comply with the provisions of this section. After the filing of such notice, then upon such specified date (which shall be the operative date of this section for such company), this subsection shall become operative with respect to the industrial policies thereafter issued by such company. If a company makes no such election, the operative date of this section for such company shall be January 1, 1968.

(7)(a) This subsection applies to all policies issued on or after the operative date of this subsection as defined herein. Except as provided in (g) of this subsection, the adjusted premiums for any policy shall be calculated on an annual basis and shall be such uniform percentage of the respective premiums specified in the policy for each policy year, excluding amounts payable as extra premiums to cover impairments or special hazards and also excluding 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, that the present value, at the date of issue of the policy, of all adjusted premiums shall be equal to the sum of: (i) The then present value of the future guaranteed benefits provided for by the policy; (ii) one percent of either the amount of insurance, if the insurance be uniform in amount, or the average amount of insurance at the beginning of each of the first ten policy years; and (iii) one hundred twenty-five percent of the nonforfeiture net level premium as defined in (b) of this subsection: PROVIDED, That in applying the percentage specified in (a)(iii) of this subsection no nonforfeiture net level premium shall be deemed to exceed four percent of either the amount of insurance, if the insurance be uniform in amount, or the average amount of insurance at the beginning of each of the first ten policy years. The date of issue of a policy for the purpose of this section shall be the date as of which the rated age of the insured is determined.

(b) The nonforfeiture net level premium shall be 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 such policy on which a premium falls due.

(c) In the case of policies which cause on a basis guaranteed in the policy unscheduled changes in benefits or premiums, or which provide an option for changes in benefits or premiums other than a change to a new policy, the adjusted premiums and present values shall initially be 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 such change in the benefits or premiums the future adjusted premiums, nonforfeiture net level premiums and present values shall be recalculated on the assumption that future benefits and premiums do not change from those stipulated by the policy immediately after the change.

(d) Except as otherwise provided in (g) of this subsection, the recalculated future adjusted premiums for any such policy shall be such uniform percentage of the respective future premiums specified in the policy for each policy year, excluding amounts payable as extra premiums to cover impairments and special hazards, and also excluding 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, that the present value, at the time of change to the newly defined benefits or premiums, of all such future adjusted premiums shall be equal to the excess of:

(i) The sum of

(A) The then present value of the then future guaranteed benefits provided for by the policy, and

(B) The additional expense allowance, if any, over

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

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

(i) One percent of the excess, if positive, of the average amount of insurance at the beginning of each of the first ten policy years subsequent to the change over the average amount of insurance prior to the change at the beginning of each of the first ten 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

(ii) One hundred twenty-five percent of the increase, if positive, in the nonforfeiture net level premium.

(f) The recalculated nonforfeiture net level premium shall be equal to the result obtained by dividing (i) by (ii) where:

(i) Equals the sum of:

(A) The nonforfeiture net level premium applicable prior to the change times 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

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

(ii) Equals 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.

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

(h) All adjusted premiums and present values referred to in this chapter shall for all policies of ordinary insurance be calculated on the basis of the commissioner's 1980 standard ordinary mortality table or at the election of the company for any one or more specified plans of life insurance, the commissioner's 1980 standard ordinary mortality table with ten-year select mortality factors, shall for all policies of industrial insurance be calculated on the basis of the commissioner's 1961 standard industrial mortality table, and shall for all policies issued in a particular calendar year be calculated on the basis of a rate of interest not exceeding the nonforfeiture interest rate as defined in this section, for policies issued in that calendar year, subject to the following provisions:

(i) At the option of the company, 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 defined in this section, for policies issued in the immediately preceding calendar year.

(ii) Under any paid-up nonforfeiture benefit, including any paid-up dividend additions, any cash surrender value available, whether or not required by RCW 48.76.020, shall be calculated on the basis of the mortality table and rate of interest used in determining the amount of such paid-up nonforfeiture benefit and paid-up dividend additions, if any.

(iii) A company 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.

(iv) 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.

(v) For insurance issued on a substandard basis, the calculation of any such adjusted premiums and present values may be based on appropriate modifications of the aforementioned tables.

(vi) Any ordinary mortality tables, adopted after 1980 by the national association of insurance commissioners, that are approved by regulation promulgated by the commissioner for use in determining the minimum nonforfeiture standard may be substituted for the commissioner's 1980 standard ordinary mortality table with or without ten-year select mortality factors or for the commissioner's 1980 extended term insurance table.

(vii) Any industrial mortality tables, adopted after 1980 by the national association of insurance commissioners, that are approved by regulation promulgated by the commissioner 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.

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

For policies issued on or after the operative date of the valuation manual, the valuation manual must provide the commissioners standard mortality for use in determining the minimum nonforfeiture standard that may be substituted for the commissioners 1980 standard ordinary mortality table with or without ten-year select mortality factors or for the commissioners 1980 extended term insurance table. If the commissioner approves by rule any commissioners standard ordinary 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, then the minimum nonforfeiture standard supersedes the minimum nonforteiture standard provided by the valuation manual.

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

For policies issued on or after the effective date of the valuation manual, the valuation manual must provide the commissioners standard mortality table for use in determining the minimum nonforfeiture standard that may be substituted for the commissioners 1961 standard industrial mortality table or the commissioners 1961 industrial extended term insurance table. If the commissioner approves by rule any commissioners 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, then that minimum nonforfeiture standard supersedes the minimum nonforfeiture standard provided by the valuation manual.

(i)(A) For policies issued prior to the operative date of the valuation manual, the nonforfeiture interest rate per annum for any policy issued in a particular calendar year shall be equal to one hundred twenty-five percent of the calendar year statutory valuation interest rate for such policy as defined in the standard valuation law (chapter 48.74 RCW), rounded to the nearer one quarter of one percent. However, the nonforfeiture interest rate shall not be less than four percent.

(B) For policies issued on and after the operative date of the valuation manual, the nonforfeiture interest rate per annum for any policy issued in a particular calendar year must be provided by the valuation manual.

(j) Notwithstanding any other provision in this title to the contrary, any refiling of nonforfeiture values or their methods of computation for any previously approved policy form which involves only a change in the interest rate or mortality table used to compute nonforfeiture values shall not require refiling of any other provisions of that policy form.

(k) After July 10, 1982, any company 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 shall be the operative date of this section for such company. If a company makes no such election, the operative date of this section for such company shall be January 1, 1989.

[ 2016 c 142 § 18; 1982 1st ex.s. c 9 § 14.]

NOTES:

Effective date—2016 c 142: See note following RCW 48.74.010.