33-2-518. Loss and loss expense reserves for property and casualty insurance. (1) (a) In determining the financial condition of a property and casualty insurer for the purpose of applying the provisions of this chapter and in any financial statement or report of an insurer, loss reserves and loss expense reserves at least equal to the amounts required under the provisions of this section must be included in the insurer's liabilities. The date from which the determination, statement, or report is made is, for the purpose of this part, the date of determination.

(b) Accepted actuarial standards as adopted by the actuarial standards board must be taken into consideration for the purpose of determining the loss reserves and loss expense reserves.

(2) Except as provided in subsections (3) and (4), the reserves for all outstanding losses and loss expenses must include the following:

(a) the aggregate estimated amounts due or to become due on account of all known losses, claims, and loss expenses incurred but not paid, including the estimated liability on any notice received by the insurer of the occurrence of any event that may result in a loss; and

(b) the aggregate amounts of liability for all losses and loss expenses incurred for which notice has not been received, estimated in accordance with the insurer's prior experience, if any, or otherwise in accordance with Montana industry experience, or countrywide industry experience if this state's experience is not credible, for similar contracts of insurance. The estimated liabilities for losses under all bonds, policies, or contracts of fidelity insurance may not be less than 10% of the net premiums in force, and the estimated liabilities for all of those losses under all the insurer's surety contracts may not be less than 5% of the net premiums in force.

(3) Except as provided in subsection (4), tabular reserves for outstanding losses under policies of workers' compensation insurance may be actuarially calculated for both indemnity and medical payments. The loss adjustment expenses are not eligible for discounting. Tabular reserves are those reserves that are:

(a) calculated using discounts determined with reference to actuarial tables, which incorporate mortality, interest, not to exceed 4%, remarriage, and other contingencies applied to a reasonably determinable payment stream associated with lifetime benefit cases; or

(b) annuities certain, such as those arising from structured settlements.

(4) Whenever, in the judgment of the commissioner, the loss and loss expense reserves of any property and casualty insurer doing business in this state, calculated in accordance with the provisions of this section, are inadequate or excessive, the commissioner may prescribe any other method that will produce adequate and reasonable reserves.

(5) The excess, if any, of statutory reserves over statement reserves must be calculated in accordance with the annual statement instructions adopted by the national association of insurance commissioners.

History: En. Sec. 43, Ch. 531, L. 1997.