44-585. Same; premiums; contributions; deposit of premiums; refunds. (a) Premium contributions to the pool shall be based upon appropriate manual classification and rates, plus or minus applicable experience credits or debits, and minus any advance discount approved by the trustees, not to exceed 15% of manual premium. The pool must use rules, classifications and rates as promulgated by an approved rating organization and must report premium and loss data to a rating organization. Such rates shall be the prospective loss costs, as authorized in K.S.A. 40-955, and amendments thereto, plus expenses necessary to administer the pool. For purposes of subsection (b) the prospective loss costs shall be presumed to be the 70% required to be deposited in the claims fund. If the pool has been in operation for more than five years, the board of trustees may determine such rates as approved by the commissioner.

(b) At least 70% of the annual premium shall be placed into a designated depository for the sole purpose of paying claims. If so approved by the commissioner of insurance, the annual premium to be designated to such depository may be determined to be the net amount of premium after all or a portion of the specific and aggregate excess insurance premium costs have been paid. This shall be called the claims fund account. The remaining annual premium shall be placed into a designated depository for the payment of taxes, fees and administrative costs. This shall be called the administrative fund account. If a pool has been in operation for more than five years, the commissioner may authorize allocation of a different amount to the claims fund account, if solvency of the pool would not be endangered.

(c) At the end of a fund year or any time thereafter, the trustees may declare a refund of any surplus moneys for the fund year in excess of the amount necessary to fulfill all obligations under the workers compensation act for that fund year. Such refund shall not be distributed, in whole or in part, less than 12 months after the end of the fund year for which the refund was declared. After receipt from the pool of the notice of declared refund and satisfactory evidence that sufficient funds remain on deposit for the payment of all outstanding claims and expenses, including incurred but not reported claims, the commissioner shall approve distribution of the declared refund. Any such refund shall be paid only to those employers who remained participants in the pool for an entire year. Payment of previously earned refunds shall not be contingent on continued membership in the pool.

History: L. 1983, ch. 166, § 5; L. 1995, ch. 67, § 2; L. 1997, ch. 125, § 17; L. 1999, ch. 95, § 6; L. 2001, ch. 85, § 1; L. 2002, ch. 86, § 2; July 1.